Drawing from the Koran, the hadith, and leaders of fundamentalist groups, identifies the core beliefs that inspire Islamic extremism while debunking commonly held notions about the religion.

"The bestselling author of The Secretary tells the gripping story of the real roots of the Sunni-Shia conflict in Middle East in the 1979 Iran Revolution that changed the region forever"-- Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shia Iran, once allies and twin pillars of US strategy in the region, became mortal enemies after 1979. Ghattas weaves together history, geopolitics, and culture to show how the 1979 Iranian revolution-- fueled by American policy-- fed intolerance,...

"Examines how a diverse country with a significant Muslim population is working to make the transition to a democratic society, balancing rule-of-law concerns against rising communal tensions"--Provided by publisher.