I thought it was just Muslims who had the holy war concept. Do Sikhs too? This chappy in one of my classes is definately a sikh and he's recently been coming to college wearing this hoodie which says holy war on the back with the Sikh sign and a load of guns and knives. Have i got my religions mixed up?
A holy war is not defined by one religion. It's a religious war where the main cause is, or seems to be, religion. For example, The Crusades, the Reconquista, and the European Wars of Religion. I think you're confusing a holy war with jihad, which is a 'war' fought to spread the teachings of Islam.
Actually jihad doesn't mean war at all. Jihad is a holy struggle. Muslims may engage in a peaceful, personal holy struggle to spread their faith. However the word has risen to international attention where fundamentalists have reinterpreted it to mean violence. There is nothing inherently violent about jihad in itself, but it is used to legitimise acts of terrorism and other such atrocities. As for killing or waging war in the name as faith, I think anywhere you might find religion, you'll find people willing to kill and die for their faith....
