Culture

American Muslims Begin Campaign to Reclaim "Jihad"

Word means "struggle" in Arabic

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US Muslims launched an advertising and social media campaign Friday in the hopes of reclaiming the word jihad from extremists who insist on equating the spiritual quest with terrorism.

The campaign features Muslims describing their personal struggles — the meaning of jihad — on bus ads, Twitter, Facebook and a dedicated website: myjihad.org.

"#MyJihad is to build friendships across the aisle," says one ad showing an African American man leaning on the shoulder of a Jewish friend.