US Muslims launched an advertising and social media campaign Friday in the hopes of reclaiming the word jihad from extremists who insist on equating the spiritual quest with terrorism.How can they do that when "jihad" means holy war in Arabic? What a disgrace. And it's all being done in response to Pamela Geller's anti-jihad campaign:
It was sparked by a series of hateful ads calling Muslims "savages" and urging people to "defeat jihad" that were plastered on buses and trains in New York, Chicago and San Francisco.Interesting that they won't say who published the ads, nor will they mention the vandalism that was committed on the anti-jihad ads when posted. And CBS isn't making things any better with their own hostile coverage:
The group that posted inflammatory ads at New York City subway stops and Metro-North stations earlier this year plans to put up more ads.For now, with the way US Muslims continue to be dishonest about the meaning of jihad, it doesn't look like there will be a dialogue. Come to think of it, if CBS and the AP are going to defame the ads as nothing other than "inflammatory" than they're not interested in a dialogue either.
Pamela Geller with the American Freedom Defense Initiative said the group has purchased space beside the roughly 220 clocks that hang above subway platforms in stations throughout the city.
The ads depict the twin towers engulfed in flames and a quote attributed to the Koran: “Soon shall we cast terror into the hearts of the unbelievers.”
“I hope that these ads will increase awareness and start a dialog,” Geller told 1010 WINS. “Clearly, there is a prohibition on discussing this matter and those of us that dare to speak of it are marginalized and demonized and it’s sort of killing the messenger.”
Update: the International Business Times gives an ambiguous description of what jihad means:
In Arabic, jihad literally translates to “struggle.” It is used in the Koran to refer to a religious duty of multiple definitions, including internal struggles, the struggle to build a good Muslim society and the struggle to defend Islam through military force if necessary. It’s that last meaning that has led to widespread association with jihad as meaning “holy war.”This article is just as dishonest as Islam itself. And, they even rely on a trash heap like the BBC for some "understanding". The word may have several meanings, but "duty to wage war on unbelievers" is one of the first and foremost among them that they don't have the courage to acknowledge honestly.