In the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks allegedly orchestrated by the Al-Qaida terror network, Afghanistan's Taliban regime has called for all Muslims to unite in a jihad should the United States retaliate.

Many Americans, however, might not be familiar with the concept of jihad.

Although the media has discussed the possibility of a jihad, it has not clearly conveyed its meaning to the American public, said Scott Bennett, political science professor.

"One misconception of the American media is that they often translate the Islamic word jihad to meaning holy war when it actually just means struggle," Bennett said. "That struggle can take a variety of forms within the Islamic faith. For example, it could refer to an individual's struggle for self-improvement. It also may refer to a collective struggle against outside forces."

The Muslim holy book, the Quran, defines jihad as meaning "to fight" or "to strive." In a jihad, the Quran calls for sacrifice and fighting against the enemy in the name of Allah (God). The Quran lists the contributions of a wealthy man, the writings of a scholar and the voice of a preacher to be among the most valuable forms of jihad.

"The Islamic rules of engagement found in the Quran clearly state that civilians are not to be harmed in any military operation," said Robert LaPorte, professor of political science. "The object of attack should be only against those bearing arms against Muslims. It is important for the American public to know that the terrorist acts of Sept. 11 were not Islamic. They are prohibited by Islam and are not sanctioned by any religion. In fact, many Muslims died in the New York tragedy."

The Taliban attempted and failed to gain support from the 56 member countries of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, an international organization based on the Islamic faith, LaPorte said. The OIC refused to come to the aid of Afghanistan should the United States invade and does not recognize the Taliban as the nation's legitimate government, he said.

Colin Flint, professor of geography, warned that an American presence in this part of the world could inflame many territorial conflicts, such as the border dispute over the Kashmir between India and Pakistan. Flint also stressed that the American public realizing that the war on terrorism is not a war on Muslims is important.

"The United States presence in the Middle East is seen as a threat to the Islamic faith by some Muslim clerics," Flint said. "A jihad is called for by a minority of these clerics and is not a uniform representation of all Muslims. Each individual must decide if he will respond to the call for a jihad. In this case, a jihad would not be supported by the average Muslim."

In 1979, Muslim clerics viewed the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan as a direct threat to the Islamic faith and responded to the Red Army's occupation by calling for a violent jihad, Flint said. Viewing the jihad as a fight against communism, the United States aided the Muslim effort, he said.

Today, however, the United States is viewed as the aggressor.

Flint said the call for a jihad by the Taliban is not the important key that will determine the severity of the situation. Rather, he points to the possibility of long-term occupation by the U.S. of a large number of countries as pivotal in determining the scope of the conflict.

"The most worrying thing is an attitude that America can go to this part of the world, base itself in this part of the world and not think of the wider reaction that it will provoke," Flint said. "American occupation of their territory could provoke a strong movement by the Muslims to respond, as was the case when the Red Army invaded in the 1980s."