Jihad and Influence on the West
In the history of Muslims, Jihad has been considered as the main vital concept that has determined the relationship that exists between Islam and other religions in the world. This concept has therefore created various interpretations between modern and classical Islamic groups and orientalistic views and writings. Jihad therefore refers to the various relationships that exist between the Muslims and the other external groups. There is a rampant change in the circumstances which has affected the world, especially the West.
However, the term is used to justify Muslim military and political actions; it is creating tension and insecurity in the world. Therefore, due to the recent attacks, regional and international organizations have launched campaigns to avert from the traditional definition of the term ‘jihad’. These attacks have affected countries such as the USA, Mexico, Mecca and many other western states. Thus, Muslims are considered a threat although there are efforts to convert Christians in countries like Mexico and the US to Islam. However, Muslims believe that those who participated in jihad have a direct entry to the eternal life. They therefore justify jihad acts despite the tensions it creates among the western countries.
It is believed that Muslim martyrs will enter and conquer the kingdom. According to the Quran, Chapter 9 states that those believers who died while serving jihad wars or undertaking actions that had been commanded by Muhammad will one day live in the Islamic paradise. It is also stated that those Muslims who encounter a normal death will have to wait for the Day of Judgment. Thus, jihad is an act of emulating the desires and the will of Prophet Muhammad. The desires of Prophet Muhammad include his deeds, sayings and actions. More so, jihad is like a desire for Muslims to die like martyrs.
Jihad aims at fighting the infidels and expansion of the territories that are in the control of the Islamic world. For instance, the holy war in Medina was dedicated by the professional fighter of Prophet Muhammad (Muhammad 103). It is also believed that Muhammad has been in close connection with Allah; thus, he received the guidance of Allah in all his endeavors. It is believed that Allah guided him on how to deal with prisoners, difficulties during the time of war and how to solve family issues and disputes. More so, any mistake that Muhammad committed was punishable.
This made the deeds and actions of the prophet become divine in nature. It also implies that the prophecies made by the prophet are true. For instance, jihad is a true reflection of what Allah requires of the believers. Abdul Hamid asserts that “the Sunnah is of divine origin, and the teachings from the Quran and the Sunnah come from inspirations from God….” It therefore implies that jihad as a prophecy is not a worldly consideration.
This means that jihad is a holy act which has been accepted by Allah. According to Islamic teachings, the desire that most Muslims have to follow and emulate the teachings of their prophet is a true fact and not a theoretical act. Muslim believers are frequently forced to respect and adhere to Islamic teachings. The Quran states, “Obey Allah and his apostles” (Muhammad 90). The Islamic creed is therefore justified by teachings of Sunnah and Quran.
The Muslims condemn the prohibition by various modern activists and apologists that it is unnatural to justify jihad. Muslims considers such people ignorant as they do not adhere to the teachings of their prophet. This is because Muslims have made Quran a basis of all their arguments, and it is the only constitution of the Islamic laws. More so, Sunnah uses the same arguments just like Quran. Sunnah as one of the supportive Islamic teachings dictates jihad as a human right and not a terrorism as the world views the Muslim. According to a recent study, Muslims living in Europe are quite aggressive and vulnerable.
Therefore, due to ignorance and negligence of human life, Muslim youths have a deeper understanding of European and Islamic laws. They have therefore run out of moral vulnerability and security issues that are facing the western population. The youths are therefore moving towards islamization and radicalization through the most recent acts of violence and terrorist attacks in the major cities in the world. This explains the fact why most Islamic youths practice terrorism. They have a focus in their daily lives as opposed to the views that Christians have depicted them in the recent past.
Islam is therefore a religion that is seeking its roots all over the world. Islamic Sharia Law constitutes financial, social, political and spiritual spheres of life. Among the Muslims, it is believed that there is no difference between the mundane and the spiritual acts among the lives of a Muslim. It is thus evident that Islam is an act that advocates for a direct solution to a given problem. According to Dr. Sedat, Islam is not only a religion but also an economic, political and cultural system.
Therefore, Islam cannot be separated from politics. Thus, Prof. Umaruddin confirms that Islam is not a religion just like the others which rely on advocating for the conscience of human beings, but it is a foreign kind of religion (Umaruddin 137). Thus, the emphasis that Islam puts on human aspects is an act of embracing the life system. He also asserts that Islam covers all aspects of human conduct and all the human activities such as jihad. It therefore implies that the recent acts of terrorism and jihad acts are just an illusion and part of the religious practices that should be conducted by every Muslim believer.
There are several jihad acts that have threatened the world in the recent past. For instance, the Mexican authorities have been faced with several problems in relation to the Hezbollah terrorists. The government has tried to build up network in Tijuan that is near to the American homesteads. This is where most of Islamic terrorists have made up their hideouts, especially at the Bekaa village in Israel. It is also alleged that the main goals of this jihad group is to strike targets in the west and Israel. The Hezbollah group is believed to be sponsored by Iranian oil reserves.
This group has generated its revenue by mixing up cartels in Mexico to start smuggling people and drugs in and out of the US. The group has also received much support from Hugo Chavez who has caused instability in the Caribbean region.According to the article released in 2010, there was evidence of rampant activities in the area. There are several Muslims who crossed the southern border to the US from Mexico and became a national insecurity. This follows a recent survey which ascertains that the immigrants from Lebanon and Syria who arrived in Mexico exceeds 200,000. It is also alleged that the strongest sponsors and financial supporters of the Hezbollah group are Syria and Iran.
It is also alleged that the 2001 mishap in Mexico was just caused by only 19 jihadists. More so, jihad prison has also been faced with several problems. For instance, in one of the prisons, it was found out that assault rifles and hand grenades were available. Explosives and ammunitions were also found on the premises of prisons. This has therefore led to concerns about the inhabitation of the Hezbollah in Mexico.
It has greatly affected the Mexican drug-trafficking sector and increased insecurity among both policemen and citizens. Despite the fact that Muslin group is seeking recognition, it is greatly affecting economic stability of Mexico. Muslims are believed to have inhabited the whole of Chiapas (Essen 67). The southern part of Mexico has turned into a battle ground, especially for the life savers. The Islamic group is converting a huge amount of non-Islamic groups, especially the Mayans.
This therefore has a great impact on culture and cultural practices that are facing the risk of demolition. The place has also been dominated by the Muslims leading to depletion of the local Mayan group. Several authors, such as Tawfik, asserted that the presence of hijab indicates increase in terrorism. For instance, he exemplifies that the presence of hijab in Egypt, Indonesia and the UK led to increase in terrorism attacks. The increase in rate of Muslim conversion leads to an increase in security concerns in Mexico. The Mexican government has set out several counter activities that have affected the development of the government’s projects.
The government has also set out a secret method to deal and curb the track of the Mayan Muslim group. The president has also asserted that he fears the influence that is spread by the radical fundamentals of the Islamic origin that is the Al-Qaida. The Mexican area has also been faced with several kidnappings that have led to the loss of money by the locals. Kidnapping has also led to the loss of life. Kidnapping is an operation that is conducted by jihadists’ operation deals.
Jihadists have legitimized crimes like child slavery and kidnapping, which are a part of the operations. The increased conversion of Muslims has led to threats among the whites as most Muslims act against the will of the whites. However, the counter-terrorism report does not tally with the previous assertions that it is a bad act in the Mexican territory. The anti-terrorists claim that the Islamic terrorist merge well with the Mexicans as compared to the other European nations. The recent reports from ‘The New York Times’ claim that the FBI have been on the alert to disrupt any interruptions in the US against attacks (Iqbal 102).
This therefore implies that the inccreased attacks indicate that Muslims have ensconced the Mexican drug sector. The recent problem that the jihad group has caused is related to the historical lifestyle that their prophet lived. For instance, the Hezbollah in Mexico attribute their acts to the various hardships that their prophet encountered as a child. The death of Muhammad at a tender age contributed to the Sharia Law that the Muslims use. He lived in Mecca and is believed to meditate to his early life. He later prophesied the coming of Islamic religion with the laws which govern its operations.
Thus, the operations by the Hezbollah are attributed to the Sharia law that was guided by their prophet. More so, the assassination of Muhammad is an act of revenge that is conducted by his followers and believers. Thus, the terroristic acts are justified by Muslims while it is a great offense among other religions, especially the west. In other acts, Muslims have depicted their religion as jihad due to the several scares that have arisen in the recent past. For instance, the US is facing several terrorist threats from the Islamic group.
For instance, the assassination of Stevens Christopher who served as a US ambassador in Libya is an indication of the jihadists’ acts. Libya has acquired Islamic uprising and dominance, especially after recent attacks on the US diplomats. The country has formed a basis and a market of weapon.The attack of the US embassy in 1997 is believed to have been an act of defending Islamic believers. The attack of the Twin Towers is an act that was supported by the Islamic fraternity. Despite several lives that were lost, the Al-Qaida believes it was an act of accomplishing the mission by the prophet.
It is alleged that defense of the Islamic faith and believers is an act that was commissioned by the prophet. The concept referred to this kind of war as a ‘just war’. The Quran justifies the fact that if war is engaged by non-believers, then believers have a right to fight back, because they are facing unnecessary oppression. The Quran also discourages transgressors during the war. It is believed that in case of war, Allah inhibits excess attacks as limit is necessary to restrict the evildoers (Essen 34).
Thus, the force applied in any attack should not go beyond a certain limit to exact an imperialistic conquest. The attack on the US is also considered non-discriminatory as Islam does not have any geographical limitation but wages its war on all. Historically, the religion ascertains that for any nation or state to establish any form of order, there has to be a warfare that should be engaged. This is exhibited in countries such as France, America and Russia. Islam has therefore waged a plan to fight exploitation and radicalism.
However, this has received much opposition from several states and organizations. For instance, the islamization of Italy is believed to have come up due to the protest by the believers to fight against the operation that the Gaza had demonstrated. The Gaza had burned down Israeli flags, and this is against the Sharia Law by Prophet Muhammad. It therefore implies that the protest was legitimate. On the other hand, the act has been criticized by the Italians for the effects that arose after the warfare.
The protest was an entry to the illegal terrorist attacks that emerged in Italy. The country is also known for its record for numberless martyrs that have sacrificed their lives. These include the imams who took away their lives. The number of terrorists’ attackers in the world has been linked to Italy. For instance, Saber Fadhil is one such terrorist who has caused several bombing incidents of the UN buildings. Thus, the proliferation of these terrorist attacks has led to is the expansion of Islamic religion in Italy.
More so, the Sharia Law has led to several killings in Italy, especially stabbing by husbands of their women. One case that has caused mayhem in Italy is the killing of Bouchra, aged 24, who was mercilessly stabbed by her husband, because she was emulating the western lifestyle. Therefore, the Palestinians with the Intifada have faced the fierce aggression from Israel that has led to the collapse of peace in the country. Jihad acts such as legitimization to resistance are evident in this area. This implies that it is an act of defending the believers from attacks.
However, Israel and the US consider this as an act of violence and terrorism. Thus, the Islamic jihad acts are considered as terrorism attacks. This means that the defense of the Islamic acts as jihad is hurting the westerners while the Muslims are also hurt by the fact their freedom is infringed by the fact that they are just terrorists and not activists. It therefore lies before the activists who view Islam and the non-believers’ views about terrorism and jihad.
