As an historian, I have long been grieved at the lack of understanding the "West" has of Islam. I am not a Muslim, and thus not a follower of that religion (I am a Christian, yet, like all believers, far from perfect). But I do believe that Western scholars have not been totally fair to Islam, and I'd like to make a contribution in hopes of a partial correction of this misunderstanding.
At the moment, I am in the middle of final examinations and planning a move--and I am still feeling horrendous most of the time--so extensive blog posts are going to be difficult. I mentioned to my students in my first class today that I intended, shortly, to post an article which I think would be worth their while to read. For any of you students who are reading this, please check back because it may be several days before I can make that post. I am convinced that, if I can explain the material as I wish, some clarification can be produced.
So, to all my readers, I do intend, in as near a future date as I can manage, a post on the Islamic concept of "jihad," and how it is interpreted among various Islamic groups today--and make no mistake, there is no agreement among Muslims regarding the full meaning of this term. "Holy war," which is how Westerners have defined the term, is very insufficient, and I trust I will be able to effectively elucidate that point in my upcoming article. Stay tuned.