What is the deal with jihad anyway? I think I understand that all religions contain members that want so badly to impress and gain favor with their god, but how does "let's kill the infidels" get started? Or rather, I can understand how it gets started, but how does it maintain inertia? And this question is older than the region that provokes this particular feud, but what is so holy about holy land. I'm just a dummy living in Babylon, but shouldn't The Kingdom of any religion lie in the hearts and souls of the people?
I feel inhuman when I read about most tragedies - the one exclusion being the time I farted on Ruggies' head at the exact moment that Shamlou hit a home run off him in Nintendo baseball - but I just don't get this fight. If you can't beat them, join them. Work together for the betterment and enrichment of everyone's life. Don't just pretend so you can try and sneak up on them later, in the name of your god.
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Technically - "jihad" simply means a regilious struggle and is meant to apply to one's own spiritual life - i.e. maintaining one's faith and values.
Historically - the change from this personal struggle to what we think of today (a "holy war") occured during one early cruisades (1st or 2nd, I think). The Catholic church used a slightly altered definition of the word as propaganda.
Regardless of what the word is supposed to mean or how it has changed over time, we are where we are. I have no idea how people can pervert a religion in such a fashion. . . . especially a religion which makes a big deal about helping your fellow man (many people who decry Islam as a religion of war ignore the fact that one of the 5 Pillars of Faith is the zakah, charity to others).
The concept of Jihad as holy war against infidels was first devised by Saladin in the 3rd Crusade, or rather in the run-up to the 3rd, when he was rallying the troops to drive the Frankish Christian Crusaders from Jerusalem.
Additionally, note that of the three major Western religions, the only one whose leading prophet was a military leader was Islam. Neither Jesus nor Moses was a warrior, but Mohammed most assuredly was. (Although to be fair, historically speaking, Islam has been much more tolerant than Christianity to other religions in the midst. Maybe not in the 20th Century, but certainly before that.)
Roge Historian....thanks for stopping in and leaving a comment, very cool. I like the original meaning of Jihad v. what most of us today mostly likely think of when we hear the word. I'm still scratching my head how any religion can pervert their basic tenets to rationalize killing other people, especially when not in direct self defense.
Random....as always, thanks for the comment and clarification. Saladin was a forsch....
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