Response to “What’s Up With Jihad?”

Although I have not seen the movie Traitor, from what other people have posted the movie describes Jihad as sacrificing yourself to harm those who are threateningthe Islamic religion. From what I know, this is an innaccurate and simplistic definition of Jihad. In Arabic, the word jihad means “strive” or “to struggle.” Although there is an aspect of jihad that is armed struggle against those who would deny you the right to practice your faith, the primary meaning of the word is much more personal. One is supposed to “struggle in the way of God,” that is, work to not only make yourself a better person and a better Muslim, but strive to make your society a better place. To say that jihad only represents armed struggle and conflict is ignoring the primary goal and meaning of the idea of jihad.