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Mahmood Mamdani

Good Muslim, Bad Muslim: America, the Cold War, and the Roots of Terror by Mahmood Mamdani (2004-04-20) Hardcover

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ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01JQHH8HU
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Mahmood Mamdani

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L. F Sherman
Excellent, important reading.
Reviewed in Canada on May 17, 2004

This is the best of the forty or so books I have read recently on the results of recent US foreign policy, on forms of political Islam, on the roots and character of terror, as well as on common misperceptions. Chapter two on "Culture Talk" is itself worth the price of the book. The origins of our enemies in US policy, CIA training, even University of Nebraska contracted textbooks is damaging to the myths supporting US policies now.
Discussion is painfully frank, honest, and thought provoking. Some will be unwilling to face this.
The origins of the worst may be in the Reagan era and now with this preemptive war but Carter and Clinton's errors are noted in what is a constructive rather than partisan analysis.
The types and motives of political Islam is a useful antidote to the simplistic poisonous tripe so common from the Media and the Administration and even scholars who should know better like Lewis and Huntington.
The summary of major costs of the focal Afghan War include, and continue to include, eroding democracy at home; US blowback from the creation of international trained and experienced terrorist Alumni; dramatic increases in Drug trade and users from financing methods of the wars; increased incoherence and decreased communication between the CIA and FBI. One can add that Press self censorship and complicity recently rated the US as not in the top 20 world wide for having a "free Press." The author does not mention that after first disarming then attacking Iraq the US 'bully' inadvertently makes a case for nukes for all for some deterrent (remember that word?).
The analysis of an commonality of irrational interest with Israel as another settler state and the discussion of the nature of suicide bombing will upset assumptions widely held but deserve thoughtful consideration.
Read this book! More importantly, THINK about what is said. Definitely worth buying. I'm giving a copy to the local library too!

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"minofarooq"
Separating politics from faith
Reviewed in Canada on June 9, 2004
Mamdani is a powerful intellectual (who by the way is never invited by the American media to speak!) with African and Muslim roots. I find his analysis powerful and helpful for promoting the much-needed reflection and dialogue in ALL peoples and countries. It is not about America versus Islam, but about power politics and its insidious effects. As Karen Armstrong has said, there have been religious wars all throughout human history, but never before has there been the kind of power concentration both military and economic in one single "nation". There is a burden that comes with power, and as a democracy, we American citizens need to take more interest in what our government does with our tax money. We simply don't do enough to promote a more peaceful and mutually rewarding environment for all peoples of the earth.
I find Mamdani's book is courageous in that it addresses a topic that has been taboo on the American media and public discourse. As we begin to peel the layers of the onion, we might discover that ordinary people do not want to participate in this bloody game of power politics but truly create a global village that engages in constructive actions, not perpetual violence in the name of some cause or another.
I think it is a must read for those who are brave enough to challenge their own assumptions about themselves. It is very easy to make assumptions about others, but it is high time we as Americans questioned our own assumptions about ourselves as a superpower.

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Seth J. Frantzman
Catchy title, false conclusions
Reviewed in Canada on May 19, 2004
This book is a multi-faceted analysis of Islam, the west and the Islamists. The book purports to try to lift the veil off of Islamism and explain the Jihadists, their motives and origins. The first chapter deals with Culture Talk, which is to say an open dialogue about Islam, the West and Jihad. Here the book tries to show that 'Jihad' as a term was first employed by Muslims who were fighting fellow Muslims, whether it was against the rich slave traders of Africa or the effendis of Saudi, we are told it was not a term aimed at non-muslims.
The second portion of the book tries to show how America grafted Jihad onto its goals in the cold war. Typical of the 'America is the greatest terrorist' this book tries to show that terrorism was invented by America to fight the cold war in Africa and central America. Then the book tries to show that, having learned about terrorism while aiding the contras, the CIA created the Jihadist elements in Afghanistan. In the final analysis the book argues that the CIA basically came up with the idea of Jihad and that by extension the CIA basically planned 9/11. Here is where the book fails.
Apparently forgotten in these pages are several incidents of genocide against non-muslims by muslims that had nothing to do with the west. No chapter sheds light on the Armenian massacres, the Assyrian genocide or the Hindu/Sikh genocide in Pakistan. And of course no chapter explains the virtual genocide against the Chinese and East Timorese in Indonesia. These incidents of mass slaughter had nothing to do with the cold war, just as the Moro Jihadist insurgency in the Philippines had nothing to do with the cold war. It is true that their was massive funding for the Anti-Russian resistance in Afghanistan, and it is true that radical anti-western elements in the ISI of Pakistan encouraged the creation of Islamism. But this doesn't fit the argument that this book is trying to convey, namely that the West is 100% responsible for 9/11 and Al Queida. The reality is this book wants to blame the victim and to never blame those who are the actual terrorists. Although the book quickly condemns terrorism by S. Africa it never once condemns the same exact terrorism when practiced against the west. Why? Is the argument here that when terrorism is employed by western countries then the west is 'evil' and when terrorism is employed by Jihadists then it is also the west's fault. Hypocrisy is the name of the game in the conclusion. Thus there is a major failure of honesty in this read and many who hate America will be happy with this analysis but someone interested in the roots of Islamism will be left cold. Two facts remain, first the CIA is given far too much credit for being competent, which it is not and Second there is a total ignoring of previous Islamist movements like the Muslim Brotherhood and the Muslim nationalists like Nasser.
Lastly the book tries to compare Christian 'fundamentalism' with Islamic 'fundamentalism'. But the problem is their is not one incident where Christian terrorists have gone to an Islamic country and bombed mosques or schools while shouting 'God if Great'. Their is simply nothing to compare, because witht he exception of Ireland their hasn't been any Christian terrorism in the 20th century.
Seth J. Frantzman

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Top reviews from other countries

Jez and Rani
Only biased if you're used to the US media
Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2008
Verified Purchase

As a British reader, it's fascinating to read all the reviews of this book which describe it as "biased". Having lived in the US for several months now, it is a constant source of astonishment to me how biased (pro-Israeli government) the US media is in covering the Israel-Palestine conflict.

I'm not just talking about the European media: Haaretz (a respectable left-wing newspaper in Israel) has the following to say about operation 'Cast Lead': "Six months ago Israel asked and received a cease-fire from Hamas. It unilaterally violated it when it blew up a tunnel, while still asking Egypt to get the Islamic group to hold its fire." ([...] You would never read anything like this in the mainstream US media.

So I find Mamdani's analysis to be pretty even handed and insightful. He has done the research to back up his thoroughgoing historical analysis of the conflict. I urge people to read this account to see how much of the rest of the world views the Israel-Palestine conflict and the rest of the US' 'interventions' in other nations over the past fifty years. Unlike many US citizens, the rest of the world has neither forgiven nor forgotten the US' actions, and as a Brit I know only too well that the actions of an imperial nation have consequences that last decades and affect untold millions.

Mamdani's thesis is simply this: only by understanding the historic context of current events and acting accordingly can we create a world of peace and mutual respect.

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Robert W. Smith
one of the best books on us foreign policy in past 50 years
Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2009
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I think that this book, "Good Muslim, Bad Muslim" is one of the finest books that I have read on US foreign policy that has been written in the past 50 years. I am very impressed with the quality of the author's scholarship and the quality of his writing and the quality of the insights that he makes. I agree with reviewer Steele, this might well be Nobel winning material. The author makes one gaff in which he provides constructive criticism regarding a US satellite nation's atrocities and the tendency of America to not want to even acknowledge that nation's errors. There were several times where I read material for which I wanted a reference, but it was not provided. The references are summed up in a scholarly manner at the end. I give the topic an A+ and I give the quality of the writing an A. This is an excellent read and it is well worth the purchase price, new. It is one of those books that, if read, will change your outlook.

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Adam M. Donaldson
Highly informative read and a must read for those interested in the roots of modern political terror
Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2016
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I found this book to be highly informative and a must read for anyone interested in the current events of our days. I say this because much if not most of the current events and struggles faced by our country the USA and the world as a whole, have their roots somewhere else. This other place is the Cold War, the various proxy wars fought, the alliances between political and societal institutions, the various American and Soviet administrations with their ideological wars, and beyond. It is a must read if you truly wish to understand the roots of modern political terror, and if you truly wish to start to create a solution to this problem. One can not create a viable solution unless one allows themselves to look at all facets of history and not be confined to biased views. 5/5 stars with my full recommendation.

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David Bliven
Excellent breakdown of the roots of Islamophobia
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2018
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Written in the wake of 9/11, this book is an unparalleled treatise on the roots of Islamophobia. It should be on the bookshelf of every social justice activist.

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Seriously?
This doesn't even deserves half a star but �鶹�� makes you give one
Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2014
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This is an amazing craft of selective use of facts and missrepresenatation of theories. Mamdani literaly holds the US responsible of creating Islamic terror, suggesting that CIA laid the foundations for Taliban and Al-Quida.

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