[Parisienne]

OTHER INTERPRETATIONS OF "JIHAD"

Other interpretations of "Jihad":

Both the Judeo-Christian Holy Bible and the Muslim Holy Qur'an are large religious books, containing a great range of material dealing with religion, spirituality, justice, laws, love, etc. And they also contain references to violence, hate, murder, war, and even genocide.

It would be quite possible to assemble passages from the Bible -- particularly the Hebrew Scriptures (a.k.a. Old Testament) which describe genocide, rape, execution of non-virgin brides, murder of homosexuals, torture of prisoners, the rape of female prisoners of war, murder of a family because of the act of the father, the regulation and condoning of human slavery, and many other acts, cultural traditions, and laws which are profoundly immoral by today's religious and secular standards. If all one read of the Bible was a collection of such passages, one might conclude that the Bible is an evil document that promotes violence, unethical behavior. One might even conclude that it should be banned as hate literature.

Similarly, it is possible to scan the Bible for passages relating to humans' love of God; love of humans by God; striving for justice; supporting widows, orphans, the sick, the imprisoned; love and concern for fellow humans; spirituality; and may other acts, cultural traditions, and laws which promote a loving, moral and ethical life. If all one read of the Bible was a collection of such passages, one might conclude that the Bible is a precious document indeed -- one worthy of emulating.

Which group of passages represent the real Bible? They both do! For centuries, Christians have searched for guidance on social conflicts like the abolition of human slavery, equal rights and opportunities for women, equal rights and protections for gays and lesbians, etc. Some search for specific passages in the Bible dealing with these issues. A few concluded that slavery is an acceptable institution, that women should be oppressed and denied rights, and that gays (and perhaps lesbians as well) should be executed. Others search for passages dealing with general themes, such as love, justice, and caring for ones fellow humans, and concluded the opposite. Others have used other techniques to assess the Bible's messages. Which represents the "true" message of the Bible? They both do. And this is the reason why there are over 1,000 Christian groups in North America, all basing their beliefs and practices on the Bible, and yet teaching conflicting many beliefs about deity, humanity and the rest of the universe.

The Qur'an is similar.

A small percentage of Muslims who are from the extreme, radical and violent wing of Islamic Fundamentalism, and who are "...passionate, [deeply] religious and anti-Western..." 5 might dwell on passages or verses dealing with conflict, war, and resistance to oppression. Many conclude that the Qur'an expects them to engage in acts of terrorism, assassinations, suicide bombings, armed aggression against persons of other religions, oppression of women, executing innocent persons, etc.

Those Muslim Fundamentalists who are not extreme, violent and radical, and those Muslims from mainline or liberal wings of the religion might concentrate on passages and themes of spirituality, justice, personal struggle, peace, freedom, etc.

They are consulting the same book, with a different emphasis, and achieve very different results.
We see the same split among Christians as they study Islam and the Qur'an.

Some emphasize the earlier passages in the Qur'an which emphasize cooperation with the Jews and Christians -- the "People of the Book." They tend to interpret "Jihad" in terms of personal struggle towards purity.Others emphasize later passages of the Qur'an which were received during a time of conflict. They tend to interpret "Jihad" as holy war.

They come to opposite conclusions about whether Islam is a religion of peace or war.