Jihad.. Please don’t scream.

This is a super long & a very personal rant, about something that really hurt the depths of my soul & made me feel miserable. 

So, I’ve seen alot of hate spewing venom, being spurred at Muslims & calling them ” Jihadis” & ” Terrorists”. Ergo, I thought.. Why don’t I enlighten the unaware lot?? 

I, saw a certain gentleman on Facebook , hurl expletives at another person, just because the other guy was a Muslim?? 😱😱 Calling him, a ****, blah, blah, & born & bought up as a Jihadi?? 😳😳🙄🙄 And something like all Muslims are terrorists in disguise. 

Ummm… Dude, just because I wear camouflage military prints to sleep, doesn’t make me a commando on call. 😒😒 

🤓🤓 Do I look like it? Do I? Do I? 

Jihad.. That dreaded word!! It’s pretty dreadful innit?? I mean that word & you’re picturing bombings, kidnappings, killings, diasporas, blood curdling screams, fear, disgust, etc.. Just to name a few of those spiralling emotions toiling your brain. 

Jihad.. Why do Muslims do it?? Why are they so heartless?? Why can’t they get a life… Ooh!! Probably in a jihad, they take a life?? Bwahahahahaha?? 😂😂

Funny?? I say ” Absolutely Not”!😒

Do you know, what’s the similarity between Jihad & Karate?

Aaahh… See?? Karate & you’re thinking of the fit  “Chans & Lees” 💪🏻💪🏻🏆 “Heeyyyaaahh!!”

Jihad & Karate follow the same basic principle, “Defend thyself”. That’s it.

Jihad is “The defense of oneself”,  from “Illicit desires, the prompts of the Satan, the barbarism of your enemy, against injustice, etc”. That is jihad. 

Murdering people, butchering innocents, killing anyone in your grasp.. ISN’T JIHAD!!  It’s brutality, it’s murder, it’s execution, it’s homicide, it’s manslaughter…but not JIHAD.

For us Muslims, even a Monk, is a Jihadi. For the humble reason that, he fights desires of this world, to be one with God. For us Muslims, even a woman fasting at the comfort of her home is a jihadi, as she strives to please God & family. A young, handsome man, who retains his modesty & lowers his gaze, while seeing a beautiful lady is a jihadi, because he fights his desire to ogle at the lady. *hoot hoot* 🤐🤐 Nope. No whistles & hoots Sir!!

These struggles, these dilemmas, these continuous self checks, these on the loop appropriate behaviours are the true definitions of jihad.

The past few years, have seen that word JIHAD blow outta proportion. Like seriously people, it’s really getting stale now. How long, just for how long will hatemongers paint Muslims with the same brush? First, I was hurt, then I was angry & at last.. I just became numb. 

No, we aren’t taught the art of slitting a carotid along with making play doh figurines. 

No, we don’t have lying as a part of our religion… The taqqiyah which people keep putting across, every other day. At, the risk of sounding stupid, I hadn’t even heard of it, until someone posted a huge rant on how “Muslims believe lying is a part of Islam”?? Really?? Wow… Why wasn’t I ever taught that? 🤔🤔

And no, the Peekaboo game, didn’t mean that,  we were slim shadies, lurking in the shadows.. Always stalking you😭😭 It wasn’t a precursor to being a conspiracy genius. 😵😵

As Islam, (if hatemongers would ever wanna really do their homework) is a religion of peace & tolerance, the question was raised, whether we could retaliate to injustice or when an enemy attacks. The answer was yes, you could. A military form of war for your SELF DEFENSE was called as jihad too & is known as the “Smaller Jihad”, the “Bigger Jihad” being the control over oneself. 

That Smaller Jihad was never encouraged, but if it had to be done, then under a lot of limitations. A few of them are: 

• You have tried to peacefully reconciliate, yet the opposition stands dead against, only then can any force be used. 
• You have politically, diplomatically & legally tried to come to a solution & yet the opposition is against. 
• No children, women, invalids or old people to be hurt. 
• War victims to be given immediate care. 
• If, opposition calls for a truce during war, the truce must be accepted then and there, without further damage. 

Pardon me, but just about every religion, gives its followers the right to defend themselves. Correct me, if I’m wrong. I don’t intend to hurt anyone. Whether, it’s Christianity, Hinduism, Jewism, Sikhism, etc.. They all allow their followers to protect themselves from harm. What they don’t allow is baseless or vengeful MURDER.

The Quran states that,   “If, any of you kills an innocent then it will be as, you have killed the whole of humanity. And, if you saves any, it will be as if you saved the whole humanity”.  

I see a lot of the educated & broad minded coterie of people, actually see & voice their opinions very strongly against this discrimination. It makes me feel nice, that there is awareness about this particular aspect. The intellectual lot know better than to just blindly label, everyone in the same category. I’ve personally seen, so many good hearts, chide at their mates for being biased & labelling Islam as wrong. My deepest respects for those people, that just goes onto show how refined they are.

All religions have extremists, people who have their own interpretations of the religion. Much like, that pesky rebel brother/ sister. Who is the black sheep of the family. Someone who upsets & brings a bad name to the family. 

Does that mean, that the family is wrong or does that mean, that the individual is wrong? It’s the latter of course!! 

We as a community, do feel disturbed, hurt, ashamed & humiliated by the acts that are done in ” God’s name”. It upsets us that, a fraction of Muslims.. Have represented us all?? How?? Even the fingers of your hand aren’t the same.

 We don’t throw gala events or host piñata parties, when some part of the world mourns. We mourn along with you. We pray for you. We pray with you. 

Terrorism, has no religion. Let’s stop giving terrorists, the luxury of possessing a religion. Feel free to call a terrorist as a terrorist & not as anything else.

We, can’t do this alone. We need each one of you beautiful people, to stand with & by us & tell the hatemongers, that you’re with us in this fight against TERRORISM!!