Jihad bil Qalam: To Strive by Means of the Pen - Preface - Striving by Means of the Pen - A Work in Progress by Marc Beaudin

Seeing the word "Jihad" on the cover of an anti-war book may seem at first a contradiction on par with calling an invasion and occupation a "war of liberation." However, despite a relentless propaganda campaign, Jihad does not mean "holy war." The word, deriving from the Arabic root j-h-d, means "to strive or struggle." In Islamic tradition, there are five forms of Jihad, and indeed, one of them means to take up arms ... in defense of one's people and way of life. But the form that most resonates with me is Jihad bil-qalam: "to strive by means of the pen."

And what is it that one strives for in Jihad bil-qalam? ... The truth.

This book represents just that. It is a record of the struggle of many individuals in the mid-Michigan region who, through their writing, are seeking to illuminate the truth. In a world where the boardrooms of corporate-owned media are indistinguishable from the those of oil companies and weapons manufacturers (both of which are indistinguishable from the Cabinet of the current administration), this struggle is never easy. It requires the courage to put forth unpopular truths in the midst of popular lies. It requires the determination to ask the questions that we're warned shouldn't be asked. It requires the strength to be ridiculed, insulted, threatened, and shunned by those who are unable or unwilling to see through the rhetoric of fear and hate espoused by all those who profit by our acquiescence and silence.

The writings herein take many forms: poetry, letters, essays, speeches, fiction, teach-in lectures held at Saginaw Valley State University, and statements released by Tri-City Action for Peace (TCAP). They cover a range of topics from Iraq and Palestine to support for troops and responding to terror. But for all their variety, they have a common thread: a deep commitment to fostering a community, nation, and world of non-violence and justice; and the courage, determination, and strength to continue the struggle, to tirelessly strive for truth, for as long as necessary. Which is why that with the penning of these words, this book may be finished, but the greater work it represents is ongoing: Our struggle is a work in progress.

–MB
Saginaw, MI; 11/03