One of the most challenging teachings for me personally from our current set of readings had to be the teaching on jihad. For me it challenges everything I have ever known or heard about the Islamic religion. The book (World Religions, A Voyage of Discovery by Jeffrey Brodd) indicates that Jihad does indeed mean struggle or exertion, but that it is first and foremost a struggle against the self. A personal, spiritual battle against the flesh that must be disciplined into submission to Allah. Secondly, it is the concept of social reform. That jihad is then taken and understood in the context of social reformation. Both of these notions are notions that I as a Catholic understand and would be welcome to see more of in our own Church and society.
My experience though, both through the media narrative and my journey through various protestant churches, indicated that jihad was first and foremost the concept of a Holy War. Most of the news and media outlets seem to indicate that this is what we are up against. That the average Muslim hates America, hates what we stand for, and even refers to us as the “Great Satan.” That does not seem to be the actuality of Islam though. Even today I saw an interview with the Dalai Lama in which he indicated that the words “Buddhist terrorist” and “Muslim terrorist” are already a step in the wrong direction. That all world religions strive for peace, unity, and living together in a better world socially. He even indicated that the Qu’ran dictated that once a Muslim committed an act of violence he was no longer an authentic Muslim.