Icon of Evil

Hitler's Mufti and the Rise of Radical Islam

By: David G. Dalin, John F. Rothmann

Narrated by: Michael Prichard

Length: 6 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

In the 1920s Hajj Amin-al-Husseini was the political and spiritual leader of the Palestinian Arabs. A vicious anti-Semite, he led numerous pogroms against Jewish settlers. During World War II, al-Husseini allied himself and his people with Hitler: he lived in Germany, met with Hitler, encouraged "the final solution", and became close friends with Himmler and other Nazis.

After the war, al-Husseini escaped (he would certainly have been convicted at Nuremberg for war crimes) and fled to Egypt. His standing only rose, and in Egypt he was instrumental in fomenting Nazi-style anti-Semitic propaganda there. He also became the mentor to a new generation of radical "Islamo-fascist" Arab leaders. Foremost among them: Yasser Arafat.

©2008 David G. Dalin (P)2008 Tantor

Al-Husseini the father if Islamo Nazi terrorism

I had heard about the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, but I had not been able to acquire much information on his activities or how he escaped the Nuremberg Trials for crimes against humanity. This book in detail describes the career of Haj Muhammed Amin al-Husseini and how he escaped prosecution after WWII. Seems that appeasement was still alive and well after WWII where Churchill's advice was yet again ignored. He is truly the founder of modern day terrorism.

Thought I was well informed…

My Grandfather fought in a British regiment with Ben-Gurion in WWI for promise of “White Paper” (have pictures that I dropped off copies at Ben-Gurion’s kibbutz in 1972). I thought I had informed myself about the history of the region. I was wrong. A lot of information in this book that was new to me. Highly recommend if you want to better understand current issues in Middle East. Only criticism I have is that I wish John Rothmann had done the reading.

A Fascinating Tale told rather poorly

Not a very interesting narrative. The historical figure is worthy of more investigation in the West, as he is one of the fathers of Arab anti-semitism. I do hope someone gives us a better version of the tale.

An Eye Opener

This book is a must read for any avid historian or anyone interested in World War II, the Palestinian-Jewish conflict, the Holocaust, or even current world events. While I thought I knew my fair share about WWII, this book opened my eyes. There were many things I did not know about regarding the level of corroboration and collusion between the Arab nations and Hitler, and to the extent it went. For example, I had no idea that there were actually Arab SS units that were literally under Hitler's command (through the Mufti). I am sure that most people are unaware of this historical information. This is something the media nor publishers discuss or even mention.

There are so many details in this book that are not common knowledge to the general public yet everyone should be aware of. I won't get into anything further but it is suffice to say that many of the things occurring around the world today are as a result of the actions that took place during the first half of the 20th century, with the Mufti playing an important role. It will ultimately make sense to you the listener once you "read" (ok, hear) this book.

To say the least, this was a very interesting and informative "read" plus it was easy to follow. I highly recommend it.

Fascinating story. Great read for history buffs.

What made the experience of listening to Icon of Evil the most enjoyable?

I've gone through high school world history, and some in college, but did not realize how much the Arab world collaborated with Nazi Germany against the British and the US, let alone for how long (well before the state of Israel even existed) the Arabs wanted to see the total destruction and elimination of Jews worldwide. It's a real eye opener, especially when I read the other day that UNESCO pays for Palestinian textbooks that still advocate hatred.

What aspect of Michael Prichard’s performance would you have changed?

A bit less monotonous.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I would have liked to had I had the time.

Essential Reading on the Middle East

The true history of how the State of Israel was formed, and how her enemies tried to stop this from happening.

Powerful description of Hitler's Evil Mufti

What made the experience of listening to Icon of Evil the most enjoyable?

Powerful. Who knew that Hitler made a pact with the Muslim Brotherhood to exterminate the Jews in the middle east to get the support of the Islamic leaders in the region? I certainly did not know this piece of history. Hitler's plans were not fulfilled because the Allies pushed his forces out of North Africa. However, he did use his Mufti to recruit Muslim SS units in the Balkans to track down and exterminate Jews in the region.

What other book might you compare Icon of Evil to and why?

God's Battalions is similar, since it provides some of the history behind the current conflict in the mid-East.

Have you listened to any of Michael Prichard’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This was a good listen.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes, it was fascinating.

Biased

If you're wondering if two Israelis can do this subject justice, spoiler alert they can't.

Save your money and look elsewhere because this book is unremittingly bad. The facts and the history are twisted in the telling with the book going straight off the rails in the final chapter