The September 11th attacks brought to the forefront of the global imagination the impact of the combination of Islam and violence. The al-Qaeda bombers in launching their attack on America had done so in the name of Islam and the world responded with shock and horror. In this book Beverley Milton-Edwards explores the relationship between Islam and violence in the modern era. She chronicles the history of Islam's development and the expression of violence exhibited by its rulers. She accounts for definitions of violence and terrorism while exploring the powerful motifs of sacrifice, martyrdom and holy terror, and challenges the responses and reactions to an increasingly prevailing belief that an intimate link exists between Islam and violence in the modern era. With first hand interviews with leading figures from Islamic groups such as Hamas, Hizballah and Islamic Jihad Milton-Edwards draws out the whys and wherefores of Islamic violence and its devastating effects not just on the West but on Muslim communities which are already beset by conflict and the politics of tyranny.