I was told to come alone
Subtitle: my journey behind the lines of jihad
By: Souad Mekhennet
Edition: First edition.
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Published: 2017
Language: eng
Number of pages: 354
ISBN-13: 9781627798976
Copyright date: 2017
Subjects: Terrorism; Jihad; IS (Organization)
Description: "The journalist who broke the "Jihadi John" story draws on her personal experience to bridge the gap between the Muslim world and the West and explain the rise of Islamic radicalism Souad Mekhennet has lived her entire life between worlds. The daughter of a Turkish mother and a Moroccan father, she was born and educated in Germany and has worked for several American newspapers. Since the 9/11 attacks she has reported stories among the most dangerous members of her religion; when she is told to come alone to an interview, she never knows what awaits at her destination. In this compelling and evocative book, Mekhennet seeks to answer the question, "What is in the minds of these young jihadists, and how can we understand and defuse it?" She has unique and exclusive access into the world of jihad and sometimes her reporting has put her life in danger. We accompany her from Germany to the heart of the Muslim world -- from the Middle East to North Africa, from Sunni Pakistan to Shia Iran, and the Turkish/ Syrian border region where ISIS is a daily presence. She then returns to Europe, first in London, where she uncovers the identity of the notorious ISIS executioner "Jihadi John," and then in Paris and Brussels, where terror has come to the heart of Western civilization. Too often we find ourselves unable to see the human stories behind the headlines, and so Mekhennet - with a foot in many different camps - is the ideal guide to take us where no Western reporter can go. Her story is a journey that changes her life and will have a deep impact on us as well"--
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 321-339) and index.
Table of contents: title: Prologue: Meeting ISIS: Turkey, 2014; title: Stranger in a strange land: Germany and Morocco, 1978-93; title: The Hamburg cell: Germany, 1994-2003; title: A country with a divided soul: Iraq, 2003-4; title: A call from Khaled el-Masri: Germany and Algeria, 2004-6; title: Even if I die today or tomorrow: Lebanon, 2007; title: The lost boys of Zarqa: Jordan, 2007; title: The value of a life: Algeria, 2008; title: Guns and roses: Pakistan, 2009; title: Mukhabarat: Egypt, 2011; title: This is not an Arab spring: Germany and Tunisia, 2011; title: Threats: Bahrain, Iran, and Germany, 2011-13; title: Boys for the Caliphate: Germany, 2013; title: Brides for the Caliphate: Germany and France, 2014-15; title: The search for an Islamist Beatle, or Finding Jihadi John: Britain, 2014-15; title: Terror comes home: Austria, France, and Belgium, 2015-16; title: Epilogue: The deepest cut: Germany and Morocco, 2016.