orms of struggle, and it is justified to fight oppression. Where there is oppression, it is incumbent upon Muslims to remove it. Defining oppression, and how the jihad is conducted to fight it, is a difficult problem. Western concern about Islam has deep historical roots, and the present Islamic anger against the West has also been developing for many years. The sentiments on both sides are, in part, due to the concept of jihad (Gumley and Redhead, 1992, 77-78).
One of the earliest of the extreme sects of Islam was the Kharijis; they tried to make jihad the sixth pillar of Islam and failed. In addition, three schools of law considered the jihad an obligation if certain conditions were fulfilled. Among these conditions were that the unbelievers should begin hostilities and that there should be a reasonable hope of success:
In almost all the wars, or rather raids, launched by Muhammad from Medina the pagan tribes attacked were indeed given no other choice but conversion or death, b
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