Europe's Angry Muslims

The London and Madrid bombings, the French riots, the uproar over the Danish Muhammad cartoons, foiled plots at Heathrow Airport, in Frankfurt Germany and Copenhagen-these events all underscore the volatile relationship between Muslims and their European hosts. Who are these angry Muslims? How did so many come to Europe? Covering eight countries and thirty cities, but focusing on Britain and France, Europe's Angry Muslims provides an authoritative and engaging account of how Islam came to 20th century Europe and altered the continent's cultural, political, and security landscape. This balanced book combines first hand reporting, based on interviews of former radicals, scrutiny of court records, historical background, and cutting-edge analysis to capture the complex phenomenon of European Islam. Leiken cites actual speeches and testimony from radical imams such as Abu Hamza, now under arrest. The author takes us to the streets of East London where veiled women shop in medieval market stalls, where arranged marriages are standard, and jihad videos available under the counter. We visit the Paris housing projects after the French riots of autumn 2005, with a local hero, a sincere Muslim and ex-rapper. Perhaps most important, the book describes how good intentions and bottom lines, cheap labor and cheap grace paved the road to terror and social dislocation. It unravels the connections, real and imagined, between immigration and terrorism. In charting the path of radical Islam into Europe, the book examines how home grown terrorists linked up with radical mentors, deepening and reconfiguring the "clash of civilizations" debate. Europe's Angry Muslims is the first book to provide an in-depth look at the emerging Islamic threat in Europe in an objective and comprehensive way, combining sharp-eyed reportage with a provocative, engaging narrative.