In 2008 I have written the article analysing if the religion can be a cause of terrorism. Over 10 years after it sounds now a bit basic, and still relevant.
Can Islam be a cause of terrorism?
In war it is essential to know the opponent, to understand the strategy their uses and their motivation. The global situation, which we have right now, might be called war as well — for example “war on terror” which the United States leads against Islamic terrorism, or “holy war” — the term which is often used as a synonym for jihad. In order to understand the problem we need to analyze what kind of role Islam plays in modern terrorism, what is the definition of jihad, and what is the perception of this term in the eyes of Muslims. In this paper I will analyze whether we are have a ground to talk about Islamic terrorism, if Islam and Islamic law are legitimate uses of power, if we can say that Islam is the reason of terrorism or if there are same others.
First, to analyze the connection between Islam and its’ role in terrorism we have to understand the term “jihad”. The word itself comes from Arabic and means “the struggle” or “striving” (in the way of God). Usually people translate word “jihad” as a “holy war” and based on this they make assumptions that Islam is the religion of violence. They very often associate jihad with fanaticism, cruelty, and intolerance. In fact, jihad is about being closer to God. It requires Muslims to strengthen the belief…