Book Review: “The Looming Tower: Al Queda and the Road to 9/11” by Lawrence Wright
The 2006 book “The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11” was written by Lawrence Wright. The book was a New York Times bestseller and won a Pulitzer Prize. It is worthwhile because it delves into the origins of the ideas behind Al-Qaeda, or the base. Though the group’s ideology generated substantial media interest at the time, it is important to realize that the genesis of these ideas was with the Muslim Brotherhood.
It is also important to realize that while the Muslim Brotherhood was persecuted and Qutb was jailed in Egypt, the ideology became violent and was bastardized by Ayman Al-Zawahiri and Osama Bin Laden. Qutb wrote the book “Milestones,” which probably did more to form the ideology than anything else. Understanding this is important to the 2006 book “The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11.” Did you know about this important connection?
“The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11” Summary
The book begins with several chapters on the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and their persecution there. It is important to note that the ideas behind the formation of Al Qaeda date back to the 1950s. The book “Milestones” was written by a member of Egypt’s Department of Education. His name was Sayyid Qutb, and the heads of Al Qaeda were proud owners of this book.
The Muslim Brotherhood was originally focused on educational and religious topics. In the late 1930s, they began to politicize. An armed faction of the group began to form in the late 1940s. They were associated with bombings and assassinations. Qutb was a member of this armed faction, and in 1954, he was jailed for attempting to assassinate Gamal Abdul Nassar.
It is important to realize that Ayman Al-Zawahiri was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood and was himself imprisoned in Egypt. As detailed extensively in “The Looming Tower,” He grew up in a middle-class neighborhood and became a doctor. While he was in school, he joined the Muslim Brotherhood. He was immediately drawn to its violent side by his intense dislike for the Egyptian Regime.
He was jailed with many members of the Brotherhood after an attempt on the life of the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. He gained some notoriety as the spokesman of the group of prisoners, but he was really selected because he spoke good English. While in jail, he and the other members of the Brotherhood were tortured, and this is probably where he became radicalized.
After jail, he formed a group dedicated to the overthrow of the Egyptian government, the Islamic Jihad.
He was perpetually short of cash to conduct operations or pay his followers. This is important because Bin Laden was rich. The Islamic Jihad merged with Al Qaeda, probably because of money, and Zawahiri became Bin Laden’s Doctor. Bin Laden may have had a long-term disease. Something like a kidney ailment. And, a movement that would attack America and shape the world was formed.
The book also discusses the story of Ali Azzam, a teacher who co-founded Al Qaeda with Bin Laden as a base for Afghanistan Mujihaddin who were fighting the Soviets. In November 1989, he was killed by a car bomb. His killing has never been solved, but theories include rival Jihadis, Osama Bin Laden and Ayman Zawahiri, the thinking being that there was a falling out over targets. At any rate, with him out of the way, Zawaheri and Bin Laden could form their deadly alliance.
Why Should you Read this Book?
This book should be read by people who seek to understand the origins of the ideology that shaped the end of the twentieth century. By 2006, when “The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11″ was written, there was a good understanding of the origins of this ideology. Now readers can understand the ideology.
Parting Shots
This is an important book for people seeking to understand the origins of the ideology that undergirds Al-Qaeda. It provides a good and readable summary. Someone interested can sift through thousands of pages on the subject, or they could just read this book.
