Did you know Islamic Scholars say Bin Laden's Jihad is out of bounds?

Question

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/39887_islam22.shtml

Saturday, September 22, 2001

By RICHARD N. OSTLING
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The concept of jihad has many shades of meaning, but the way Osama bin Laden has applied it to political violence has moved beyond the bounds of Islamic teaching on warfare, scholars say.

"Everybody who has war experience understands that sometimes civilians are going to be killed during legitimate military action," says John Kelsay, religion chairman at Florida State University and the author of "Islam and War." "But direct, intentional targeting of civilians is just off the charts."

While bin Laden, Afghanistan's Taliban rulers and other Muslims have used the term jihad to mean "holy war," Cambridge University scholar Akbar Ahmed writes that "in fact jihad means struggle and there are various forms of it; physical confrontation is just one."

The phrase "holy war" does not appear in the Quran, (also spelled Koran), the Muslim holy book,

Answer 1

Many do not know that is why they ask muslims to speak out publicly against terrorists acts. Muslim leaders already are! People are just not listening.

Answer 2

I'm not surprised. Osama bin Laden is a sick person; a mass-murderer.

The truth is; Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all originated from the same "proto-religion." They all have basically the same system of conduct and beliefs, but just with slight alterations.

Why can't we all just unite against people like bin Laden?

Answer 3

salam alaikum dear sister in Islam, This is one of the most often mis-understood words in the Qu’ran (by BOTH Arabic and English speakers). The word does not even come close to being translated as “holy war”. In recent years, the word jihad has come to be associated with aggressive war and terrorism. However, this is not the Islamic understanding of the term. Explore what the true meaning of jihad is: a constant struggle to preserve one's faith and defend the rights to freedom of worship. The word jihad is heard often on the news these days, used to describe wanton violence and organized murder of people because of their religious or political beliefs. "Holy war". Islam never tolerates unprovoked aggression from its own side; Muslims are commanded in the Qur'an not to begin hostilities, embark on any act of aggression, violate the rights of others, or harm the innocent., the meaning of "jihad" from an Islamic point of view is Struggle. on both sides of a supposed (West v. Islam) battle, it is the extremists that are owning the ideas and words and seriously mis-using them for their own goals. This is one word that should be returned to it's roots and out of the mouths of people that only want to spread hate and fear in the world. No I won't my hate on them..

Answer 4

Of course that should be well known by now anyway. If they taught that what he did was right, we would be in big trouble by now.

And of course many people who attack the Christian Bible as instigating war are wrong to. The message of the Bible is to spread the word not force the word onto anyone.

But those who wish to blame religion for all wars will never listen to that. Surely if the Koran or the Bible justified war then those wars would have long ago been fought and a clear winner would have been in place already.

Answer 5

Yes ma'am... I've been aware that various scholars have been poohpoohing Bin Laden's hate for awhile now.

_()_

Answer 6

What si your point?

Literally Jihad means struggling and it was first used to spread Islam and to defend it. It is also used to self managing

Answer 7

I think even us lay people who aren't Muslims realize that he's going against the Koran and precepts of Mohammed.

Answer 8

Strategic, camouflage propaganda!

Deceiving your enemy into believing that you're really their good friend is brilliantly evil.

Today's liberal "scholars" would have also defended Mein Kampf!

Answer 9

they have been saying this for the longest time, but people blinded by anger and hate dont see this. It is a shame, because the Islamic faith is one of the oldest and most peaceful, but the people, just as in the Crusades and the Christians, they interpret the Biblical writings to fit their needs of hatred and vengeance.

Answer 10

Yes!

Fundamentalism ruins the beauty in all of our religions.