My Meaning
Reader comment on item: The U.S. Government Defines Jihad

Submitted by Rebecca Partain (United States), Feb 17, 2006 at 16:47

Jihad literally means "to struggle" in the Latin sense. It can also mean "to liberate" as in, to liberate from the oppression of tyrants.

Not only is it ignorant to assume that Jihad only means holy war and violence, it shows we have become so focused on these issues that we forget about the innocent and the good in the world. If Saddam Hussein started wearing red every day to symbolize war or violence, would it then be wrong for Americans to wear red? Would everyone point and say, "that is a color of violence" when before it was only a color? A one-track mind is just flaunting stupidity and it is a big mistake. Terrorists would surely want us to be blinded by the acts of violence or war, so that violence and war is all we see. Then they could slip by with something else while we rage on and on about one stupid word. Defining Jihad and arguing over its content is a waste of time.

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