Fighting the good jihad

Fighting the good jihad

It is regrettable enough that the lofty idea of jihad is being
reduced to the weapons-and-armor defense of the faith, with
bloodshed all around. Even worse, some Muslims loosely use this
battle cry to suit their own narrow needs and shallow causes and
to justify destruction and hate when Islam has nothing to do with
either.

Even the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Syed
Putra Jamalullail, the head of religion in this country, is
dismayed. It was timely for the King to express concern over the
extremist positions of those Muslims who not only distort the
concept of jihad and martyrdom for their own ends, but perpetuate
the prejudice that all Muslims are prone to violence.

There have been too many unhealthy developments of late
pointing towards the sheer abuse of religion and a manipulative
misrepresentation of Islam's clarion call in an attempt to give
credence to unlawful activities. The emergence of religious
militant groups propagating violence to achieve their objectives
has become a threat to the nation's security.

Pas too is not innocent of this. Being a political party which
uses the word Islam in its name, Pas appears to exploit
situations -- both in the country and around the world -- to the
hilt by, for example, fomenting a controversy over the Memali
incident. Fifteen years on, they still adamantly describe that
shootout between a fanatical cult and the police as jihad and
Ibrahim Libya and his followers who died in the clash as martyrs.
This is in clear violation of a National Fatwa Council decree
that states otherwise. Ignoring a legitimate religious authority
is a serious transgression in an Islamic society. But not so for
Pas.

Moderate religious scholars have been extolling the softer
side of jihad, which is defined as a personal "struggle" to live
up to the ideals of Islam. It is this devout meaning of sacrifice
and progress that will show the way to success and excellence for
the ummah in every aspect of life in this world and the
hereafter.

-- New Straits Times, Kuala Lumpur