Wow, Magdi Allam, the Egyptian-born writer and journalist from Italy wrote a book that is sure to drive some folks crazy. As reported in Al Bawaba:
"Magdi Allam, 55, deputy chief editor of Italy’s most influential newspaper Il Corriere della Sera, is again at the center of the storm following his seventh book, dubbed Viva Israele (Long Live Israel). The subtitle of the book reads From the ideology of death to the civilization of life: my story. "
"....According to Allam, Nasser is responsible for having turned Egypt - and the rest of the Arab world - into the cradle of the 'ideology of death'. Allam claims Nasser brought about an aggressive pan-Arabic dream based on the denial of Israel’s right to exist. The need for the destruction of Israel is the dominant theme that, Allam states, made death and destruction the core values of a once liberal Islamic culture. Thus, the new book defends the existence of Israel and terms armed Palestinian groups as 'dangerous terrorist threats'...."
"Allam says that 'Israel - along with Pope Benedict XVI - represents the residual hope for Western civilization, which, more than other civilizations, embodies the sacredness of life and personal freedom.' "
That sounds like a book I might like a lot. I hope there's an English edition.
Allam was raised as a Muslim and was an enthusiastic supporter of the Palestinian cause. Years later, he met Yasser Arafat, and he concluded that Arafat was responsible for Palestinian terrorism and for the ideology of death which plagues them. According to the article, Magdi Allam is the "new Salman Rushdie" of Italy.
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