Militant Islamic fundamentalists blame the ills of their societies on the West and call for the overthrow of local governments and the resumption of Jihad against the Infidels. Ambassador Hoveyda explores the historical and contemporary causes of the current wave of militant Islamic fundamentalism.

He also shows why, despite their terrorist attacks in the West, fundamentalists are even more dangerous for Muslim countries that are desperately trying to join the incipient global economy and alleviate their accumulated social and economic problems.

Hoveyda shows how the triumph of fundamentalist interpretations of the Koran in the 12th century triggered the gradual decline of Islamic civilization. He also chronicles the history of militant Islamic movements of the past and present from the "Assassins" of the late 11th century to the reign of Ayatollah Khomeini.

Having met his first militant Islamic fundamentalist at the age of four in Syria, where his father was serving as Persian Consul-general, Hoveyda draws upon a lifetime of personal and family experience as well as scholarship and experiences of others to provide an important insider/outsider examination of a worldwide concern.