1. WHAT IS JIHAD? UNDER WHAT CONDITIONS DOES ISLAM SANCTION THE USE OF VIOLENCE? WHAT WOULD YOU TELL SUICIDE BOMBERS WHO INVOKE ISLAM TO JUSTIFY THEIR ACTIONS?

How disappointing that the three questions posed reflect the limited vision through which the West continues to view Islam: Jihad, apostasy and women! Surely, the world deserves to hear about Islam from a more authentic starting point? Nevertheless, here goes!

The distortion of Islamic concepts such as jihad is not new. Jihad in its Western interpretation is usually described as ‘holy war’. In other words the idea of unrepentant, religious violence being synonymous with Islam is a myth created by the West almost from the beginning of Islam itself. The power of these created images is so strong that Muslims themselves have bought into the idea of ‘holy war’ and calls for ‘jihad’ can be heard all over the planet.

Jihad simply means ‘to struggle’. The ‘struggle’ in the first instance is against ones self – our inner demons, egos and passions. This continues into our personal relationships where we are advised to act justly and in consideration of others. Then into our public spheres we are told in a saying of Prophet Muhammad: ‘Whosoever of you sees an evil action, let him change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart – and that is the weakest of faith’. All spheres of life are seen as holding challenges and therefore have elements of struggle or ‘jihad’.

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