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Jihad is holy struggle, a legitimate tenet of Islam, meaning to purify oneself or one's community.

There's no question that jihad historically means war.

Many American Muslims are peaceful and define jihad primarily as an internal struggle to improve.

Jihad is obligatory for the Muslims.

To fight against the infidels is Jihad; but to fight against your evil self is greater Jihad.

The reason that Islamist militants can assert that jihad is necessary against the perceived enemies of Islam is that there is sufficient ammunition in the Quran to buttress their beliefs. The same could also, of course, be said for the Old Testament, which is full of scenes of violent death visited on the enemies of God.

No one in al-Nahda believes that jihad is a way to impose Islam on the world. But we believe that jihad is self-control, is social and political struggle, and even military jihad is only a way to defend oneself in the case of aggression.

Jihad expands Islam's domain by any means available.

Islam means peace.

We're trying to be very careful and precise in our use of language, because I think the language we use and the images we project really do have resonance. It's the reason why I don't use the term jihadist to refer to terrorists. It gives them the religious legitimacy they so desperately seek, but I ain't gonna give it to them.