<body bgcolor="000000" text="ffff00" link="99ffff" vlink="00ff00"> <h1 align="center">Understanding the Concept of Jihad</h1> <p> Like most Americans, I have been horrified by the events that took place in New York, in Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001.  In the wake I have been left with terrible sadness and anger, and the only thing I have been able to think of is, WHY?  Over the past week I have watched a lot of news and I'm not entirely happy with something that I see.  I see all these reporters coming on the air, telling people that what these terrorists did had nothing to do with religious fervor.  They keep telling people that what happened had nothing to do with the true tenants of the Muslim faith, and that anyone that thinks it does, knows nothing about Islam.  And I can understand them not wanting to see Americans retaliate unjustly against fellow Americans who happen to be Islamic.  I don't want to see that either, but I don't agree with them turning a blind eye to the problems with a religion just because it isn't PC to judge someone's faith.  I am not satisfied with these newsmen who have no other explenation for what happened, other than, "they were mad men."  Whether or not they were mad men, and whether or not this is a perversion of Islam is not the point.  It seems UNDENIABLE to me that what happened, is EASILY justifiable, by the tenants of Islam.  I did not realize this until I looked up an old college research paper that I did back in 1996 on the concept of Jihad and Islamic violence.  I have to say that I used to have total tolerance for the Islamic faith and you will see my optimism in my research paper, but now I have difficulty seeing Islam as a morally justifiable religion and I really have to wonder how anyone can think that the violence it promotes is the will of "Allah."  I have decided to create this web site and post my research paper so that others may decide for themselves what they think of Islam.  Remember, the paper is optimistic, written during a time of relative peace, but it was also written by a white, middle-class Christian, born and raised in the United States.  There is a discussion board so you can post your comments on this issue, since my views are limited to my point of view.  If anyone can explain Islam to me better and why I am wrong about Islam's role in terror, than I would love to hear what you have to say. <p> <center> Click Here to Read my Research Paper: <p> <a href="/jihad.html"><font size="5">Islam and the Jihad</font></a> </center> <p> Talk about this. Participate in <a href="http://IslamicJihad.myforum.net">The Discussion Forum</a>. Please avoid vulgar language and racist comments. This is not an issue of race, it is a cultural issue. I do not want to hear racist rhetoric from thoughtless idiots who don't have a clue. I want to hear well though out points of view on the Islamic faith. Thank you. <p> <a href="http://www.redcross.org">Help The American Red Cross</a> <p align="center">Page Established: Tuesday, September 18, 2001</p> </body>