A Battle for the Soul of Islam: An American Muslim Patriot’s Fight to Save His Faith

Jasser, a medical doctor, Navy veteran, and founder of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, attempts to cast light on the “war on terror” in this book. He makes his own condition central to his writing, settling scores with those who have crossed him—from his father all the way up to President Obama himself, as well as Attorney General Eric Holder, author Reza Aslan, an old family friend (unnamed), his local Muslim newspaper and mosques, and more. According to Jasser, Obama passed him up for an all-but-confirmed appointment to a public diplomacy council in favor of his own campaign donors. Jasser also fails to delineate policy solutions or distinguish between Arab culture versus true Islam. Other than his personal life, Jasser offers no proper research; for instance, he devotes an entire chapter to attacking the much admired Congressman Keith Ellison, solely on the unproven basis that Islamists are funding Ellison. Although this book has a few nuggets, such as Jasser’s description of his use of the Syrian-American community network to find a wife, it is, overall, anecdotal and alarmist. (June)