Intellectual Self-Destruction How the West Gambles Away Its Future

By analyzing current student protests and the political undercurrents that shape it, Sittig and Petri tackle one of the thorniest issues in current affairs. They do so with a remarkable combination of clarity, moral courage, and academic rigor. In particular, their work sheds light on the ideological and operational interactions between Islamist and hyper-progressive politics, a phenomenon that goes well beyond college campuses and that has been the subject of ample debates in intellectual, political and security circles at the highest levels throughout Europe. The result is a groundbreaking piece of academic work that deserves broad attention. —Lorenzo Vidino, Program Director of Extremism, George Washington University, Expert on Islamism in Europe and North America

"A bold and urgent exposé of the ideological forces threatening Western academia and civilization itself. Written by two students—one in the U.S. and one in Germany—,this book uncovers the alarming rise of what they identify as the 'woke-Islamist' alliance, which is eroding free thought, legitimizing extremism, and undermining the very foundations of Western values. Combining first-hand experiences with sharp analysis, the authors issue a compelling wake-up call: The West must confront this growing intellectual and cultural crisis before it is too late."

—Mitchell Silber, Executive director of the Community Security Initiative, a partnership between the UJA-Federation of New York and the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, Adjunct Professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), Member of the Dean’s Advisory Board at SIPA, Member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

"With candor and precision Noam Petri and Franziska Sittig urge us to confront the rot in our universities before these institutions bring everyone else down with them."

—Douglas Murray