What is the truth about Jihad?

Submitted by Alice Stewart (Australia), Jan 3, 2003 at 01:06

Thank you Mr Pipes for telling us what "Jihad" means to you. It looks like it means to terrorise, as it does for many ignorant Muslims around the world. Terrorism against people is terrorism, and never Jihad under any circumstances.

How could God condone a "holy war" against his own creation, and instead what you describe looks more along the satanic line to me. Still each person will turn the term "jihad" into what ever they like depending upon how they see the world, and which opinions they have been fed.

It may be that terrorists in some Islamic states wish to instill their own distorted values in others beyond their borders, through judgement, punishment and violence. There is also a crazy belief among the ignorant in Islamic circles, that conversion of infidels even by force will reward them personally in the hereafter. This is also the source of belief in reward by martyrdom, as in suicide bombing. Jihad has therefore been used as an excuse to wage expansionary war and terror. Political leaders such as Saddam Hussein and bin Laden have no ability to invoke a jihad. This can only be done by a competent religious authority.

Conversion to Islam by force, is non-Islamic in principle as all true religions are supposed to be non-compulsory and an exercise of free-will.
...

---

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".