Islamic words take on another meaning

Nathan Chiantella / contributing photographer Professor David Dakake from Temple University discussed how the true meaning of Islamic words have been abused.

In the lingering effects of Sept. 11, 2001, new Islamic words such as "jihad" have been grafted into the American vocabulary, according to one of the Islam week speakers.

As David Dakake, professor of religious studies at Temple University, explained Thursday that many of those Islamic words' true meanings have been abused not only by Americans, but also by the Islamic "fundamentalists."

"We live in a very dangerous time," freshman Carolyn Stewart said. "By learning more about Islam, we're building a foundation for growth between our cultures instead allowing the next [Sept. 11]."

As a part of the "Illuminating Islam" week of forums Dakake explained how Sept. 11 has warped the true meaning of the Koran's teachings.

His lecture, "Jihad: Ideals and Realities," focused on the American misconception of the word jihad, a holy war, as well as the word's misuse by Islamic clerics by calling for the massacre of infidels, popularly translated as Westerners.

To better illustrate his findings to what Dakake called a "Western audience," he compared the teachings of the Koran with that of the Bible.

Dakake said that each verse in the Koran descends from actual events in Islamic history, and many of the modern translations do not always capture the true context of the historical situation. Words such as jihad are abused and misunderstood by others.

Many times, Dakake returned to the "precision" in God's choice of words and stated that the "precision of the language is very important."

Dakake's research started after the Sept. 11 attacks. On a syndicated radio show, Dakake heard American media personalities citing verses out of context and without any research as to their historical derivation.

The Koran's explanation of jihad entails an extreme differentiation between civilians and combatants, Dakake said.

As to the Koran's supposed lack of religious toleration and anger, Dakake explained that prior to the Crusades, Muslim nations allowed religious freedoms for all minorities, provided that they pay the same taxes to the state. This idea of toleration was unheard of at the time in medieval Europe.

Dakake expounds upon his lecture's points in the collection, "Islam, Fundamentalism and the Betrayal of Tradation." Professor S. Abdallah Schleifer of American University in Cairo said Dakake's work is "of critical importance in clearing away the confusion and media-induced misconception."

Dakake explained that the so-called "fundamentalist" movement to totally destroy Western civilizations in Islam is ironic because there are no fundamentals of Islam found in the practices of terrorism. The peace of the Koran's contextual location, especially with Christians and Jews, shows how the fundamentalists have "lost the connection between the ideals and realities of jihad," Dakake said.