Farhana Qazi draws on her background as a pioneering counterterrorism professional and a devout Muslim to offer an insider's view of what drives girls and women to join radical Islamic movements, and identifies what America and the world community can do to keep them from making this terrible choice.
Farhana Qazi is a gender expert instructor at the Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University, and a research fellow at the Center for Global Policy. She received the 21st Century Leader Award from the National Committee on American Foreign Policy in New York and the Humanitarian Award from her alma mater in Texas.
2019 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Silver Award winner in the Currents &
Political Events category.
"This is an extraordinary book, written by an extraordinary woman.
Qazi is a master storyteller, capturing the emotion as well as the
subtleties of what she wants to communicate. And as the first
Islamic member of the U.S. Counterterrorism Center, there is a lot
that she wants to tell readers about. She knew Islam to be a
religion of peace and compassion. The personal horror of terrorism
for her was coming face to face with female psychopaths who shared
that faith. She’s devoted her career to trying to understand that
phenomenon and finding a way to explain it to non-Muslims in a way
that is productive. The dreary cover of this book captures the dark
world that Qazi immersed herself in, but it belies the light that
she brings into the world by trying to put a human face on extreme
female violence. She has become her mother’s prayer: Be constantly
occupied with listening to God. Believe that He has a purpose for
you."
—Anna Jedrziewski, Retailing Insight
“Qazi, a former analyst at the U.S. National Counterterrorism
Center and a Muslim, investigates what leads women to become
radical Islamists in this volume, part analysis and part searching
memoir.…this is a heartfelt plea for the tolerant majority to take
back their religion from the violent fringe.”
—Publishers Weekly
“This is a conceptually innovative and highly-informed account of
the appeal of violent extremism to the tiny minority of Muslim
women who leave their homes, especially in Western countries, to
join foreign terrorist groups, such as the Islamic State (IS).”
—Joshua Sinai, Perspectives on Terrorism
“Farhana Qazi takes the reader on a well-written and analytically
sharp tour of the world of women who kill in the name of God.”
—Peter Bergen, Vice President of New America Foundation and CNN's
national security analyst
“Farhana Qazi continues to serve as an ambassador between religions
and cultures in difficult and violent times. Her book is a
must-read to separate the peaceful practice of Islam from violent
extremism.”
—Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic
Studies, American University
“Qazi is a daring researcher who provides answers to why women and
girls join extremism. With an open heart, she weaves in her own
personal story to tell the world that ignorance of faith
disempowers Muslim females. This is the only book by an American
Muslim woman with a counterterrorism background that has the power
to change hearts and minds.”
—Judit Maull, Producer, Happy Madison Productions
“Farhana Qazi’s new book, Invisible Martyrs, is an authentic
revelation of how Islam can be skewed by some, thus distorting the
core fundamental goodness of the faith of Islam, and especially for
gender issues. In this complex and volatile world, women reject
terrorism and conflict—they search for peace, justice, and rights.
Bravo to Farhana with this most important message in her new
book.”
—Lois A. Herman, Coordinator, Women’s UN Report Network
Distorting the teachings of religion is not unique to extreme Islam
in our time. We find it everywhere, and we all need to address it
if we are to mend our world which is undergoing a deep moral
crisis. This book focuses on women who are recruited by radical
organizations who distort the teaching of Islam. I share the
author’s conclusion that, as we have always seen in the past, those
who have no regard for human life cannot succeed. The teachings of
compassion and justice shared by all the major faiths will continue
to prevail."
—Rabbi Mordecai Schreiber
“Farhana Qazi focuses on the importance of going local as the
foundation for countering and preventing violent extremism,
understanding that Muslims are the front line in the global war on
terrorism.”
—Stephen M. Apatow, President, Humanitarian Resource
Institute
“Farhana Qazi highlights the precious gift of Islam in this book,
which is to bring the misguided female extremist closer to the
truth and understand a religion of love and mercy.”
—Jennifer Sue Parker, senior commander, US military
“Informed by her own experience and personal encounters, Qazi’s
book takes us inside the mindset of those who, contrary to their
own religious beliefs and to society’s perceptions of women as
nurturers, instead become its murderous fanatics. While avoiding
the alarmist prose and political agendas that color so much of the
literature on terrorism, Invisible Martyrs offers a fascinating and
harrowing story. Of all the recent books on this topic, this one is
an essential read.”
—Brian Michael Jenkins, Senior Adviser, RAND Corporation
“Qazi has given us a deeply personal yet acutely analytical journey
into the minds of the women and girls who seek out violent
extremism. Invisible Martyrs is an electrifying page-turner that
should be read by everyone who wants to understand this disturbing
phenomenon.”
—John Horgan, senior counterterrorism adviser to the United States
and Professor, Georgia State University
“Qazi gives us a book that is bold, brave, and brilliant. A
must-read for everyone trying to unpack violent extremism from a
peaceful religion.”
—Amanda Ohlke, Adult Education Director, International Spy
Museum
“Invisible Martyrs reflects Qazi’s personal spiritual journey as a
Muslim American woman, mother, immigrant, and scholar trying to
understand motives for terrorism that are so alien to her
experiences with Islam. An antidote to complaints in the media that
Muslims aren’t speaking up, the book demonstrates that many Muslim
scholars continue to be doing their part to combat what the author
characterizes as a ‘disturbing trend of an uncompromising Islamic
scholarship spreading in the Muslim and Western world.’ Qazi also
suggests alternative narratives against extremism, in which
struggling ‘in the way of God’ means taking the path to love, not
to war.”
—Barbara Sude, former senior counterterrorism analyst, US
government
“Through storytelling, Qazi takes a deeper look at what motivates
women and girls to join a dangerous and radical movement. This book
is essential for anyone hoping to understand the dark truth of
violent extremism as well as the beauty of Islam.”
—Angelina Maldonado, world affairs instructor
“Farhana Qazi has utilized a lifetime of studying Islam to craft a
book that sheds light on a great mystery. She comes at the subject
as a scholar and an American woman who spent time with Muslim women
to understand their motivations. Her insights are unique. She draws
on a tremendous amount of research and reflection. It is a valuable
read to help understand what Islam really says and how we might
prevent future violence.”
—Vicky Collins, television producer and journalist
“Compellingly written and hard to put down, Farhana Qazi’s
first-person perspective asks difficult questions about faith and
culture while shining a light on an often-unexpected and unseen
side of radical Islam.”
—Eric Tipton, author and screenwriter
“With Invisible Martyrs, Farhana Qazi turns conventional thinking
upside down and forces us to ask new questions about who engages in
political violence and why. A highly original, compelling, and very
readable exploration of a side of terrorism we know very little
about.”
—Peter Mandaville, Professor of International Affairs and Islamic
Studies, George Mason University, and former Senior Adviser to
Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry
“In her book, Qazi fights violent extremists by trying to capture
the true spirit of Islamic teachings while also understanding and
offering solutions to vulnerable Muslims who need to reject such
messages and once again embrace a religion of peace.”
—Anne Speckhard, Director, International Center for the Study of
Violent Extremism, and Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry,
Georgetown University School of Medicine
“Farhana Qazi tells the fascinating inside story of the women who
are ready to die for radical Islam.”
—Deborah Scroggins, author of Wanted Women
“Heartbreaking. The balance Qazi brings to a difficult
story—extremism versus the teachings of peace and love—makes for a
powerful read. Telling the story through the eyes of women makes it
memorable.”
—Betsy Ashton, author and former President, Virginia Writers
Club
“With her inimitable insights, compelling analysis, and clear-eyed
stories, Farhana Qazi makes a world opaque to most all of us
accessible and vivid. This book has much for those willing to be
taught and should be read widely.”
—Eric Selbin, Chair of International Studies, Professor of
Political Science, and Lucy King Brown Chair, Southwestern
University
“Gripping. Lyrical. With Invisible Martyrs, Qazi tells stories that
need to be heard and penetrates minds that need to be
understood.”
—Ajit Maan, President, Narrative Strategies, and author of
Narrative Warfare
“Farhana Qazi’s courage and compassion inform this extraordinary
book, which gives new and important insights into the
radicalization of violent extremists. A beautifully-crafted
cri-de-coeur, Invisible Martyrs stands as crucial reading
for all who share the author’s dedication to freedom, security,
human rights, and human dignity.”
—Abigail R. Esman, award-winning journalist, author, and member of
Scholars for Peace in the Middle East
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