Jihad and Islam in World War I

The modern use and abuse of the word ‘jihad’ means that the historic significance and accuracy of the term is rapidly losing coherence. To this day, this explosive concept and noun is subject to much emotive discourse by both Muslims and non-Muslims. Yet few consider what it meant in the past and how that affected society then. On the anniversary of the Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje article “Heilige Oorlog Made in Germany” (Holy War Made in Germany), Erik-Jan Zürcher has assembled a variety of scholars from several disciplines and countries to examine what exactly ‘jihad’ meant to Muslims across the globe during the First World War. Much of the focus here is on the Ottoman Rule and Muslim combatants on both sides of the conflict in Europe, so this book will appeal to both academics and members of the wider general public interested in the theory and practice revolving around this broad topic....