“If the Muslims in Middle-East had the choice between two states, secular and religious, they would vote for the religious and flee to the secular." - Ali Al-Wardi (Iraqi sociologist)

As a student of literature in the 1970s in Lahore it was a common observation that students in Medical, and Engineering, facilities were more receptive to the “Islamist” message than the students of literature, social sciences, even the Islamic studies. My understanding was that students of literature, social sciences, and Islamic studies had a wider, critical and more complex view of life, than the structured and iron cast, black and white, view of life presented either by the Islamic revivalists or the leftist/communist ideologies. Science students who lived in a mathematically structured world found Islamist ideology appealing just because it was not complex and had little room for doubt and skepticism.

This channel just appeared in my feed - how marvellous that William Dalrymple has a YT channel!  I couldn't be more delighted - he is absolutely brilliant.

One question should have been asked to the author how his book is different from The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 by Lawrence Right ?

Very informative

Conversation started rather abruptly -I guess they are referring : Sayyid Qutb - more here : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sayyid_Qutb

Very interesting, thanks

Great episode! Can't wait to hear from Steve Coll. I loved his book on ExxonMobil.

Very educational. Thank you.

Endlessly fascinating and brilliantly told. Thank you so much!

1952 - egypt shrugs off the imperial yoke, in form if not in spirit.
1967 - the dissatisfaction of the youth smoulders into a militancy.

Its these 15-17 year gaps between freedom and schism that lead me to suspect its not all homegrown. At all.

Great conversation thank you

This is so interesting to hear this history from serious western thinkers. Grown up listening to this history of Al Banna, Qutub and Maudoodi in my grandfathers' homes and from my parents. They were very clear about these mullahs though and their utter contempt for them. Run the other way if you see a jamaat-e-islami person approach you I was always told growing up as someone of Pakistani descent. They will lead you astray as a Muslim and a human being.

I'm surprised that the Siege of Mecca is not mentioned.

Absolutely brilliant! Thank you .

It's nice to see Elvis Costello branching out, even if under an assumed alias.

It's kind of wild that Qutb was so offended by the lustful licentiousness of western morality when he attended a church dance in the *1950s*. Just about the most repressed time in recent American history. Imagine him dropping in to Daytona beach during spring break this year, or anywhere in Ibeza pretty much any day of the year. He would honestly believe Satan had come to Earth and made his home there.

Many thanks for doing this Sir!!

This was a very very unique discussion about it all any source docs to match with these stories?

Thank you for this history!  I wish I had known this forty years ago when I was living as an American expat in Ma’adi.  I knew almost nothing of its history except that it was once home to British rail workers but was now home to American expats, among others, whose children attended Cairo American College as did my son.
I’ve ordered the Mafouz book you referred to and hope to learn much more.