Since the end of the Cold War several new Moslem nations have been created from the Southern provinces of the old Soviet empire. As with any new nations, they have had their share of teething trouble, although the 'Stans' have had more than most. Brutal regimes have responded to the Islamic resurgence with increased persecution and repression, supported by the US government all the while. Meanwhile, radical Islamic movements have been on the upswing.

Despite the sexy title, I didn't find this to be a very interesting work. Much of it is taken up with tales of government corruption, so common around the world. Rashid is one of the first, though, if not the first, to write about these new nations and the book deserves a couple of stars for that by itself. It is certainly worth reading if you have any need or desire to study the central asian republics.

I took issue with the author's thesis, however. Rashid is among a class of writers who, in situations of this kind, argue aid money must be used to build up infrastructure, health care and schools and not just the police and military. Failure to do this, he insists, only helps the jihadists recruit new members. But one may ask how all of this can be done during a war? The enemy must be crushed first, or all else is lost anyway.

Sad. What this person tries to do is excuse his own country ( may be Pakistan OR India, hard to tell from his retoric)for all the ills that have been created in his own country by his own corrupt neighbors. His claim to fame is rubbing shoulders with Karzi and other yuks. Rather like Barrack saying Farakan is not a friend of mine. ( sure) anyway. don't sucker for the full hardback cost like I did--I wasdoing research--THAT he does provide good references on Paki and Afghstan socialism--wait for it to hit the dollar rack--soon

Sad. What this person tries to do is excuse his own country ( may be Pakistan OR India, hard to tell from his retoric)for all the ills that have been created in his own country by his own corrupt neighbors. His claim to fame is rubbing shoulders with Karzi and other yuks. Rather like Barrack saying Farakan is not a friend of mine. ( sure) anyway. don't sucker for the full hardback cost like I did--I wasdoing research--THAT he does provide good references on Paki and Afghstan socialism--wait for it to hit the dollar rack--soon

The book is tedious, but comprehensive and does explain a lot that has been said about the region. It offers confirmation of many statements about the region, usually those offered without reference. Recommended for anyone interested in "Fundalmentalist Islam" and/or the politics of the former Soviet Uniion.

This book is the most comprehensive source of information concerning Islam & Terrorism.

Jihad by Ahmed Rashid provides an explanation for the rise of militant Islam in Central Asia. I purchased this book because I enjoyed another of Rashid's works, Taliban, and because it was on sale. Within the first few pages, the significance of Rashid's book is obvious. For one, the author is an objective journalist (that term should be redundant but, sadly, it isn't) with first-hand experience in the region. And, more importantly, Jihad was largely written before 11 September 2001, before our national interest in religious extremism became colored by emotion and an agenda to support USA military efforts in the Middle East.

As argued by Rashid, the seeds of today's radical Islamic movement in Central Asia were planted by Stalin. The present borders of those republics -- Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan -- were drawn by that dictator explicitly to fragment ethnic allegiances, to try and force the local populations to become homogenized (but 2nd class) members of the Soviet empire. Collectivization caused further resentment, as did Bolshevik suppression of Islam. But all the latter accomplished was to push religious practice underground and give the people a rallying point to come together against the government.

When the Soviet Union collapsed in the early 1990s, leaving former Communist Party members as presidents of the five republics, the equilibrium changed. The government was still unpopular and oppressive, and Islam was still officially to be suppressed, but the governments had lost their power to achieve their objectives. With the repeal of Soviet control came the withdrawal of Soviet forces and resources. Militant Islamic groups, suddenly free(r) to seek their own agendas, rose up to divide and topple the reigning, impotent regimes. Rashid works systematically through various movements in the region and their histories, but he pays special attention to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) and its connection with the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Jihad by Ahmed Rashid is a valuable and important book for anyone that wants to understand how the rise of militant Islam is not a new phenomenon but a continuation -- an effect -- of the Cold War.

Jihad by Ahmed Rashid provides an explanation for the rise of militant Islam in Central Asia. I purchased this book because I enjoyed another of Rashid's works, Taliban, and because it was on sale. Within the first few pages, the significance of Rashid's book is obvious. For one, the author is an objective journalist (that term should be redundant but, sadly, it isn't) with first-hand experience in the region. And, more importantly, Jihad was largely written before 11 September 2001, before our national interest in religious extremism became colored by emotion and an agenda to support USA military efforts in the Middle East.

As argued by Rashid, the seeds of today's radical Islamic movement in Central Asia were planted by Stalin. The present borders of those republics -- Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan -- were drawn by that dictator explicitly to fragment ethnic allegiances, to try and force the local populations to become homogenized (but 2nd class) members of the Soviet empire. Collectivization caused further resentment, as did Bolshevik suppression of Islam. But all the latter accomplished was to push religious practice underground and give the people a rallying point to come together against the government.

When the Soviet Union collapsed in the early 1990s, leaving former Communist Party members as presidents of the five republics, the equilibrium changed. The government was still unpopular and oppressive, and Islam was still officially to be suppressed, but the governments had lost their power to achieve their objectives. With the repeal of Soviet control came the withdrawal of Soviet forces and resources. Militant Islamic groups, suddenly free(r) to seek their own agendas, rose up to divide and topple the reigning, impotent regimes. Rashid works systematically through various movements in the region and their histories, but he pays special attention to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) and its connection with the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Jihad by Ahmed Rashid is a valuable and important book for anyone that wants to understand how the rise of militant Islam is not a new phenomenon but a continuation -- an effect -- of the Cold War.

Mr Rashid does a great job introducing this region to a reader who is only familiar with this area through the news reports. Central Asia covers an area nearly the size of the contiguous USA west of the Mississippi excluding Texas. Kazakhstan to the north comprises about 2/3s of this area. The remaining four "Stans" are squeezed between the Caspian Sea to the west with its vast oil reserves, China to the east and Iran and Afghanistan to the south.

Within these chapters is an adequate, short, understandable introduction to the history of the area from the Mongol invasions through their subjugation by the communists. You are introduced to the geography and the political boundaries, which were drawn by Stalin, and the state of affairs in each country between the downfall of the USSR and 2001. You learn that communist style dictators rule all but one of these countries and all the countries are both repressed and impoverished.

The meat of the story seems to begin with the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan and the USA's efforts to thwart that assault. Our work with the resistance fighters through Pakisitan brought the outside world into central Asia for the first time in 60 years. With the defeat of the USSR in Afghanistan and the USSR's collapse, these countries were plunged unprepared into the modern world. The continuing repressive natures of their governments coupled with the arrival of fanatical Muslim missionaries soon lead to the birth of several Islamic fundamentalist organizations.

The Islamic Renaissance Party (IRP), Hizb ut Tahir (HT) and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) are the main focus of most of the book. Each of these organizations aims at overthrowing the current governments in the area and replacing them with some form of repressive Islamic state; however, none of the groups is particularly clear on what that would be. I think that Mr. Rashid does a very good job at portraying these organizations as destructive, reactionary groups with no plan for the world after they win.

Finally, the strategic concerns of Russia, China and the USA are dealt with and how they relate to Central Asia. I would like to point out to future readers that whenever the USA's influence in the region is mentioned America is indicted because its military and economic aide is not tied to political reform; regional leaders are just encouraged to reform. However, no such concern is ever once raised by Mr. Rashid when he discusses the influence and aide of Russia, China, Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, any European Country or any other player in Central Asia. Also, not once in the book is there ever any discussion of the responsibility that the residents of each of the "Stans" have for the maintenance and good government of their own lands.

All in all this is a well written and worthwhile book. It covers the subject area briefly, but well. I came away from this book with a much better understanding of this region, its problems and what we will be facing for many years to come.

If you would like to understand what is happening in the Middle East, read what happened in Afghanistan much earlier. This book puts the current world conflict in perspective. But first,you should first read "Taliban" by the same author.
Eric

I bought a copy of Ahmed Rashid's book Taliban on a whim, because it was on sale at a cheap price. The cover has a cheesy photo of a guy who looks like an American actor dressed up in Afghan attire to portray a Taliban type. I was so impressed with it, though, that not only did I give it a positive review, I went out and bought this second book of Rashid's, on the central Asian countries that were formerly part of the Soviet Union. The title of this book is somewhat sensational, but the point of the book is to trace the course of history, politically and socially, in the five former Soviet Republics, during the first decade or so of their existence.

The events that he records are frankly fascinating. Four of the five countries are run by dictators who were inherited by the nations involved from the old Soviet Union, which they served as Communist Party Chairs, or Presidents. Only Tajikistan has a coalition government with Islamist militants serving alongside secularists. The four dictatorships run personality cults to a lesser or greater extent, with Turkmenistan having one of the most elaborate of these in the world. The leader styles himself "Turkmenbashi" which means "Father of all Turkmen". Kazhakstan's president is apparently setting up his daughter (!) to succeed him in power. Uzbekistan's ruler isn't able to make his mind up about anything. Kyrgyzstan's ruler and his government are so weak they can't even prevent incursions from terrorists on their way to neighboring countries, and the Chinese claim about 30% of their country.

The international political situation of the countries involved is seemingly unsolvable, and invites pity, to be frank. While a couple of them have extensive oil and gas reserves (Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan) and some others have other mineral resources, transportation routes are limited by the fact that the countries are landlocked, and the surrounding countries are at best neutral to their economic well-being, if not overtly hostile. The Russians, for instance, have exerted extensive pressure to keep all five nations from building pipelines to any of the other surrounding countries, so that they must rely on the old Soviet lines. These, of course, lead to Russia, and since that's the only outlet for the gas and oil, the Russians then insist on paying low prices for what they receive, when they pay at all. China, Iran, Afghanistan, and a route across the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan and eventually Turkey, all have grave difficulties that could stand in the way of the countries involved getting their petroleum products out onto the open market.

This is a coherent, interesting, involving book that discusses every facet of the five nations. While it isn't exhaustive, it's probably the most accessible description of them available in English. Everything from politics to religion to trade is discussed in the book, and several subjects are covered rather thoroughly. The author is very interested in the one real terrorist group in the region, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. He devotes a whole chapter to this organization (whose leader was killed by an American bomb in Afghanistan in 2002) and their goals and methods. He also discusses the Islamic group Hizb al-Tahrir, which is ostensibly peaceful (at least for now) but seeks to exert sharia over the whole of the region, insisting that doing so will bring peace, prosperity, and stability to the region with no down side.

I enjoyed this book a great deal. I think I learned a great deal from it, and I think I'm looking forward to Mr. Rashid's next book.

Although Central Asia has served as cross-roads throughout history, for many in the West, the region is enigmatic at best. With the descent of the Iron Curtain, access to the region was essentially outside the realm of Western scholars. However, with the collapse of the Soviet Union the Iron Curtain has lifted and Central Asia has moved out of the shadow of Russia and on to the international stage. However, freedom from Soviet control has not improved the state of the Central Asian republics. As regional poverty grows dire and civil society rapidly deteriorates, a militant form of Islam has found fertile territory in the region.

Rashid argues that Islam had long been relegated to informal mosques, and an underground ummah. Once the repressive regime of the Soviet Union left the region, Islam experienced resurgence. However, the despotic leaders who replaced the former Soviet masters quickly attempted to crush the rising Islamic movement as it served as a threat to their political control. This repression led to a certain level of militancy, which in turn was fueled by Saudi Arabian missionaries and other militant purveyors of Islam. In many of the republics Islamic insurgencies have come to the fore in opposition to the secular and often repressive post-Soviet regimes. As such, Rashid argues that Central Asia could very well be the latest hotspot for violent Islamic conflict.

Aside from providing an excellent political and economic analysis of the region, Rashid offers an excellent history of the region. Like his book, Taliban, Rashid has contributed greatly to the study of Islam and Central Asia.

I read this book, here in Brazil, translated to portuguese. This is the best book, I ever read about former Soviet Asia.
In portuguese, I think that there's nothing better about former Soviet Asia.The subject is dificult, but this book is unbiased, good and concise.The only problem is that even it beeing writen just some years ago, it's becoming a little outdated.
On exemple is that it claims oil's reserves who simple don't exist in former Soviet Asia.
The "new" oil will come from deep sea (Brazil, West Africa, etc.), polar zones (Russia, Canada,etc.), and even from Iraq(why not?).The "new" oil will not come from former Soviet Asia.

This is an outstanding primer for understanding the issues that confront Central Asia. Rashid relatively objectively addresses each of the five Central Asian republics, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, and highlights plainly the personalities and interest groups which are driving each. Very simply, many Islamic groups, such as the IMU, were initially fighting the totalitarianism of the recently Soviet republics' regimes. While the personalities are different, each republic takes a hard line against Muslim interest groups and has clamped down on basic rights instead of engaging these people and allowing them to have a peaceful voice in the governing of the nation. The introduction of U.S. money and armed forces into the region has given some of the dictators increased confidence that they hard-line regimes have the backing of the U.S.

This is a region that has so much potential, yet so many obstacles to overcome. This is a great read that allows somebody with almost no knowledge of the region or of Islam to gain a firm understanding of both. I highly recommend it.

The Fergana Valley lies within the 5 "Stan" states like Uzbekistan. Rashid has gone to many lengths to bring this incredible info to the forefront.

The U.S., E.U., Russia, China and others are vying for this resource rich area. Many alliances are being formed.

Unfortunately, 80% are unemployed, over 60% are under 25 yrs. old. Uzbek Pres Islam Karimov is oppressing Muslims with the help and $$ of the U.S.

Another 9/11 is around the corner, but don't wait to find out, read this exciting and alarming book by Ahmed Rashid.

Ahmed Rashid's "Taliban" was a more entertaining read, but "Jihad" is perhaps the more important contribution. Central Asia still means nothing to Americans today, but our children will wonder why we were so careless and inattentive as the failed "...stans" turned into breeding grounds of terror and extremism on our watch.

My favorite quote from this book is one by a Pakistani scholar who warns, "A failed state is not a dying state, although it can be that too. A failed state is one in which failure of policies is never considered sufficient reason to reconsider them." How well that applies, not only to Central Asia, but Pakistan, the EU, and even the current American administration. At least we all may now be reaching the lowest common denominator.

In this book, Ahmed Rashid makes a follow-up of his widely acclaimed "Taliban" to introduce the non-Muslim reader to a more general, complex world where terrorism, insurgencies, political corruption, drug-trafficking, and great powers' vying for influence have been at the core of many conflicts in Central Asia until today.

I particular find it extremely helpful that Rashid handles the armed conflicts that resulted from the Soviet Union's collapse in a way that explores the roots of the rising religious militancy that has been a subject of concern in the United States especially after 9-11. The book explains how Islamic extremism have found fertile ground in the heart of Asia as the post-Soviet regimes of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazhakstan, Kyrgystan, and Turkmenistan have done little to bring about badly needed reforms in their societies.

Rashid gives an account on the various militant factions in the unsuing civil wars after the USSR collapse in each of these five countries, giving a description of their leadership, organization, and agendas.

He also makes a careful distinction between the pacifist pan-Islamic fundamentalist movements such as the Hizb ut-Tahir (HT) and the 'Holy Warrior' variety of jihadis such as the Uzbekistan Islamic Movement (IMU), to name few. Both trends, Rashid explains, draw from ideologies that seek to adapt centuries-old interpretations of Islam - for example the Saudi-influenced Wahabbism - into the modern World. Rashid does not downplay the threat of fanaticism in both trends, however, he argues that there can be constructive alternatives to co-opt these trends into the political system of each country of the region.

Of the HT, for example, he writes, "One option, which the Central Asian regimes have so far refused to consider, is legalizing the HT and allowing it to operate as an above-ground political party. The HT has never advocated the overthrow of the regimes through violence, and legalization of the party would force the leadership to deal with local problems and articulate concrete economic and political policies rather than rely on vague millenarian promises. And legalizing the HT would make it less likely to forge links with other radical Islamic groups that do advocate violence."

Rashid suggests the coalition government formed in Tajikistan of former fundamentalist rebels and the secular government as a possible model to follow by the neighboring countries to attain stability and democracy and curb terrorism. He argues that by addressing the movements grievances, they would eventually moderate their agendas as they become to feel more empowered to make contributions of common interest to the various factions of the political spectrums of each country.

In my opinion, the book's main argument is to consider adaptation and moderation within the Islamic fundamentalist movements as viable alternatives to fight terrorism and encourage a gradual march toward religious and political tolerance in the region.

Rashid's efforts to present the current situation in Central Asia is a valuable contribution to dispel the conventional wisdom, more significantly in the West, that the problem of terrorism and Islamic militancy can be described in a monolithic scenario of "good v. Evil," Clash-of-civilizations-type hysteria.

AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT CENTRAL ASIA AND THE MILITANT ISLAMIC MOVEMENTS THAT SPAWNED THERE [THE ISLAMIC MOVEMENT OF UZBEKISTAN (IMU), HIZB-UT TAHIR (HT) AND ISLAMIC RENAISSANCE PARTY (IRP)]. THE AUTHOR IS WELL EDUCATED AND ARTICULATE - HIS BOOK INFORMATIVE, WELL WRITTEN AND ENGAGING.

IN IT, HE DESCRIBES HOW CENTRAL ASIA'S NATURALLY MODERATE MUSLIMS WERE RADICALIZED BY A COMBINATION OF OUTSIDE INFLUENCE (PROSELYTIZING BY ISLAMIC EXTREMISTS) AND REPRESSION BY THEIR OWN GOVERNEMENTS. THE FIRST FACTOR IS TO BE EXPECTED, YET THE SAD TRUTH IS, WITHOUT THE IMPETUS OF GOVERNMENT REPRESSION, THE EFFORTS OF RADICAL "PREACHERS" WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH LESS EFFECTIVE. THE GOVERNMENTS, IN FACT, REPRESSED ISLAM IN THEIR COUNTRIES IN ITS MODERATE FORM - BEFORE EXTREMISM HAD EVEN BECOME A FACTOR.

THE AUTHOR GIVES A GREAT, FLOWING ACCOUNT OF CENTRAL ASIA'S HISTORY (SALIENT POINTS WELL-ORGANIZED, WITHOUT A CUMBERSOME AMOUNT OF DETAIL). FOR ME, LARGELY IGNORANT OF THE SUBJECT, THIS WAS QUITE ENLIGHTENING. IN SO DOING, HE GIVES A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF THE SOCIAL/POLITICAL CONTEXT IN WHICH THESE MOVEMENTS GREW.

THESE DAYS WE'RE CONFRONTED BY THE MEDIA ON A DAILY BASIS BY THE "FRUIT" OF RADICAL ISLAM (TERRORIST ACTS). IT WAS A WORTHWHILE, AND INTERESTING DEPARTURE TO READ AN ACCOUNT WHICH DETAILS THE "ROOTS" OF THAT PHENOMENON.

SINCE 911, IVE BEEN ON A PERSONAL QUEST TO UNDERSTAND THE PHENOMENON OF ISLAMIC EXTREMISM, READING MANY BOOKS IN THE PROCESS. THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST I'VE READ. I RECOMMEND IT.

This book starts with the history of Central Asia then talks about the current state of that area focusing on the rise of radical Islamic groups, mainly IMU & HT. The author provides some reasons for their rise and how this has affected the area and the world. This author also provides some solutions to the problems of this part of the world while holding out hope for mass reform through foreign support as a solution to the war on terror.

Large oil reserves, oppressed people, human rights violations, mass poverty, mass unemployment, and radical Islamic groups put this part of the world front stage in the war on terror.

The reviewers on this website who claim Rashid is the only journalist who knows Central Asia are clueless about journalism in Central Asia. There are many journalists who know Central Asia far better than Rashid - check out Eurasianet.org, for example.

Rashid's book about Afghanistan, Taliban, is excellent because he has spent many years living in the region and he knows some local languages and has seriously studied Afghanistan's history. Unfortunately, he relies on unreliable secondary sources for much of his knowledge of Central Asia and his book is filled with major and minor errors. He has an unsophisticated grasp of the Soviet era history of Central Asia and he makes wild speculations and overgeneralizations about the contemporary situation based on inadequate, hastily gathered information. Jihad is just Rashid capitalizing on his cachet and the publishers capitalizing on the public's hunger for quick and accessible information about this under-studied region.

Journalist Ahmed Rashid has the knack to identify those regions and religious movements that can destabilize the world. In his seminal book on the Taliban, Rashid wrote the definitive account of the bizarre fundamentalists who ruled and oppressed Afghanistan. In Jihad: The Rise of Militant Islam in Central Asia, the author offers fresh insight into the Islamist tumult in the Central Asian republics of the former USSR.

Although not as strong as his previous book, Jihad nonetheless is the powerful story of the rise of militant Islam in an impoverished, politically troubled region. The author focuses on Islamist terrorists based in the Fergana Valley, a center of Muslim unrest since the Bolshevik Revolution. Rashid explores, compares and contrasts five Central Asian nations impacted by the valley: Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.

These countries all differ but most continue to suffer the legacy of totalitarianism. After the Soviet Union imploded, Islam came out of the shadows in the Central Asian republics. The successor governments proved as eager as the Kremlin had been to repress religion, and this in turn led to the rise of Islamist terrorism. Rashid places this in a historical and cultural context for each nation. A correspondent long based in the region, Rashid is a reporter with impeccable sources and keen analytical abilities (he sometimes feels compelled to impart most of what he knows and has learned, and that can prove tedious).

The book is at its best when the author contrasts Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Tajikistan once sought to wipe out all Islamists. After a violent civil war, the country came to embrace democracy. As a result, Tajikistan is relatively stable today, and religious activists find outlets for expression through the electoral process. Uzbekistan, on the other hand, frowns on religion and has a national policy to suppress Islamists. Partially as a result, that government remains under constant attack from Muslim extremists, and in turn employs all means at the state's disposal to destroy its enemies. This civil war, centered in the Fergana Valley, spills across borders and threatens the region.

After Rashid details the violence in Uzbekistan, he introduces the reader to the secretive Juma Namagani, who often seems driven by narcissism more than religious concerns. The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, the terror group Namagani heads, is presented here as a threat that rivals al-Qaeda in its fanaticism and violence.

Rashid concludes the actual problem isn't the insurgents, though. It's the repressive states that create them. Fortunately governments can change. The author documents why this holds some promise that Central Asia may not become the next Afghanistan.

Having spent my whole life up until very recently living and working in Central Asia for the US goverment working with aid agencies, I long ago gave up on finding a book I could share with friends that could explain the Byzantine politics of this region. Here we have countries rich in resources filled with hard working, good people and ruled by dictators that America has unwisely allied with. These dictators are fueling the hatred that will be turned against the US by our enemies.

In fact years ago Rashid warned the west about the Taliban in several articles and had to stay out of that country for years because of the danger to his life.

While the author and I have very different political philosophies, I cannot disparage his journalism. It is thorough and insightful. If you want to understand this region, don't read a book by some Western journalist who spends two weeks here and two months in a public library doing research. Read a book by a man who grew up here and has covered this region for years.

The only people who won't like this book are the despots in the Central Asian nations who are eager to rob that region of it's riches while the eyes of the world are on Afghanistan and Iraq.

It's time to head Rashid's warnings before we end up with a whole region filled with Afghanistans and Iraqs...