Summary: Reading Time: 2 minutesSomething very strange happened in the Middle East in 1979. It was barely noticed in the west but is happened all the same. In the span of this single year, the people of the Middle East seemed to give up on political solutions to their constant crises and they turned increasingly toward Islam as the answer for the Middle East. It was not just any brand of Islam that became popular however. For the history of the Middle East, 1979 marks the beginning of the rise of religious extremism in the Middle East.<br> <br> In Saudi Arabia the siege of Mecca occurred. This is an event which the Saudis have tried to erase from history but it occurred none the less. A group of insurgents took over the famous Grand Mosque and demanded the overthrow of the Saudi royal family. The insurgents claimed the Saudis had moved away from true Islam.<br> <br> The Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979. This set in motion a series of events that drew Muslims from around the world to travel to Afghanistan and fight against the Soviets in a holy war, or jihad. This is where al Qaeda and the Taliban would be birthed.<br> Most famously, in Iran the Shah was overthrown and Khomeini’s Islamic Revolution carried the day in victory.<br> <br> This podcast tells the story of the rise of extremism in the Middle East that began in 1979. I also explore why hope in political solutions faded at this particular time. If you enjoy this podcast episode I also did a whole series focused solely on Islamic extremism that separates the facts from the fictions in the history of this topic. It’s called <a href="http://www.theendofhistory.net/most_recent/podcast/islamic-extremism/">Killers in the Name of God and can be found here</a> at the web site or <a href="https://soundcloud.com/the-end-of-history-podcast/sets/killers-in-the-name-of-god-the">here at my SoundCloud page</a>.<br> If you have enjoyed this podcast episode on the history of the Middle East, you might enjoy the entire series. You can download/stream it <a style="color: #800000;" href="https://soundcloud.com/the-end-of-history-podcast/sets/history-of-the-modern-middle-east">here at my SoundCloud page</a> or <a style="color: #800000;" href="https://wp.me/p2iDfo-1tA">click here to see the entire series and posts here at the web site</a>. You might also enjoy my <a style="color: #800000;" href="https://wp.me/p2iDfo-1ty">Guide to Understanding the Middle East</a>.<br> <br> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/theendofhistory/PHVq/~6/1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a><br> <a href="https://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/headlineanimator/install?id=nb64uri41haerm5fvtnnavfgjo&w=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">↑ Grab this Headline Animator</a><br> <br> Show Notes:<br> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143034669/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jbshreve-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0143034669&linkId=2407b3611ffe0e59334b3ef455ae089e">Ghost Wars</a> by Steve Coll<br> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0300121059/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jbshreve-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0300121059&linkId=04996086748286f44218b3efdec00f13">Modern Iran: Roots and Results of Revolution</a> by Nikki R. Keddie<br> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/817231244X/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jbshreve-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=817231244X&linkId=b10c32ef1dc2a770d1b4deb78a9ce270">Milestones</a> by Sayyid Qutb<br>
