I will agree 100% to the original meaning of Jihaad which is “struggle, struggle for justice and rights for oppressed.” But I will also differ a bit by saying that the true (practical) meaning is not so, instead in present-day it stands for Islamic Holy War, a dogmatic mantra to take on the Islam-outsiders. Meaning of a word is nothing constant unlike the theories science. Also a word originates meaning something and over time it may take up other meanings. Also we see in the dictionary that original meanings of many words are now virtually dated while they are still being used widely with a different meaning. Also I wish to ponder over the possibility that certain words that we use today whose original meaning might have been totally vanished. So what about Jihaad? I would say that its original meaning is on the way of being dated while Islamic Holy War is what is going to be its dominant meaning in coming days. The word is not the Oxford dictionary as yet but in it's next edition Jihaad is definitely going to find place in it meaning Holy War with probably a dated meaning as struggle.

Now look at the controversy being created by Yasin Zayed's use of Jihaad in his commencement speech. The hue and cry created on Harvard campus has followed with hypes in media (especially American) as well as on e-forums, including MM. Here the Muslims, Muslim-sympathisers and liberals are urging to give opportunity to moderate and liberal Muslims to explain Jihaad. Despite whatever havoc Jihaad might have rewarded including the NY tragedy, it will sound extremely nice and generous on part of the American to let others explain their side of the meaning of Jihaad. But I will also term it extremely utopian. Well, let's look at it this way: Americans will sit quietly on the galleries to listen to the humbleness and nicety of the meaning of Jihaad and leave the gallery applauding in appreciation. Now as soon as they have left the galleries what do they have in their mind. It's pure fear, fear of being blown up by the beauty of Jihaad in the bus or train they take next, in the plane they fly next, in the communal mall they step in next etc. Yesterday they should have spared time to listen to and appreciate the nicety of the meaning of Jihaad only to wake up today to hear the news that the magnanimous Jihaad had almost blown up their Embassy in Karachi killing over a dozen un-targeted innocents. Yesterday they would have left the Harvard gallery applauding the inner beauty of Jihaad but also with the fear that the beautiful Jihaad may not let him to pay a visit to Harvard another time. They must've returned home appreciating Jihaad only to go to bed to remain sleepless overnight in fear of Jihaad (threats of bombing apartment buildings)!

With this I will leave it to the readers to judge whether it was appropriate to use the word Jihaad in Mr Zayed's speech. And those who are insinuating that American has become intolerant, arrogant and anti-Islamic after the 9/11 tragedy (which I agree is somewhat true) and insisting on being otherwise, I will call then angels (only possible in myths) in the clad of humans. Well ya, Americans should become better friends to the muslims after 9/11! And I would opine that Mr Zayed could have done better by not including such a controversial term in the title of his speech at this critical time. I just also don't understand why one has to be so particular about getting the meaning of a word across, which has brought up so much misery to the world in recent times. I'm not an expert on history; so I can't say anything about whatsoever justice Jihaad might have brought to the world in the distant past. But I can clearly say in my lifetime Jihaad has only brought injustice to the world. So I feel instead of teaching the meaning of Jihaad to infidel Americans and rejuvenate the glory of Jihaad, we will be better off with such a word being removed from Dictionary. I see it totally nonsense on part of Mr Zayed to go explain Jihaad to the infidels at such a sore time. If Mr Zayed was really interested to get rid of the despicable ills of Jihaad, he should rather go around his neighbourhood to tell his Muslim friends who are applauding the heinous campaigns of Jihaad, like the other day on 20/20 I saw those young Muslim kids in NY were opining that the suicide bombers in Palestine will be Shaheeds and go to heaven.

Alamgir!