jihadist

a person who participates in a jihad, which is a "striving in the path of God" in one of four ways: the jihad of self-perfection against vice, passion, and ignorance; the jihad of the tongue; the jihad of the hand; and the jihad of the sword. Although "jihad" can mean the struggle to live a moral and virtuous life, spreading and defending Islam, or fighting injustice and oppression, "jihad" is commonly understood by the average person today as making war on behalf of Islam—thus confusing it with terrorism. "By calling the groups we are fighting 'jihadis,' we confirm their own—and the worldwide Muslim public's—perception that they are religious. They are not. They are terrorists, hirabists, who consistently violate the most fundamental teachings of the Holy Koran and mainstream Islamic scholars and imams" (Chris Seiple, Christian Science Monitor). See also Islam, Islamophobia, Muslim.