Jihad has become a household word in the West thanks to its continual use by journalists. Similarly, it is invoked continually in the political discourse of Muslim countries. Some radical groups have chosen it as the title of their organizations. Top officials often brandish it as a threat against the “enemies of God.” ¹ Militant fundamentalists believe that they have resumed the holy war begun by the prophet and his companions in order to spread Allah's “latest and last message.”

Because the term “jihad” tends to be equated with militant fundamentalism, terrorism, and the killing of innocent people, some Muslim intellectuals and statesmen have reacted with outrage. They accuse the Western media of presenting a tainted image of Islam and Muslims. They insist that jihad denotes a moral and spiritual quest rather than a military campaign.

It is true that some Western writers, journalists, politicians, and filmmakers have gone out of their way to besmirch Muslims and to suggest that Islamic politics inevitably leads to the use of terror. It is equally true that the word jihad has several meanings in the Arabic language and involves different obligations as articulated in the Koran. But, obviously, the militants fo-

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