Imam Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips:

This is what Islam is. It is a moral message — essentially a moral message. To implement that message, it might require weapons, so there is jihad — jihad has a place. But ultimately the goal of jihad is not the spilling of blood. The goal of jihad is not primarily to take the lands of other people, though it may come.

• Islamic scholar and lecturer originally from Jamaica.
• B.A. in Islamic Studies, Islamic University of Madinah (Saudi Arabia).
• Founder of the International Open University, an online Islamic studies institution with students worldwide.
• Former member of the Canadian Council of Imams (CCI).

The Paradox was always there
Now you see it