Shanda Poulson

Current News: Islam

In a recent article from FrontPage Magazine there is discussion of the issues
involving jihad and violent acts. There is an issue going on involving fear of speaking out
about Islams and the controversy of the jihad due to being called racist or an
islamophobe, according to the article. This issue also involves the correlation of the
jihad with the violent acts such as killing and kidnapping. I believe the issue as a whole is
controversial due to the various opinions of the current threats and problems occurring in
Islam. Some believe that these issues and violent acts are occurring due to the influence
of the jihad. The jihad involves mostly belief in fighting internal struggles but can also be
linked with self-defense and violence when needed for protection. The article gives
examples of the violent acts that some link to jihad, such as the killing of a young girl for
not wearing her hijab covering. The article also puts great emphasis on the fact that
concerned individuals fear talking about the topic due to being called out, when they do
not intend to place blame on all Muslims, but on some of the teachings and ideology of
Islam.
I feel that the Muslim religion influencing the way that people see the issue
because many people, specifically Americans, view Muslim people as dangerous. Many
people tend to categorize all Muslims as a whole instead of individuals. The religion also
influences the way people see the issue because due to the religion, these violent acts are
linked to the religious concept of jihad. People believe that these acts are occurring due to
jihad and the religious beliefs. According to the article, there is some belief that the
Quran and the Hadith inspire and sanction jihad. Yet, it is true of the religion that the

jihad is supposed to only be used in serious, dangerous occasion when threatened by an

external group. Jihad could be misunderstood or misinterpreted by both Muslims and
Non-Muslims. The issue reveals that there could be some links to violence through the
Islam religion. However, the Islamic religion should not be linked as a whole to violence.
Simply, there should be consideration that some individuals who practice the Islamic
religion may take the ideas of jihad out of context and use it in a way that could be
violent and threatening to other individuals. Through the issue, it can be revealed that
some of the teachings and ideology of Islam may not be ethical.
Resources
http://www.frontpagemag.com/2014/drew-zahn/hannity-hosts-epic-battle-over-islam