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news
Jihad
mischaractarized as terrorism by media
By Sarah Duffy
On-line Forty-Niner
Author and lecturer
Maher Hathout spoke out against the misinformation and mischaracterization
of Islamic beliefs such as Jihad, particularly by the popular
media, before a crowd of about 80 Cal State Long Beach students
Thursday.
Hathout's visit was part of a series of lectures during Islamic
Awareness Week, sponsored by the Muslim Students Association
and is designed to bridge increased understanding within the
community.
Since Sept. 11, the job of clearing the air on what terms
such as Jihad really means has been difficult, Hathout said.
The concept is a simple and noble one that he holds dearly,
and it has been mixed up with terrorism, he said.
"The effort you do for betterment of life is Jihad,"
Hathout said. "The prophet Mohammed described this as
the major Jihad which is within yourself."
He spoke of several other forms of Jihad as well, such as
financial kind or correcting social injustice.
"A Muslim is supposed to spend his means to help the
downtrodden," he said.
A world absent of truth creates tyrants, he said, and standing
up to tyrants is a Muslim responsibility.
The last form is fighting and only by principles of war and
peace and certain rules of engagement, such as only fighting
those who fight you and accepting offers of peace from the
enemy.
He said biased news coverage is creating misconceptions and
prejudice against Muslims. Television news shows in particular
are entertaining the public instead of informing them. He
fears Muslims risk facing the same dangerous attitudes experienced
by those during the witch-hunts of the communist era, the
Jews and Japanese Americans in World War II, as well as blacks
of the civil rights era.
Senior political science major Nam Yi asked if Hathout expects
Islam to go through a reformation as Christianity did.
"Islam encourages
you to keep modernizing until the end of your life,"
Hathout said. People can become stuck within a 1400-year-old
viewpoint within themselves, but Islam allows you to change,
he said.
Lisa Morley-Slota, senior recreation and leisure studies major,
found the event interesting. She said she'd rather hear
from someone such as Hathout, who has the experience with
the Islamic religion, instead of hearing about it from entertainment
news.
Senior health science major Diana Elreda, who is Muslim, agrees.
"It was a good speech. He made clear what Jihad really
means," Elreda said. "If the average American listens
to the news, people automatically equate Jihad with terrorism,"
she said.
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