Our contributor Andrew Bostom's new book, The Legacy of Jihad,  is a landmark study of the history of this foundational institution Islam. My high opinion is shared by the Washington Times, whose editorial today recommends that President Bush read it:

"After September 11, Mr. Bush declared "Islam is peace." Now, he insists that "extremists" "distort the idea of jihad" into a rationale for terrorism. Maybe Mr. Bush will read his new Koran and discover that the idea of jihad is itself extreme. Better still, maybe Mr. Bush will go so far as to add another book to the White House collection: "The Legacy of Jihad" by Andrew G. Bostom. This extraordinary compendium of primary and secondary source material, much of it translated into English for the first time, elucidates the theory and practice of jihad over 1,400 years. With its chronological span across the centuries, "The Legacy of Jihad" goes a long way toward bridging the void in Western understanding of the institutional role of jihad within Islam.

The White House may have its own Koran now, but the president's reckoning with the legacy of jihad is still overdue."

Let's hope that the President takes this excellent advice.

Thomas Lifson  10 21 05