Do we really understand the term ‘jihad’? The usual meaning of ‘Islam’ in Arabic is not ‘peace’, but ‘submission’. The duty for all Muslims to fight for Allah’s community is ‘jihad’(Arabic; “struggle, fight”). As Catholic Answers reminds us, this is binding on all Muslims. It has been particularly demanding on Muslims in areas that can be expanded. Interestingly, all governments that covertly support terrorism are centered in the Muslim world. Muslim apologists quickly remind the world that Islam is a peaceful religion, and terrorists are only a ‘fringe’ group. But there nevertheless remains a deep and powerful strain of violence within Islam. Islam is not only a religion, but a political ideology. According to Islam, the government is Allah’s government, and no other governments are legitimate.

Throughout history, we know Mohammed founded Islam and conquered the Arabian Peninsula. But Muslim society continued to expand by conquering as far west as Spain, and as far east as India. At that time this was half the Christian population. Because of the need to expand Allah’s dominion by wars of conquest, Islam’s ideology imposes on Muslims the duty to fight for Allah’s country—or ‘jihad’. A Muslim expansion observer(Paul Fregosi) noted, “From the fury of the Mohammedan, spare us O Lord”---a prayer heard for centuries in the churches of Europe. But the Muslims captured slaves in England and Ireland, attacked Iceland, captured Sicily, North Africa, Spain, and invaded Italy. Leo IV even ordered the construction of the Leonine Wall around the city of Rome.

How many have an incorrect impression of the crusades? Mark Twain says, “History tells us that the truth is hard to kill, but a lie told well is immortal.” Europe finally decided that it had enough, and organized the First Crusade. In 1095, Pope Urban II preached the First Crusade to end the abuse of Christians and recapture the Holy City. The Crusades were only directed at Muslims who had conquered and still held Christian lands. However, they were stunningly ineffective, and Christian nations like Egypt and Syria were totally overrun by the Muslims. The threat continued for centuries, with Muslim forces laying siege in 1529 and 1683 to Vienna. But Islam began to stagnate, especially during the discovery of the New World. For three centuries the Muslim world lost ground. By 1920, it seemed that the triumph of Europe over Islam was total. But angry about the existing hierarchy, the close of de-colonization after WWII was another starting point for Islam. Samuel Huntington(Director, Harvard University’s Strategic Studies) presciently warned that the end of the Cold War would lead to a ‘clash of civilizations’. He knew the major flashpoint would likely be between Islam and the West. The 1^st Gulf War gave some Arabs a proud feeling that Saddam Hussein had attacked Israel and stood up to the West. The “next confrontation”, observed M.J. Akbar(Muslim author), “is definitely going to come from the Muslim world.” Sure enough, 9/11 occurred. In the famous al-Qaeda “dinner conversation” found on videotape in Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden expressed his view that the war he initiated would lead to a wave of Muslim expansion not seen since the religion’s first century. Even the international furor over Benedict XVI’s recent Regensburg speech was unprecedented. He put Islam in historical perspective, describing how Islam was perceived as “evil and inhuman” by a 14^th century Christian emperor. Benedict’s major point(Hudson; The Window) was that religion should not be spread by violence or conversion at the point of a sword. Ian Fisher wrote, “Several experts on the Catholic Church and Islam agreed that the speech—in which Benedict made clear he was quoting other Islamic sources---did not appear to be a major condemnation…of Islam.” Soon after, Muslim rioters killed an Italian nun in Mogadishu, burned Christian churches in Palestine, and threatened the pope’s life. It’s remarkable that ‘moderate’ Muslims refuse to respond to their brothers’ violence, either because they’re intimidated, sympathetic, or both. In any case, the willingness of ‘moderates’ to be what is objectively ‘bad Muslims’ speaks volumes. In Afghanistan this year, a Christian was threatened with beheading. Most imams and Afghans seemed to approve. In Indonesia, Nigeria, and Sudan, Muslims are at war with Christians; in the Middle East with Israelis; in Chechnya with Russians; in India with Hindus; and in Thailand with Buddhists. It should be pointed out that there are people of peace and people of violence in all religions. There are violent Christians, and peace-loving Muslims. The problem is not prejudice about Islam, but folly in the face of its violence and cruelty. Every past event should make us remember the ugly truth that a fight is brewing. And---millions of Muslims are not afraid to die.