Beyond The Headlines: The Truth Behind Terrorism Today and The Complex Relationship Between The West and Middle East: Beyond The Headlines:

Beyond The Headlines is a comprehensive look at all of the elements involved in the relationship between The West and The Middle East. It spans from a brief history of Muhammad, histories of the Central countries involved and their politics to profiles of the main figureheads from both the political system and various terrorist organizations. Beyond The Headlines confronts the way all the elements and history have conspired to create the volatile situation in which we find ourselves today. The Book is full of historical facts and draws from a wide range of journalistic and book sources. It is intended to provide context for the events of September 11, 2001 and how things have developed since. It gives an understanding of what led to the terrorist attack on 9/11 to the world of the Middle East today and the Arab Spring. Democracy has not been allowed to become part of Muslim society as Muslims still adhere to a more antiquated concept of "rule". Traditionally the "ruling class" has been passed down through the family blood line. There is a strong belief that the good of the whole, meaning society, supercedes the rights of the individual. Thus to have what Muslims consider an Islamic, moral society, strict control must be asserted over the people. This contradicts the Western concept of the rights of the individual and the priority of self-determination as a defining element of a just society. Another main influence for Islamic fundamentalism came from within Egyptian borders. The Muslim Brotherhood, which was founded in 1928 by an Egyptian school teacher and activist, Hasan al-Banna, influenced many people such as Osama bin Laden, Yasser Arafat, Sheikh Yassin, who was the spiritual leader of Hamas and other prominent Muslims. The group is associated with overthrowing Western powers, which includes the State of Israel. They see Israel as an instrument of the West, founded and supplied by Western countries. The religious tolerance of the Brotherhood can be determined by its statement of religious belief that "God is our objective and the Quran is our constitution, the Prophet is our leader, Jihad is our way and death for the sake of God is the highest of our aspirations." The cause of Yasser Arafat's death has been a mystery to many of his followers and his medical records state that his death was due to a stroke from a blood disorder. In a recent broadcast from Al Jazeera (4th July 2012) it states that Yasser Arafat may have been killed by the radioactive element, polonium. Arafat's clothes and belongings had been turned into Al Jazeera by Suha Arafat and the belongings were in turn given over to the Institut de Radiophysique in Lausanne, Switzerland. Through careful analysis the institute discovered polonium on Arafat's personal belongings which included his toothbrush and clothes including his head wear.

Author: Philip J. Browne

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Publication Date: Aug 26, 2012

Number of Pages: 214 pages

Binding: Paperback or Softback

ISBN-10: 1479201197

ISBN-13: 9781479201198