Jihad: The Mahdi Rebellion in the Sudan attempts to show that a war which took place in the Sudan between 1881 and 1885 between British forces and Sudanese zealots, has enormous relevance to the current Middle East situation. It also shows that religious and cultural,extremism is not a new phenomenon in this region. Under a charismatic Moslem leader, Mohammed Ahmed, “the Mahdi” (Expected One) the Sudanese forces were able to defeat a modern western army. Jihad is an “eye-opener” into the mindset of radical forces existing today in this part of the world.