TO THE EDITOR:
It is inspiring for me to see the recent thoughtful letters to the editor regarding the use and significance of the word jihad (Tariq Luthun, Nov. 6, and Linden Wait, Nov. 5).
This past summer I had the opportunity to live for two months with students at the State Islamic University in Indonesia while leading a team of UNC students producing documentaries for Nourish International and the Center for Global Studies.
Through working with these members of the Indonesian Islamic Student Movement, I witnessed their jihad in action.
As Luthun and Wait have discussed, this did not consist of savage violence but a struggle — a struggle to improve the economic, educational and spiritual opportunities of themselves and their fellow human beings.
The students’ jihad included marching to the offices of the chancellor to protest restrictive admissions policies, late night debating of philosophy and political ideologies and developing social projects in rural, low-income communities.
I came to Indonesia expecting a foreign environment unlike anything I had experienced, yet witnessed a student culture familiar to anyone who has ever stepped foot inside the Campus Y.
I invite all readers of the DTH interested in learning more about these and other issues facing youth in Indonesia to attend the premiere of our documentaries tonight, from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the FedEx Global Education Center.
I am proud of the work my team produced in Indonesia, and hope it can add to the thoughtful discussion that is a hallmark of our student body.
