Feds say Canadians ‘greatly misrepresent’ Islamic war term ‘jihad’ Image courtesy of Jamestown Federation
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Feds say Canadians ‘greatly misrepresent’ Islamic war term ‘jihad’

Jen Hodgson

The Government of Canada in efforts to “combat Islamophobia” is attempting to convince Canadians the term “jihad” doesn’t mean "war against non-Muslims.”

It's controversial contents are published in a lengthy document entitled The Canadian Guide to Understanding and Combatting Islamophobia: For a more inclusive Canada.

One of the fundamental goals of Islam is to obliterate all non-Muslims, especially Jews, and permanently take over Israeli territory.

It is the meaning of the widespread chant, "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free," heard on university campuses and in public squares across Canada and the US since the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel.

In it, they claim the word “jihad,” or “holy war,” has been “greatly misrepresented” by Canadians. 

“Jihad literally means struggle, effort and striving,” states the guide, claiming the sole purpose of Islam isn’t to establish a pure Muslim state, but “purify one’s heart to follow [Allah’s] commands and to do good works.”

“Islam makes provision for war only under strict conditions.”

While the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations also notes “jihad is rooted in the Quran’s command to struggle," it adds jihad includes following the laws of Allah, “leading a virtuous life” as defined by the Quran, and "extend the Islamic community.”

“Jihad also includes the right, indeed the obligation, to defend Islam and the community from aggression.”

“It also can mean fighting injustice and oppression, spreading and defending Islam and creating a just society through preaching, teaching and, if necessary, armed struggle or holy war.”

The UN points to certain verses, “sword verses,” from the Quran that uphold killing non-Muslims, such as: “When the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them, and confine them, and lie in wait for them at every place of ambush (9:5).”

Other terms the Government of Canada seeks to define to prevent “misrepresentation” are “imam and “Shar’iah.”

“An imam is the ‘leader’ who leads the prayer service in the mosque and gives Friday sermons,” states the guide. 

“Shar’iah is a comprehensive body or collection of opinions and jurisprudence that covers all spheres of life,” says the guide. 

“Muslims follow Shar’iah in their daily lives on a personal level, such as abstaining from alcohol or gambling. Shar’iah is derived from the Qu’ran (the first and believed to be the divinely revealed source of faith), and Hadith (the second source of faith), the Prophet’s sayings. The objective of Shar’iah is to establish justice and peace in society.”

According to the Council on Foreign Relations, Shar’iah law “is the ideal form of divine guidance that Muslims follow to live a righteous life” and is the “basis of Islamic law today.”

The council notes the Islamic-based law doesn’t fit into Western cultures as readily as it does the 50 or so Muslim countries that implement it. 

“Some of these nations have laws that call for what critics say are cruel criminal punishments, or place undue restrictions on the lives of women and minority groups,” states the council.

“Sharia is derived from two main sources: the Quran, which is considered the direct word of [Allah], and hadith—thousands of sayings and practices attributed to the Prophet Mohammed.”

The council notes issues like corporal punishment found in Shar’iah law. 

“For certain crimes, such as theft, blasphemy, and adultery, traditional interpretations of Islamic law prescribe punishments that are considered draconian compared to those in most modern legal systems,” states the council. 

“Among them are the hudud punishments, which include stoning, lashing, and amputation."

For example, flogging is still conducted in Indonesia, Iran, the Maldives and Qatar, and convicted thieves face amputation in Iran, Mauritania, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and Sudan.

“Additionally, the Taliban implemented public executions and amputations when they ruled Afghanistan in the 1990s and have said these punishments will return under their new government,” says the council.