ABSTRACT
The Arabic word Jihad has become familiar to the West and has come to be understood as meaning a form of religiously inspired violence, often manifesting itself in atrocities perpetrated by fanatics against innocent people and civilian populations. In the context of Islam and Islamic law Jihad means a struggle in the way of God and one who undertakes this struggle is a mujahid. Christopher Lewis refers to a philosophical question of whether religious belief is intellectually acceptable: reasonable, justifiable and therefore 'warranted'. Nihad Awad of the Council on American-Islamic Relations states: extremist Muslims who commit crimes should be called criminals or, in cases where definition fits, terrorists. In the UK, the Islamic Society of Britain promotes a synthesis of thoughtful 'sensible' Islamic faith and committed 'Britishness' and numerous other organizations nationally and locally work for the same aims. John Esposito and Dalia Mogahed published an analysis of a survey carried out over several years amongst Muslims in 35 countries.
