Muslim groups and governments are in an uproar against comments the Pope made about Jihad. Many call for an apology. Hopefully, the Pope will stand his ground. It’s trendy and politically correct to whitewash the violent nature of jihad. Within Islamic jurisprudence, though, there is a rich literature about the concept; in most cases, it is very violent indeed. About a decade ago, Douglas Streusand, a respected historian of the Mughal period, wrote a great piece, What Does Jihad Mean? In the first half of his recent article on the theological underpinnings of suicide bombing, David Bukay also offers an excellent overview of how Islam views jihad.