ABSTRACT
People scarred by violence and injustice tend to turn to vigilante justice or other nonlegal means to address an intolerable situation. The current Islamic jihad, or holy war, declared by Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda, is one example of an aggressive attempt at “self-help” that spurns legal remedies. Because this view of jihad and vigilante justice is morally repugnant and pragmatically untenable, we must invest in structures to support viable and sustainable reconciliation. I am calling in particular for the development of the necessary normative and institutional resources for continuing reconciliation.
