The Muslim Student Association hosted an informational forum
““ “Operation Jihad: Misconceptions of a Peaceful
Intention” ““ in honor of Islamic Awareness Week on
Wednesday night.
The forum, held in the Computer Science building, was the third
forum hosted by MSA this week.
Speaker Husam Ayloush ““ a member of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations ““ discussed the meaning of Islamic
Jihad and addressed common misconceptions of the term.
“The word “˜jihad’ makes most people think of
Islamic extremists and events like Sept. 11,” Ayloush
said.
“But they do not remember that the image of long-bearded
men carrying machine guns is media-produced,” he added.
In Arabic, “jihad” means the exertion of effort for
the sake of God, and has no implications of war or violence,
Ayloush said.
The forum began with an Arabic hymn and a scripture reading from
the Koran. Many individuals in the predominantly Muslim audience
bowed their heads.
Ayloush mentioned that many individuals incorrectly associate
jihad with the idea of a holy war.
This term “holy war” does not exist in Islamic
terminology and was only written to describe the Crusades in the
1400s, he said.
Jihad ultimately promotes peace and justice in everyday
activities, such as loving Allah above everything else and
resisting worldly temptations, he added.
Ayloush mentioned that some people forget jihad is not always
just an international affair but a local one as well.
He referred to the United Food and Commercial Workers strike
against three major supermarket chains in Southern California as a
local example of jihad.
“At a time when CEOs are making millions of dollars
through supermarkets, store employees receive poor benefits and are
paid little,” he said.
“These strikers practice jihad by protesting in defense of
the security of their families,” he added.
Jihad can also implicate defending one’s community from
oppression, but it does not automatically call for war, Ayloush
said.
“Islam is not about fighting until you teach someone a
lesson. It is about fighting until persecution is no more,”
he said.
One student protester showed his disagreement with Ayloush; it
was first-year biology student David Lazar, who stood outside the
forum to protest. Ayloush responded by encouraging his audience to
remember no religion is immune to extremist sects.
“No one judges Christianity by the acts of Hitler; no one
judges Judaism by the acts of Sharon; So if you want to judge
Islam, do not judge it by the acts of Osama bin Laden or Saddam
Hussein,” he said.
“Remember that the mainstream believers, not the extreme
few, represent Islam,” he added.
At the forum’s end, Ayloush answered questions from the 50
students and Westwood residents in attendance.
Several audience members asked questions prompting heated
discussions. These individuals were encouraged to stay after the
forum to converse with Ayloush in private.
MSA plans to man a booth on Bruin Walk for the remainder of the
week. Events and additional forums will be held as well.