4. Islam

The soldiers quoted in this chapter study passages from the Qu'ran and Hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) concerning the nature of God. Some have written specifically on Jihad. Our media continually conveys the meaning of this Muslim term as "holy war." But its literal meaning is, "To struggle in the path of God."

The Muslim Vision of God

This bold essay on the Qu'ran was written by Timothy I., who when he wrote it was returning for his third tour of duty in the Mideast: two tours in Iraq, now in Afghanistan.

     There is no God but He, the Living, the Everlasting." When a person devotes his or her life to Allah, accepting Him as the one true God, that person is then deemed to be "Muslim," or "one who submits to God." When reading the passages of the Qur'an about the vision of God, it is very easy to understand why the religion of Islam is growing so fast.  All Christians are in actuality only a couple of steps away from becoming Muslims and might not even realize it.  

     However, when they are expected to adhere to the Five Pillars of Islam:  Repetition of the Creed, Daily Prayer (5 times), Almsgiving, Fasting and Pilgrimage, there may be some issues.  Most modern Christians don't have the time, drive or even humbleness to stick to the Five Pillars, or to include the regimented prayer routine, let alone fast for a month for their faith.  The fast food industry would especially like for the majority of America to remain Christian. 

     When learning about Islam, it becomes abundantly clear that to be a Muslim, one must work diligently at it.  This is a stark contrast to the more relaxed Christian population that attends church in the United States.  On one day a week, for approximately an hour, the majority of a church's congregation will dress up in their finest clothing and jewelry, making into a show how much God has blessed them, while gossiping about one another and hoping that the hour makes up for the other six days of the week when they did not act very much like a Christian should. Even then, some may skip Church altogether during football season.  I personally am amazed at the amount of intestinal fortitude and humbleness the practitioners of Islam show.  In many ways it is one of the most simple, yet elegant religions today. 
     There is an innate beauty in the words, "So whoever disbelieves in idols and believes in God, has laid hold of the most firm handle, unbreaking; God is All-hearing, All-knowing." This phrase is a solemn vow to humankind from Allah, through his prophet Muhammad, that once an individual has relinquished their mind, body and soul to Allah, He will provide for them everything they require.  

One of the more popular phrases I personally have heard repeated when deployed to Iraq was "Insha'Allah," meaning "if God wills it."  This one statement can sum up the ideology behind this beautiful verse.  If one is in the presence of a Muslim when they state this phrase, one should pay attention to the demeanor of that individual.  It is as if they are enveloped is a sense of bliss, knowing that they will be taken care of by their God.
     Having spent some time in Baghdad, Iraq, it was amazing to know that some of the most important moments in religious history took place in the same city where I was stationed.  While studying for this course, my eyes have been opened even further to how much my Christian faith shares with this religion.  It truly makes one thirst for more knowledge about both. (Timothy I., U.S. Army SFC.)

Reading the Koran Again

"I have deployed several times to countries that practice Islam, both Sunni and Shi'ite. Like most major religions, Muslims view other religions through a very different lens and proclaim their religion as having no equal. I say that because I have personally heard it from their very mouths. During my time at the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility I learned more about the Qu'ran and how Muslims interpret the readings. I had the fortune or misfortune, depending on the day, of dealing with various detainees that represented a wide spectrum of how the Qu'ran was interpreted. It ranged from very extremist views to the more tolerant views towards non Muslims. The common denominator that surfaced each time was the dedication they poured into their religion. My first instincts were to not lend  any credibility to their views, but soon realized that similarities between their view and mine did exist.
    
"The Qu'ran describe Allah or God depending on your view point as the everlasting and creator of all living. Chapter VI, verse 102-103, relays that God is looked upon as the guardian over everything. It also references that he is very aware of all that is around him. My years and experiences in the Catholic church also believe that God is the creator of all and is always aware of what we are doing each day. He is our ultimate judge on what we do and fail to do in accordance with the bible. Chapter II, verse 256-59,relays that God brings people in from the shadows into the light. Once again this parallels what I have practiced in the my religion. The acceptance of God combined with your faith and dedication will take you from doubt to promise. This verse out of all of the selections is the most significant.
    
"My initial views of Islam and the Qu'ran were probably as far off target as many others in my career field. Initially I categorized all Muslims as fanatics, just as the ones who committed the 9-11 atrocities. With time and definitely a bit more understanding, I realized that my religion and interpretation of the bible had more similarities with the Qu'ran than I initially thought or wanted. The end state is that Allah or God is the almighty and guides us each and every day." (David C.)



A Personal Witness to the Real Jihad
"When I am asked what jihad means to me, I know that hate-mongers and the media would want me to believe that it means to make war on all non-Muslims, and if they will not yield, to kill them. But here in Afghanistan, I see what jihad really means on a daily basis. Everyday, a group of local doctors and nurses come to work where I am at. All of them know that they could be killed for helping Americans and defying the Taliban's decree. I see the stress in their faces, the caution that they must take just to help their own people; and I see the real meaning of jihad. Jihad means to fight for what is right, to take care of the man or woman next to you, to protect."

The Four Points of Jihad
"After reading the Koran and essays by Islamic scholars, the term jihad became clearer to me. I was going to sit down and write about how jihad simply meant war against unbelievers, but that is untrue. There are only four instances in which it is ok to raise the sword in jihad, and they are: (1) if fighting is initiated by the unbelievers, (2) extreme persecution of the Muslims, (3) if the aim of the unbelievers is to destroy Islam, and its freedom of worship, and (4) self defense."

An Internet Dialog Between Soldiers on 'Jihad'
AJ: "Radical Islam preys on the uneducated and underprivileged. On an earlier post I wrote about the link between level of education and racism. The lower the level of education a person had, the more likely they were to be racist. The higher the level of education, the less likely they were to be racist. It is easy for radical Islamists to recruit in 3rd world countries because poverty is at a high level in these areas. Poor people are easy to persuade to do things for money. I think if we can educate more people we can fight the root of the problem. Unfortunately, I think there is enough poverty in this world to provide radical Islamics with plenty of recruits forever."

TG: "I totally agree. Radical Islam feeds on the uneducated, but at the same time that is the majority of the people in these countries. Females don't even have schools past Middle School, and most males don't either. They are taught the concept of Jihad from a corrupt point of view at an early age and taught to hate the Jews and hate the West. Radical Imams will preach death to the West from the Mosques, and these people are exellent propagandists. They use the media to their advantage and the West's political correctness against us. The majority of the people here in Iraq are sick of the violence and see the good we are doing here, rebuilding schools, getting sewage out of the streets, purifying water and helping them out, but then there are those radical factions that don't fight defensively but offensively."

His Jihad Was Keeping His Family Safe
"As in all religions, I feel there is always a good and a bad. When I was in Iraq, I talked to many local people who did not feel that the acts of the insurgency were real Jihad. I had an interpreter who would always try to teach us about a peaceful Islam. I recall him saying that he was in a Jihad for his family. His Jihad was keeping his family safe and raising his children. It was good to hear about this side of Islam and to know that the struggle (Jihad) for most Muslims was not all about war."

The Qur’an and The Bible
"In reading the passages from the Quran, they sound so familiar. So I asked one of my soldiers who is a Christian and reads the bible. I read these Quran passages to him, not telling him where they were from. I asked him where he would find these in scripture: in the New Testament or Old Testament. He answered, “the New Testament.” When I told him that they were actually surahs from the Quran, he was surprised. I also have a Muslim person in my unit and he is very knowledgeable on the Bible. I guess if we took the time and learned about their religion and they learned ours, we would understand each other a whole lot better."

Most Muslims Here Do Not Read the Qur’an
"I questioned some of the Muslim Afghans that I work with, and asked them why the Taliban act the way they do. They said that most Muslims here do not read the Qur’an but they rely on the imam, or what they call here the mullah, to relay the message. Most, according to my sources, live by the Muslim culture but do not delve into the Qur’an. I was told that most rely on the mullah, and his teaching is his work, and he is given money, food, and clothing. So I naturally assume that what the Taliban fight for is their local way of life and not the Qur’an. I think it's insulting to group the Islamic community into one, or say that the Taliban represent all Muslims."

Using Mosques for Jihad
“But fight them not near a holy mosque until they fight you there: then, if they fight you there, slay them: such is the recompense of unbelievers” (Quran) This is where the train falls off the rails for true believer in Islam fighting this war. On countless occasions the coalition forces have been attacked from Mosques. I have never heard of any US forces instigating a battle on the grounds of a Mosque. Every engagement that I have been involved in, dealing with a holy site, we were attacked; and the Iraqi Army was the only force to enter the Mosque out of respect for the Islamic faith. True believers would not use a Mosque to launch an attack. Often times, we have to pursue attackers as they flee away from mosques. If they were true of heart, they would stand their ground and defend that mosque until their end."

Jihad
“During the Crusades, where the intent was to recapture Jerusalem and the Holy Lands from the Muslims, the Pope inspired the soldiers with religious rhetoric based in the Christian faith to justify the wars. During the turbulent American slave trade on through the civil war, many supporters of slavery justified the servitude of a race of people by using twisted excerpts from the Bible to show racial superiority and divine right.

“I believe that Jihad has been twisted in the same way by Muslim extremists. It suits their purpose de jour: they use it at every occasion show how the infidels are a threat to Islam.

“The word Jihad is further bastardized by our press and politicians to stoke the American public with fear and mistrust. It’s understandable why American Muslims are concerned and fearful. By the way, were we infidels when we helped Osama Bin Laden against the USSR in the 80’s?”

Jihad
“The word Jihad and the scripture of the Quran have surely been misused in modern day settings. This misuse is mostly blamed on extremist Muslims but the reality is that the Western media groups redefined the word Jihad to the world. It is just like the ancient Hindu symbol of a swastika that is now seen as a symbol of hate and violence, when truly it was a symbol of unity and peace. When you can put a label on evil that the world can recognize, it usually tends to stick even if it is something used out of context.

“If you look at things from a different viewpoint though, you can easily come to the conclusion that a true Jihad against Americans in the Middle East is justified. I am not talking about terrorists that attack us from our own planes, but about Middle Easterners who fight us on their own soil.

“The passage, Slay them wherever you come upon them and expel them from where they expelled you, for their persecution of you is a more grievous sin than your slaying of them, says to me simply: ‘Defend your homeland.

“We Americans seem to love liberating people but in truth, not everyone we liberate wants it."

Jihad and Jizrah
"I have done some research on the subject, having deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. As stated in the Qu'ran, 'If they surrender, there shall be no hostility, except for evil-doers.' On the other side, if their enemies don’t convert to Islam they must pay a heavy tax known as the Jizyah. It also states in the Quran 9:29; 'Fight against those who believe not in Allah, nor in the Last Day, nor forbid that which has been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad), and those who acknowledge not the religion of truth (i.e. Islam) among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) until they pay the Jizyah with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued. (Fakhry’s Translation)' I have spoken to a lot of Iraqi’s and Afghan’s and some of them are the most peaceful and loving people I have met. But they also have stated that they don’t take the Qu'ran word for word, and those who do take the Qu'ran literally are called extremists."


Jihad
“ Jihad is a religious term and the war in the Middle East is a religious war even though our politicians don’t want to think so. This part of one of the passages really keys in on why we will never have peace in the Middle East “holy things demand retaliation, when desecrated.” I have been to Afghanistan for fourteen months and Iraq for twelve; there are many people there that if you mention the crusades to them will talk about it as if it happened yesterday. Middle Easterners have an outstanding faith and will remember what Americans are doing not as liberation but as conquest in years to come. They will remember how we desecrated their “holy things” and will “retaliate” in some way.

"Yes, Jihad is being misused by extremist and westerners alike; but it is also being used by people who, although we may not agree with them, are just fighting for their homelands.

"Note: I am in the Infantry and have seen more than one firefight where both sides were given the chance to see if their religion was the right one. I have seen the battle first hand so do not think that though I can see the viewpoint of my enemy that I sympathize with him."

Distortion of the Qu'ran In Iraq
"Last time I was in Iraq, I was assigned to work with an Iraqi Police unit. During the night there was a raid done by the police unit, and a lot of bomb making electronic equipment (over 200 pounds) was seized. The police unit found also some explosives, and they detonated them. That set fire to the house, which burned to the ground, along with some other structures. The next day, we were told that the Imam of the mosque down the street was inciting the locals to rise up against the American infidels. He was broadcasting the passage from the Koran you mentioned in the text; Whoever fights against you, do you fight against him to the same degree that he has done it against you...

"To make a long story short, he was told by the local Al-Qaeda cell that in the night the Americans had come and burned down the house of an old man and his daughters out of vengeance, and he must incite the citizens to rise up. Well, he did just that, and so did the locals, even though the local citizens new exactly what happened because they were all on the street watching!!! So, for three days we had bombs going off inside the town, fighting in the street, and bodies of Shiite’s all over the place. Al-Qaeda was using the Imam to incite the Sunni’s to kill them, and using the fire as cover to get the locals to do it.

"I want to believe that Arabs view the Koran as a justification to fight when the persecution of their religion and way of life has gone so far as to extinguish any and all hope of survival unless they fight back. Unfortunately, I believe that politician’s, clergy and anybody who would be in power or commit acts of terrorism, use the Koran to urge the people to more violent acts. Call it religious zealotry, or call it brain washing, they use the Koran to justify there actions. Yet I don’t recall any instance in the Koran that says that strapping a bomb to your chest and blowing yourself up in a marketplace is going to get you to heaven."

Exploiting the Disenfranchised
"It is an absolutely true statement that the insurgents use Mosques as caches. They know our ROE (Rules of Engagement for those reading this not read in on acronyms) and exploit it. As far as beheading it is simply a terrorist tactic used for shock effect, and it has undoubtedly worked. Most people loose sight of the fact that because of their tactics, we have been able to maintain the moral high ground. Imagine if we made a public display of dipping rounds in pigs blood. It is also funny to me that most people don't understand what a typical Muslim in Iraq is. The misconception most people have of Arabs being strict adherents to Islam is because they have never seen a group of Iraqis with a Maxim magazine. Another aspect that gets lost is the fact that a large portion of terrorist cell leaders in Iraq are not even Muslim. The amount of foreign mercenaries in place who simply like fighting is a fact that is equally neglected. Jihad, as its used by militants based on my experience, was simply a word used to motivate the

disenfranchised and weak minded, and the true motivation for the insurgency was purely political."

Islamic and Christian Concepts of God
(This is the conclusion of an essay written by a student who had recently been stationed in Iraq)

"In Islam, God's omnipotent nature is stressed above all else. He is the one, the only, and in control of everything. Christianity agrees with this, but also places self-imposed limitations on God's power, which Islam does not. The Muslim philosopher Ibn Hazn said that, "God is not bound even by his own word." With this, Christianity adamantly disagrees.

"God's goodness is no less stressed in Islam than in Christianity. The Koran refers to God over and over as "the Merciful, the Compassionate." However, in Christianity, God's power is limited by his goodness, whereas in Islam God's goodness is limited by his power.

"To be all good and all powerful simultaneously one of these natures must be limited. If God is all good, he cannot do evil. If God is all powerful, he can do whatever he so chooses. Ibn Hazm makes clear Islam's view on the matter. He states that God is not bound by rationality or by his own goodness, going as far as to state that God could command us to worship idols (considered to be the gravest of all sins in Islam) should he wish. Saint Paul, though, states the opposite of God, saying that God "cannot lie." (Titus 1:2) This, of course, is in direct contradiction to Ibn Hazm's statement that "God is not bound even by his own word.

"In Christianity, God's nature is one of goodness and logic first. God cannot contradict himself and his goodness. If "God is love" (1 John 4:16), as the Bible states, God cannot do what is not of love. Therefore, as the Pope tried to say, things such as violence are simply incompatible with the nature of God. God, in Christianity, is coherent and reasonable. While unattainable by human sense, God is at least, to a certain extent, understandable.

"In Islam, God is unlimited, even by his goodness. He can act in whatever way he chooses, doing good or evil. He can contradict himself, break his word, do violence or make peace. This is the essential difference between Christianity and Islam."

Essay On Islamic Jihad

   The current war in Iraq and Afghanistan has wrongly become synonymous with Islamic Jihad. Jihad is the Islamic struggle to maintain the path of God, or Allah. The terrorist groups fighting against us today are in no way justified in claiming their actions as a Holy War. Despite western misconceptions of the term, Jihad, when applied correctly is a meaningful and righteous struggle to defend Islam. In the following paragraphs I will reflect on three Qu’ranic passages and discuss how the idea of Jihad should be a staple of every religion.

            The idea that Jihad is the Islamic idea of destroying western civilizations could not be further from the truth. A true Jihad is fought from the defensive position. The Qu’ran states, “slay them wherever you come upon them and expel them from where they expelled you; for their persecution of you is a more grievous sin than your slaying of them”. This is an extremely important passage concerning the justification of a Holy War. Jihad does not involve going out and slaying all non-believers. It is a defensive struggle used when Islam is the victim of unjust persecutions. Unlike Christianity, Islam gives its followers the religious right to defend their beliefs whether on the battlefields of war or politics. However, persecution is not a green light for Muslims to wage total war. The Qu’ran also establishes important guidelines to ensure that Jihad retains its righteous focus.

            The concept of a Holy War may seem like an oxymoron. However, The Qu’ran contains several passages used to guide Jihad. Such as, “fight in the way of God with those who fight you, but commit no aggression, for God does not love aggressors”. Jihad is not to be undertaken with hatred in the heart. The entire concept is about ending persecution and protecting the Islamic way of God. Aggression is the fastest avenue towards evil, especially on the battlefield. Aggression clouds the mind and can become distracting. When I first encountered my enemy in Iraq I was filled with hatred, fear, and anger. As time has gone on, I no longer feel anger toward our enemies. It has become more like a game of chess, where afterwards we can shake hands and thank each other for the match. It is hard to describe, but the absence of anger and aggression does much for the soul. It is clear why the Qu’ran establishes this guideline to keep the Holy War holy.

            Perhaps the most important guideline the Qu’ran imposes on Jihad is the effort to reestablish peace between the involved parties. This is evident from the verses, “but if they surrender, surely God is all-forgiving and all-compassionate” and “if they surrender, there shall be no hostility, except for evil-doers”. When one party concedes, it is the end of the war. Both forces must then extend the olive branch recognize that the outcome has been decided. Jihad is about ending persecution which interferes with the path of God, and therefore should not be used to persecute another party. In the ideal Holy War, equality is achieved and that is where the line is to be drawn. There is nothing just about subjecting the defeated to the same persecutions which the victor had fought to overcome. The Qu’ran does not submit the idea that war is avoidable. Instead it wisely notes that after the battle we must once again become neighbors on the same planet.

            In conclusion, Jihad is not the Islamic attempt to rid the world of other beliefs which it has become associated with. Instead, the concept of a morally justified defense from religious persecution is only way a war can truly be fought in the name of God. The guidance the Qu’ran offers on this matter would benefit all religions who adopted the ideas. It is at the hands of extremists that religion has become a dividing factor among the world. Defense of religious persecution is the only justifiable cause to pick up the sword, and do so in the name of God. 

(Uriah T.)