At long last, a group of Islamic scholars is going to cut through all the confusion and explain what the word jihad really means: “The Council of Religious Ministers for Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore (MABIMS) will publish a comprehensive working paper for explaining Jihad (crusade or holy war) to their Ummah (followers of Islam) by its target date next year.
Such a move is needed to avoid confusion and will also serve as a guideline for Muslims, especially young Turks, who could be misguided by certain elements, caused by lack of definition to the phrase’s real meaning.” This from Borneo Bulletin.
The article makes a start: “Jihad is a religious conviction for able Muslims towards defending the integrity of Islam. Those who may die because of Jihad are promised good returns and paradise in the afterlife.”
Hmmm. If someone could die during jihad, it must involve more than just a personal spiritual struggle. Heck, it may even involve violence. (For an overview of what Muslims really teach about jihad, see my book Onward Muslim Soldiers.)