Islam extremists believe in "jihad" which is interpreted by traditional clerics and Muslim scholars, the word speaks of spiritual struggle against sin. This can include fighting an attacker, but when it does, it has specific rules that bar indiscriminate killing. The word can also refer to the believer's internal striving for self-improvement. But within the dictionary of Islamic extremists, it has connoted acts of exceptional violence against governments that are deemed as non-Muslim or inadequately Islamic. This has led to include the launching of deliberate attacks against innocent civilians, essentially, terrorism. From the perspective of totalitarian ideologues, societies that reject the call for total revolutionary transformation are
one’s soul against the self and sinful desires.” (Common Misconceptions about Muslims). 2 Extremist Muslims interpret jihad as war and believe they are obligated to install sharia, a form
“Fight in the name of God and in the ‘path of god’. Combat those who disbelieve in God.” The quote above is an excerpt from Matthew Gordon’s book, “The Rise of Islam”. Throughout the course of history, many religions have had a profound effect on western civilization. During the early
Like the Bible is the code of conduct by which Christians should wage war, the doctrine of jihad is the rules that the followers of Islam are called to adhere to. In the Quran, jihad is described as a “holy war”, and it is declared that “permission is given to those who fight because they are wronged,” (Irwin 222; The Qur’an Al-Hijr 22:39). While this is true, jihad is also defined as “striving in the path of God.” (Bonner 2). So, it is meant to be something that carries both
The reformation encompassed a period where individuals contended with religions due to the individual’s interpretation. Ones interpretation of the scripture during the reformation had the capability to revolutionize churches as with Martin Luther’s own interpretation of the scripture. During the time of Martin Luther, the Catholic Church exploited the paranoia
(Hunt, Crotty) The Islamic concept of jihad, often mistranslated as “holy war,” plays a strong role in Muslim just war tradition. Jihad more correctly refers to a “holy struggle” or “striving”. Unfortunately, jihad has been used as a means for justifying everything from defense of the right to worship Allah to blatant aggression against neighboring countries. Both Sunni and Shiite Muslim scholars recognize that jihad is a term to be used cautiously, as it seems to be in some sense applicable to fighting anyone whose faith in Allah can be questioned. Political leaders on the other hand have had a tendency to use the term whenever it increases their popularity or their people’s patience for enduring conflict. Iraq is one of numerous Middle Eastern nations that could be classified as dar-al-Islam; a nation in which Muslim law dictates much of everyday life. (Hunt, Crotty)
Jihadist...this is a word that most people hear everyday in the news. This term, these groups are evil beings who use fear and distort religion for their own benefit. Now many Muslims have been faced with startling stereotypes coming from people who are a part of the “civilized” world. The real issue is not just the evil people behind the terrorist acts but, the people who stigmatize Islam while preaching for peace. Islam itself is a very peaceful religion that has similar moral values to the other Abrahamic religions (Judaism and Christianity).
Al Qaeda uses this imagined war as a rallying cry to convince a small minority in the Muslim world to join its cause, as well as a justification for its actions – casting them as a “defensive jihad” against the enemies of the faith. In situations when the faith is attacked, according to Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, “each Muslim has an individual obligation to join the battle … this must be done by all Muslims,” and as Todd Helmus writes, “Al Qaeda thus calls Muslims to Islam 's defense.” (121)
Jihadi Salafism is a medieval interpretation of Islam that was created when Europeans and East Asians threatened Arabs (TERRORISM AND HOMELAND SECURITY, 2015). Jihadi can be tracked back most clearly too Arab reform movements of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Salafi-jihad is more similar to an ideology than to a religion. Salafi-jihadists try to encourage Muslims to understand that their religion has been on the decrease. In encouraging this they urge Muslims to recognize that the tide has turned, and that Islam is in a constant state of decline in religious, political, military, economic, and cultural terms (Moghadam, 2008). Salafis see themselves as the only “true” Muslims, and they have assumed the authority to denounce fellow
Vocabulary Jihad – a dispute or war between followers of Islam faith and those who do not follow the Islam faith; a struggle within a Muslim between good and evil (Dictionary)
Jihad It was once a word unfamiliar to American ears. But in recent years it has become all too familiar. The actions of Muslim militants and terrorists have seared the word into American consciousness.
Gunaratna (2005) argues that the AQ ideology is the largest motivating factor for any groups that seeks to become involved in belligerent jihad. Gunaratna argues that ‘al-Qaeda’s principle aim is to inspire and incite Islamist movements and the Muslim masses worldwide and to attack those perceived to be the enemies of Islam. Similarly, al Qaeda is constantly
Jihad as a political word was first recorded during the struggle of the Meccan establishment by Prophet Mohammed. The early movement of Muslims, first under their Prophet and later his passing, advanced both religion and political dynamics. In addition to the five tenets of faith, the organizations of the community were centered on structure, movements, decision-making systems and political agendas. The five pillars of the faith are: witness, prayer, pilgrimage, alms, fasting. Jihad main interest is the global jihad and they were looking for pure jihad. They have continued to dominate the scene in South Asia and the Middle East, their influence has reduced in the western diaspora.
The concept of Jihad was not widely known in the western world before the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001. Since then, the word has been woven into what our media and government feed us along with notions of Terrorism, Suicide Bombings, Hamas, Al-Qaeda, Osama Bin Laden, and now, Jihad. Our society hears exhortations resounding from the Middle East calling the people to rise up in Jihad and beat back the imperialist Americans. Yet, if we try to peel back all of these complex layers of information we can we attempt to find out what Jihad really means. Webster’s Dictionary defines Jihad as “a holy war waged on behalf of Islam as a religious duty or a crusade for a principle or belief” (1). Often, media depicts
There are many interpretations of the word Jihad, but the most common literal translation from Arabic to English is "struggle." Many interpret the idea of a Jihad as a holy war. While holy war may be part of the struggle of Muslims, it is not the entirety of Jihad. In its primary sense, Jihad is an internal struggle to rid oneself of debased actions or inclinations and devote