A few replies -- Doug, Barabara, jbor, Richard

[Tiarnan O'Corrain]

The Quail wrote:
> Millison inscribed:
> >If we are speaking English, Jihad translates as Crusade. Please 
> >leave Jihad to Islamic scholars.

I don't think the fundamentalists are allowing us to do that.

> Oh, really. How petty. If we are speaking English, I suppose we 
> shouldn't use the word "Islamic," either? 

Nope. If we were to be truly literal, we should substitute 'submissive'.

> Nor do I think that "jihad" 
> -- a word THEY are using to describe the war against us -- is ground 
> only for Islamic scholars. That's just silly. I am an intelligent 
> person who is even now trying to learn more about Islam, I am 
> entirely justified in using the word in this context. 

Don't know about anyone ever being entirely justified about anything,
but 'jihad' is a complicated concept, and is being bandied about here. I
read an article in salon.com (home of drooling morons) which claimed
that Islam was an avowedly martial religion because 'jihad' was one
of its central concepts. Quod erat demonstrandum.

All that was demonstrated was the ignorance of the journalist, who 
nevertheless felt entitled to give authoritative commentary on the
'roots' of the current 'crisis'.

Americans' knowledge of Islam is seriously deficient, notwithstanding
record sales of the Koran. Mullah GW Bush would do well to keep his
mouth shut about the 'true meaning' of Islam. Such piffle can only
have negative consequences.

The USA's primary mistake was to provide so much information about
their chief suspect. By mentioning the name of Osama bin Laden, they
created both a media star and a rallying point for discontented
Muslims. He is now a figure of mythic proportions in the Middle East,
and therefore far more difficult to kill.

>(And yes, I 
> know it has another meaning, that of a more positive "struggle." But 
> hey, so did "Mein Kampf.") And finally, "Jihad" does not in fact 
> directly translate into "Crusade," they have different concepts both 
> in original intent and modern usage.

Except that both 'crusade' and jihad are used when the speaker wants
to lay claim to some kind of inchoate righteousness.

> --Quail

Tiarnan