{"product_id":"true-believers","title":"True Believers","description":"Written for defense, intelligence and law enforcement professionals, \u003cstrong\u003eTrue Believers: A Symbolic Anthropological Study of Islamist Culture\u003c\/strong\u003eprovides a comprehensive overview of the symbols, rituals, beliefs, customs, andunfamiliar practices of Islamist culture. Ritualistic crime expert Dawn Perlmutter revealsa heretofore unidentified Islamist Symbolic Code—a shame-based tribal honor code thatincites and justifies murder, mutilation, and acts of terrorism. The Islamist SymbolicCode is a syncretic tradition that is a combination of tribal honor code, Sharia Law, andIslamic rites of purity. This symbolic anthropological approach to counterterrorismillustrates how traditions and taboos rooted in the Islamist Code are relevant to a varietyof strategic and intelligence operations.\u003cp\u003eA leading Hamas member stated, \"We like to grow them from kindergarten throughcollege.” This book explains exactly how that is accomplished with emphasis onIslamist rites of passage, indoctrination, education, and initiation rituals. Readers areintroduced to the \"symbolization\" process—a form of repetitive symbolic conditioningsimilar to the indoctrination techniques of cult and totalitarian groups that use words,images, symbols, and rituals to embed ideals that resonate throughout life. This bookidentifies the symbols, language, and images that trigger violence, hatred, fear, andshame that are used to grow an army of true believers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSeemingly inexplicable violent acts are explained—such as children joyfully participatingin the dismemberment of dead bodies, suicide bombers who are willing to self-detonatefor Islam, fathers killing their daughters, beheadings, mutilation, amputations, gougingout eyes, stoning women, and literally crucifying enemies. It is demonstrated that theprimary motivation of Islamist atrocity is an irrepressible impulse to alleviate shame anda sacred duty to restore honor, serve vengeance, preserve purity, maintain tradition, andsave face.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerlmutter also introduces readers to \"Symbolic Warfare,\" a form of psychologicaloperations and information warfare that exploits Muslim traditions and taboos to recruitmoderates, indoctrinate soldiers, and wage global war. Knowledge of the rites of purity,traditional customs, what is held sacred, and what is designated taboo provides relevantinsights into the minds and hearts of Islamist True Believers. This book is a valuable aidfor strategic, tactical, and intelligence operations.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDawn Perlmutter was \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.npr.org\/2014\/08\/29\/344327974\/the-spectacle-of-the-beheading-a-grisly-act-with-a-long-history\" target-\u003einterviewed\u003c\/a\u003e by Robert Siegel August 29, 2014 on National Public Radio''s \u003ci\u003eAll Things Considered\u003c\/i\u003e in a segment about beheading as a modern warfare tactic.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57504805060981,"sku":"9781439899151","price":57.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/products\/true-believers","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}