Black Wave

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Kim Ghattas masterfully intertwines history, geopolitics, and culture to reveal the largely overlooked rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran, ignited by the 1979 Iranian revolution and influenced by American policies. Through vivid storytelling, thorough historical research, and firsthand reporting, she challenges established narratives about the region. Ghattas illustrates how Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shia Iran, once allies and key components of US strategy, transformed into fierce adversaries post-1979. Their conflict extended beyond geopolitics, distorting religion and fostering intolerance, suppressing cultural expression, and inciting sectarian violence across the Middle East, from Egypt to Pakistan. This struggle for cultural dominance led to significant events, including Iran's fatwa against Salman Rushdie, the assassination of numerous intellectuals, the emergence of Hezbollah in Lebanon, the September 11 attacks, and the rise of ISIS. Ghattas introduces a captivating array of individuals whose lives were impacted by this geopolitical saga over four decades, including a Pakistani television anchor opposing her dictator, an Egyptian novelist imprisoned for his writings, and journalist Jamal Khashoggi, murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018. This narrative offers both an intimate and expansive history of the region, reshaping perceptions of the Middle East.