Commander Of The Faithful: The Life And Times Of Emir Abd Elkader (18081883)

... One Of Those Dazzling Biographies That Informs Our Modern Life.Susan Eisenhower, Chairman Of The Eisenhower Group, Author Of Mrs. Iketoday More Than Ever, Muslims And Nonmuslims Alike Need To Be Reminded Of The Courage, Compassion And Intellect Of Emir Abd Elkader Abd Elkaders Jihad Provides Muslims With A Much Needed Antidote To The Toxic False Jihads Of Today, Dominated By Anger, Violence And Politics. His Royal Highness, Prince Hassan Bin Talal (Prince Of Jordan)Abd Elkader Teaches The French And The World That To Achieve Success, Moral Authority Is Necessary, Not Simply Military Might...This Fascinating Revival Of A 19Th Century World Heros Story Holds Valuable Lessons For Todays Middle East Warrior. It Would Be A Worthwhile Addition To Any Reading List.Col. Jon Smythe, Usmc ( Ret.)Abd Elkader Lived By A Chivalric Code Steeped In The Arab Concept Of Honor. When, In Our Own Day Alqaeda Terrorists Claim The Title Of 'Knight,' Its Worth Recalling A Time When Arab Warriors Embodied The Noblest Attributes Of Knighthood: Courage Compassion And Restraint.Steve Simon, Research Fellow, Council On Foreign Relationsjohn Kiser Has Not Just Given Us An Absorbing And Beautifully Written Story Of A Great Hero, He Has Written An Important Book. The Reader Is Bound To Be Moved By The Life Of This Remarkable Man Who Was The Very Opposite Of A Fanatical Jihadist.Jane Geniesse, Former New York Times Reporter And Author Of Passionate Nomad: The Life Of Freya Starkkiser Weaves The Intricate Tale Of Abd Elkaders Heroic Life And Spirit As Deftly As The Emir Maneuvered His Armies On The Battlefield . . . The Perfect Elixir For The Contemporary Wests Chronic Difficulties Understanding The East.Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, Author Of Whats Right With Islamwhen Abd Elkader Died In 1883, The New York Times Hailed Him As One Of The Few Great Men Of The Century. The Warrior/Saint Had Won The Heart Of The French Nation, His Sworn Enemy And The Invader Of His Algerian Homeland. He Reached The Summit Of His Fame After He Saved The Lives Of Thousands Of Christians During A Turkish Rampage In Damascus. Elkader, Iowa, Is Named After The Emir.Www.Truejihad.Comjohn W. Kiser Is The Author Of The Monks Of Tibhirine (St. Martins Press, 2003), Which Won The French Siloe Prize. His Articles Have Appeared In Foreign Policy Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, And The Washington Post.New York Times Review:Reviving A Novelworthy Tale Of War And Religion Peter Steinfelspublished: November 21, 2008For More Than 40 Years He Was A World Figure, His Renown Stretching From The American Midwest To Moscow To The Middle East. As He Neared Death In 1883, The New York Times Wrote That He Deserves To Be Ranked Among The Foremost Of The Few Great Men Of The Century.Earlier, He Had Received Accolades And Awards From France, Britain, Russia, The Ottoman Sultan, The Papacy And President Abraham Lincoln, Who Sent Him Not A Medal But, In Quintessentially American Fashion, A Matched Pair Of Fancy Colt Pistols.The Man Being Honored Was Abd Elkader, A Learned And Fervent Muslim, Who For 15 Years Had Organized And Led A Jihad Against A Western Power.After He Ceased Hostilities, His Fouryear Detention, In Violation Of A Promise Of Safe Passage Into Exile, Became An International Cause Clbre. Released And Feted, Even By His Captors, He Came To Live In Damascus.There, In July 1860, Elkader Braved Mobs And Saved Thousands Of Christians From A Murderous Rampage Through The Citys Christian Quarter.In This, The Bicentennial Of His Birth, Elkaders Name Is Known To Only A Tiny Fraction Of Americans. That Fraction Includes Those Knowledgeable About Modern Algeria, Where His Resistance To French Colonization Places Him Among The Founding Figures Of An Independent Nation.And Then There Are The 1,500 Residents Of Elkader, A Town In Northeastern Iowa, Founded And Named In 1846 By A Frontier Lawyer Who Admired The Freedomfighting Exploit