The Jihad Way

Jihad - جهاد v - An Arabic word, derived from the ج-ه-د root, meaning "to strive," or "to struggle." This word has been mistranslated and misused for many centuries as "holy war."

12th Century Arab philosopher Ibn-Rushd defined Jihad of the Tongue as "to commend good conduct and forbid the wrong, like the type of Jihad Allah (swt) ordered us to fulfill against the hypocrites in His Words, 'O Prophet! Strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites'" [9:73].

The new name of this blog is intended to reflect this idea. This blog is a Jihad of the Tongue. Secular in philosophy and global in perspective, my jihad is a struggle against the many problems that plague our world today, and a striving for a world in which peace, freedom, and equality are valued over profit and narrow-minded ideology.

There are 1.1 billion people in the world today living on less than $1 a day. This is my jihad. More than 115 million children of primary school age, the majority of them girls, are not currently in school. This is my jihad. Over 815 million people suffer from chronic hunger and malnutrition. This is my jihad. Every day, 30,000 children under five die, most from preventable causes. This is my jihad. 1.1 billion people worldwide do not have access to safe drinking water. This is my jihad. Global climate change threatens to increase human suffering through desertification, changing weather patterns, rising sea levels, and migration-driven conflict. This is my jihad.

Let me be absolutely clear, for those who may still be confused. This blog does not condone or support terrorism, or any form of violence. Despite what my critics would like to believe, this blog is not anti-American. It is not anti-capitalist. It is not partisan. It is, however, anti-greed, anti-corruption, and anti-fascism. It is critical where criticism is due, complimentary where praise is due, and light-heartedly snarky throughout.

As always, I welcome your comments and criticism.