The Year of the Rat Reading 14: "The Siege of Mecca"

When I was just fourteen an event happened that has affected the world we live in today. Because of it the Soviets moved into Afghanistan, Pope John Paul II was shot, Anwar Sadat was assassinated, and the Carter Doctrine was formulated, allowing the USA to secure the oil in the Arabian (Persian) Gulf. Something this big must be common knowledge to everyone, but it isn't. That is why this book is so fascinating.
On the first day of the year 1400 in the Islamic calender (1979), a group of Wahhabists took over the Grand Mosque in Mecca. Because of the Iranian revolution and the taking of American hostages there, many reports at the time said the takeover was by Shi'ites. I actually thought so myself before I read this book. But no, the attackers were just your usual Wahhabist, who had been trained to hate everyone who is not a Muslim.
This book gives you a fascinating look into how the Saudis responded to it (they didn't do such a good job), how Muslims throughout the world immediately blamed the US and Israel for it (and burned down the US embassy in Islamabad in the process; and later attacked the one in Libya and of all places Kuwait!), how the attackers believed they were supporting the Mahdi, and how the French of all people can in and planned the final attack.
It is really a sad book about how a good religion has been hijacked by the extremists who really know so little of their faith, and how the very people who are spreading this version of the faith to the entire world (the Saudis) were a victim to their own success. I wish more Muslims were aware of the facts and would return to a more tolerant version of their faith.
So read this one. It is well worth the time.