here’s another article i found and thought i’d share…
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COLUMN: Struggle over ‘jihad’ distorts aims of Islam
By Shazia Bashir
Daily Northwestern
Northwestern U.
(U-WIRE) EVANSTON, Ill. – The word “jihad” translates
into “struggle” and not “holy war,” as it is often interpreted in the
West by a media that is constantly trying to link Islam, a religion
of peace, with violent acts. It is the same media that conveniently
does not attribute the actions of other perpetrators to their faiths.
Islam teaches that instigating war is unholy. Like Christianity,
Islam allows fighting to defend the religion, in self-defense or to
protect family and property. However, war is the last resort. Even
then, one must follow strict rules of combat, including prohibitions
against harming civilians and destroying the bounties of their land.
The Quran reads: “Fight in the cause of God against those who fight
against you, but do not transgress limits … If they seek peace,
then you seek peace.” (2:180, 8:61)
Jihad can be on a personal level, an inner struggle of the soul to
attain inner peace. It can be on a societal level, a struggle for
decency and goodness in a community.
For Muslims, jihad has many different forms that are found in the
Quran. One jihad is to love the unseen reality more than one loves
what he sees with his eyes and feels with his senses. Another is the
struggle to remain dedicated to one’s faith by combating pressures of
peers and society. Jihad also is striving to convey the message of
God to others.
The misconception of jihad is tied with the false belief that Islam
was spread by the sword. This may be a reflection of the Christian
use of the phrase “holy war” to refer to the Crusades. Many history
books present an image of a horseman carrying a sword in one hand and
a Quran in the other, conquering land and forcing the conversion of
its inhabitants. This image is completely false.
Equating the Nation of Islam with Muslims is another source of
tainted perception. The Nation of Islam is separate from Muslims in
that they are political, not religious. They also do not follow the
Quranic teachings of equality for all races, as they believe in the
superiority of blacks.
Religious freedom is proclaimed in the Quran: “Let there be no
compulsion (or coercion) in the religion (Islam).” (2:256)
In this case, the correct meaning of jihad is to remove treacherous
people from power and to free people from tyranny. The mission of
Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) was to free people from the
exploitation of oppression and tyranny. Once the people were free,
they were not forced to choose Islam.
For example, in the 15th century the Christians expelled the Jews
from Spain, where they were thriving in their golden age under
Islamic rule. Also, the Christians drove the Moors from Spain at
about the same time the Muslims conquered what is now Turkey. Every
Muslim was pushed out of Spain, killed or forced to convert; however,
the Eastern Orthodox Church has been permitted to remain in Istanbul
to this day.
Islam does not teach, and Muslims do not desire, people to convert
out of fear, greed, marriage or any form of coercion. Jihad is
striving in the way of God by pen, tongue, thought, media and if
necessary, with arms.
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, “The ink of the scholar is more holy
than the blood of the martyr.”
(C) 2001 Daily Northwestern via U-WIRE
If you can not change it, get over it already!