A MUST read for anyone concerned about our future. An eyeopening firsthand account of a group that exists in our country today.

Brigitte Gabriel has no doubt gone through some powerful experiences as a Christian Lebanese woman. There is little doubt some of the atrocious stories she shares in her book, "Because They Hate," did and continue to take place in some corners of the world. But the impact of her message is lost when she herself resorts to a hateful dogma essentially calling for World War 3. Gabriel is almost like the Cuban exiles in Florida who denounce the repression of the Castro regime but fully back terrorist attacks on the island and civilians as long as it's "fighting Communism." Gabriel takes the same tone in her book, calling for even more disastrous military campaigns into possibly Iran. It is no wonder she is a featured speaker at many radical right-wing Christian events including CUFI, the notorious John Hagee cash cow used to promote Israeli aggression and expansion.

Gabriel frames her book around traumatic childhood experiences involving her family and persecution by Muslims of local Christian communities. She describes the horrific practice of mothers who's wombs are ripped open by militias, the fetuses taken out (a practice very common among U.S.-trained forces in El Salvador during the 1980s by the way). Gabriel is no doubt throwing meat to the lions of the Christian right, who believe we are in some cosmic battle against the Satanic forces of Islam. The main problem is that "Because They Hate" ironically makes you wonder about the deep-rooted hatred among those who celebrate Gabriel and her book.

The book essentially calls for fighting hate with more hate, read some of the reviews on this page and you'll find fans smashing Islam as "incompatable with Western values." Gabriel fails in her efforts to inform readers on the dangers of radicalist Islamic groups by creating a dangerous, toxic scenario of us (civilized Western Christians) against them (barbaric Muslim hordes). She quickly dismisses Israeli atrocities in the occupied territories or the fact that U.S. interventionism has played a great part in encouraging the rise of radical dogmas in the region. Consider that we overthrew Iran's only democratic government in the 1950s because it nationalized the nation's oil, or that Hezbollah gained strength in Lebanon after Israel basically destroyed the nation's infrastructure. Ronald Reagan didn't help much when he funded and armed the radical Islamic groups that later morphed into the Taliban and Al Qaeda in order to defeat the Soviets in Afghanistan (Reagan's CIA Director said he preferred Koran wavers to Communist atheists any day). These are crucial moments in history that the reader should know in order to understand "why they hate."

So what are Gabriel's solutions? Basically more war, the U.S., Israel or both need to destroy Iran (why not Pakistan? They actually HAVE NUKES) and try to impose Western values on the region. How the U.S. could handle a third conflict she doesn't explain, or what happens if Islamic radicalism is even more inflamed from greater imperial interference?

There are some positive aspects to Gabriel's book, mostly when she condemns hateful practices by Muslim extremists, but she never feels compelled to condemn our own violence (starting with the invasion of Iraq which Gabriel praises). She champions the struggle of women to fight for more freedom in Islamic societies, which is also admirable. Of course she fails to mention that activist women's groups, such as in Iran, are desperately calling for an end to threats against the Islamic Republic considering outside interventionism never helps domestic groups calling for change.

Gabriel's book suffers from the same handicap of her good friend John Hagee's books, they make some valid points (Hagee denouncing anti-semitism for example), but then lose any real credibility when they detach themselves from reality and start trying to sell the reader this apocalyptic vision of good vs. evil. The political, cultural realities are much more complex and Gabriel fails to grasp that and instead resorts to hateful preaching against a particular religious group that caused her family harm. There is a creepy, ironically for a Middle Easter woman, colonial bent to the book in the way it tries to show the reader how OUR way, no matter how equally violent, is much better and should be adopted by the East if it wishes to progress. "Because They Hate" lacks any valuable scholarship, and instead just delivers more hate.

Brigitte is a great story teller, I couldn't put the book down. I love how the story is told simply and in matter-of-fact fashion. I admire her courage. There were many times I cringed and almost was brought to tears. The time is finished for being politically correct. I've been following these things the past few years, it is so obvious. All has been written down in the Bible so for those who have ears...

The devil, once called the Morning Star (Lucifer), the "carrier of the light," was the one who appeared as Gabriel to Muhammad. I pray for the lost souls. We are taught to love our enemies. There is no greater law than that. They have no such teaching. This train is on a crash course. Buckle up.

P.S. I originally rated the review having read only half of the book. I now think the book deserves closer to 3 STARS because the author is heavily biased. I was really pissed off by her blindness to the other half of the truth. I agree with the first 60% of the book but not the latter. I wholly agree with her view on Islam but completely disagree with her blind submission (pun intended) to all things American.

How is it not obvious that the U.S. gov't had some type of involvement in 9/11? One thing she doesn't realize is that people are being "anti-American" because our gov't has been hijacked and criticism and dissidence is bloody patriotic!! We are being "anti-American" because the morals and all we stood for are all but vanished! How can she blindly support the wicked, God-less, post-modernist culture that is now in development?! Quakers and Puritans, hello?! Do you see any? Look around. She's living in a fairytale land.

She also comes off as strongly anti-Arab. Love your enemies, remember. While I agree with her points, that they may revel in their un- and mis-education, she hadn't mentioned their previous contributions of science and mathematics. She could have gone at it a little differently. While I am definitely on the side of Israel, pro-Israel if you will for my fear of God, it is fair to also mention that they have a strong lobby in the U.S. as perhaps Norman Finkelstein and such describe. Fact is fact.

She can have well driven home her points as well as have told more of the truth and been objective. Bush & co. speak half-truths as silly as it sounds. They are right that Iran, Syria & Co. are a dire threat, but the Bush Regime's actions completely support the beast of Islam and the Middle East. "Terrorism" and Islam are at the gate with a bloody sword, but we also face a brewing insane tyrannical gov't in our backyards, which seems to be spreading to other parts of the globe as well. She could have had her cake and eaten it as well.

Brigitte is a great story teller, I couldn't put the book down. I love how the story is told simply and in matter-of-fact fashion. I admire her courage. There were many times I cringed and almost was brought to tears. The time is finished for being politically correct. I've been following these things the past few years, it is so obvious. All has been written down in the Bible so for those who have ears...

The devil, once called the Morning Star (Lucifer), the "carrier of the light," was the one who appeared as Gabriel to Muhammad. I pray for the lost souls. We are taught to love our enemies. There is no greater law than that. This train is on a crash course. Buckle up.

This is a great book written by a very courageous lady. It will make you aware of the horrors in the world of Islam.

This book contains an amazing description of what happened in Lebanon and an alert to the world about the threat that Muslim extremists represent to all the peace loving people of the world. It is important that the people of the world become aware of this threat. I would highly recommend this book as an eye opener as to what is really happening beyond what we hear on the daily TV news coverage. It is a great read.

Roland Carlson

The first part of this book reads like a thriller: a peaceful small town, a ten-year-old girl, then the Islamists make their move.

The striking things are the parallels with present-day America:

Lebanon was the only Arab democracy.

Lebanese people prided themselves on their apparently successful multiculturalism. They had all brands of Christianity and five kinds of Muslims: "the Shia, the Sunni, the Druze, the Alawis, and the Ismailis." (p. 11)

They were prosperous even though they produced no oil.

They were modern and progressive and wore modern Western clothes.

They (both Muslims and Christians) were taught to hate Israel and Jews.

They took in political asylum-seekers from Israel and Jordan.

So, what happened?

The Islamists increased their population faster than the Christians. Soon, they began demanding "one man, one vote." The open-immigration policy exacerbated the problem.

The Muslims had never really accepted the Christians anyway.

The political asylum-seekers were also militant and wanted Lebanon purified. They killed every Christian they could.

"This hate was not because we had armies in the Middle East or because we supported Israel or for any of the reasons people easily turn to today. It was because we were Christian, infidels." (p. 33) "We didn't believe it either when the war started in Lebanon." (p. 220)

That fearless leader, Jimmy Carter, sent in the Marines. One bomb, and the Marines hightailed it out again.

The Christians' only hope was to escape to America.

The question now is: Where are Americans going to escape to?

"why do they hate us? I have a very simple answer ... : because you are `infidels.'" (p. 19) Maybe we should do the American Imams the courtesy of believing what they say.

This a powerful book and should be read by every American. It tells us the goals and tactics of radical Islam. The writer has lived through revolution and writes from her first hand experiences.