Azerbaijan, Baku, 6 June /corr. Trend E.Tanriverdiyeva / American theologist John L. Esposito considers that many in the Christian world continue to misunderstand the meaning of jihad and it complicates mutual understanding between the religions. "Many in the Christian world continue to misunderstand the meaning of jihad and simply equate it only with offensive warfare and terrorism," Professor of Islamic Studies, John L. Esposito, reported to Trend .
Official representatives of Vatican stated that the Catholic Church is prepared to begin dialogue with the Muslims, but several doctrines calling on to jihad present obstacles to the successful dialogue between religions, Turkish News Agency Tevhidhaber reported. ]
"The primary meaning of Jihad (in the Quran: "struggle" in the path of God) refers to struggle pertains to the difficulty and complexity of living a good life: struggling against the evil in oneself-to be virtuous and moral, making a serious effort to do good works and help to reform society," Director of the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at the Walsh School of Foreign Service of Georgetown University, Esposito, said via e-mail on 6 June.
According to the Professor, depending on the circumstances in which one lives, it also can mean fighting injustice and oppression, spreading and defending Islam, and creating a just society through preaching, teaching, and, if necessary, armed struggle or holy war.
Esposito considers that the two broad meanings of jihad, nonviolent and violent, are contrasted in a well-known Prophetic tradition. "It is said that when Muhammad returned from battle he told his followers, "We return from the lesser jihad [warfare] to the greater jihad." The greater jihad is the more difficult and more important struggle against one's ego, selfishness, greed, and evil," the expert added.
He considers that in its most general meaning, jihad refers to the obligation incumbent on all Muslims, individuals and the community, to follow and realize God's will: to lead a virtuous life and to extend the Islamic community through preaching, education, example, writing, etc. Jihad also includes the right, indeed the obligation, to defend Islam and the community from aggression. Throughout history, the call to jihad has rallied Muslims to the defense of Islam. The Afghan mujahidin fought a decade-long jihad against Soviet occupation, he said.
"Terrorists like Osama bin Laden and others go beyond classical Islam's criteria for a just jihad and recognize no limits but their own, employing any weapons or means. They reject Islamic law's regulations regarding the goals and legitimate means for a valid jihad: that violence must be proportional and that only the necessary amount of force should be used to repel the enemy, that innocent civilians should not be targeted, and that jihad must be declared by the ruler or head of state," Esposito said.
The Professor considers that today, individuals and groups, religious and lay, seize the right to declare and legitimate unholy wars of terrorism in the name of Islam.
The impetus toward pluralism in the contemporary era has been fueled by a variety of factors. While past approaches of religious exclusivism have tended to highlight theological differences, advocates of dialogue have emphasized shared beliefs, commonly held values and concerns, the expert considers. According to him, the moral breakdown of societies as well as recognition that power and wealth, rather than religion, tend to guide both national and international affairs. The impact of globalization, the communications revolution, and immigration increasingly brought people of different faiths and cultures into daily contact, he added.
In the latter half of the 20th century, international politics also encouraged dialogue as a matter of necessity. During the 1950s and 1960s, interfaith dialogue was promoted as a method for joining forces during the Cold War to fight Communism. During the late 1960s and 1970s, the emphasis shifted to social issues. During the 1980s and 1990s, human rights took center stage.
"Although many of the agendas have been defined and driven by Christians without always producing greater mutual understanding or knowledge, these examples of cooperation have nevertheless led to increasing recognition on both sides that positive, constructive methods of interfaith interaction are a global necessity today. In today's world of globalization where the lines between East and West, between "us" and "them," and between Christian and Muslim are too often a source of conflict, warfare and terrorism, the need to engage in dialogue - with other religions, cultures, and peoples - is even more urgent than ever before for peaceful coexistence," Esposito said.
Both Christianity and Islam have the resources to support interreligious dialogue and notions of pluralism and tolerance that respond to the realities of the 21st century. "A vanguard of religious thinkers and leaders writing in the last half of the 20th century have laid the foundation for dialogue and coexistence, rooted in a reading and a reinterpretation of their scriptures, doctrines and histories. Their diverse voices and calls for mutual understanding and respect, for religious pluralism and tolerance, can enable these Children of Abraham to contribute to the creation of a more human world," the expert added.
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