When most people hear the word jihad, they picture extremist groups blowing things up and demanding conversion to Islam. That image, however, captures only a narrow, distorted slice of a word that literally means “struggle” or “striving” and can refer to an inner, personal battle for betterment. Below we explore ten truly odd and unexpected ways the term has been twisted, weaponized, or re‑imagined across the globe.
Exploring 10 Weird Types of Jihad Around the World
10 Sexual Jihad
Sexual jihad, known in Arabic as jihad al‑nikah, describes a short‑term marriage arrangement between combatants fighting in a jihad and women who are essentially recruited for the purpose. The concept surfaced publicly in March 2013 when a Saudi naval academy imam, Mohamad al‑Arefe, posted a tweet suggesting that single, divorced, or widowed women aged 14 or older could enter temporary unions with Syrian war fighters that would dissolve after a few hours. Though al‑Arefe later claimed his account had been hacked, the idea had already taken hold.
Within weeks, a number of radical scholars issued fatwas endorsing the practice, even proposing that married women could clandestinely abandon their husbands to partake in sexual jihad. Opposing voices condemned the practice as nothing more than adulterous behavior, and some even alleged it was a fabrication concocted by Jews, Americans, and Arabians. Despite the controversy, Twitter groups sprang up offering women the chance to become “sexual jihadists,” and many of those who responded ended up linked with fighters from the Islamic State, the Free Syrian Army, and other belligerents.
These women, however, were not confined solely to the bedroom. They received weapons training, were allowed to serve in non‑combat units, cooked for fighters, tended to the wounded, and even participated in propaganda campaigns on social media.
9 Love Jihad
India’s religious landscape is a hotbed of tension between Muslims and Hindus, and interfaith marriage often sparks fierce debate. A high‑profile case involved a Hindu woman, Akhila Asokan, who converted to Islam, adopted the name Hadiya Jahan, and married a Muslim man. Her family accused her of being a victim of “love jihad,” alleging that she had been brain‑washed into converting and marrying against her will.
The phrase “love jihad” is wielded by some radical Hindu groups who claim Muslim men lure Hindu women into marriage and conversion, whereas Muslim voices argue the term is a paranoid myth with no factual basis. The controversy culminated in a 2018 Supreme Court hearing, where the court upheld the legality of the marriage after Hadiya testified that she voluntarily embraced Islam and that her parents had kept her in “unlawful custody”.
8 Hidden Camera Jihad
In post‑Saddam Iraq, the satellite channel Al‑Zawraa TV made a bizarre foray into guerrilla comedy. Its “Hidden Camera Jihad” segment broadcast real‑time footage of insurgent attacks on U.S. forces, complete with laugh tracks, exaggerated sound effects, and snarky captions that turned deadly raids into slapstick sketches.
The channel also aired pro‑insurgent songs and videos urging further attacks. Its provocative programming led Iraqi authorities to ban the station in November 2006, but the owners simply relocated outside Iraq’s borders and continued satellite broadcasts to audiences across the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe.
7 Offensive And Defensive Jihad
Offensive and defensive jihad are the most widely discussed and contested categories. An offensive jihad is invoked when Muslims launch attacks against perceived enemies, while a defensive jihad is framed as fighting to protect the faithful from external aggression.
The concept of offensive jihad has been seized by extremist groups seeking religious justification for wars of conquest, prompting many Islamic scholars to denounce the misuse. Traditional teachings hold that offensive jihad is only permissible when a clear, imminent threat looms, effectively a pre‑emptive strike, and that Muslims may never act as unprovoked aggressors. The Qur’an itself condemns initiating hostilities against non‑Muslims without just cause.
6 Water Jihad
In the fraught relationship between India and Pakistan, water has become a weapon of accusation. Both nations grapple with shared river systems, and devastating floods have repeatedly claimed thousands of lives and displaced countless families.
Pakistan has frequently blamed India for deliberately mismanaging dams to trigger floods within its borders, coining the term “water jihad” to describe what they perceive as a calculated hydrological assault. The rhetoric intensified in 2010 when Hafiz Saeed, founder of the militant group Lashkar‑e‑Taiba, threatened a “water jihad” against India, claiming Indian dams were deliberately withholding water that should flow into Pakistan.
5 Anti‑Soviet Jihad
The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan on 24 December 1979 unleashed a decade‑long conflict that pitted 30,000 Soviet troops against a coalition of U.S.‑backed Afghan mujahideen. The fighters framed their struggle as an “anti‑Soviet jihad,” characterizing it as a defensive holy war against foreign occupation.
Unable to confront Soviet forces head‑on, the mujahideen retreated to the countryside, mastering guerrilla tactics that eventually forced the Soviets into a costly stalemate. By February 1989, the Soviet Union withdrew, having failed to eradicate the insurgency.
Afghanistan’s post‑war trajectory was tumultuous: the communist president Mohammed Najibullah clung to power until 1992, after which the nation descended into civil war as rival mujahideen factions vied for control. This power vacuum paved the way for the rise of the Taliban and later the emergence of Al‑Qaeda and the Islamic State.
Veteran fighter Abdullah Anas later reflected that the Afghan conflict could not be understood in isolation; it was a theater of the broader Cold War, with the Soviet Union supporting the Afghan communist regime and Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United States backing the mujahideen.
4 Population Jihad
India’s demographic dynamics have ignited another controversial label: “population jihad.” In 2015, Hindu nationalist leaders Pravin Togadia and Sakshi Maharaj alleged that Indian Muslims were deliberately expanding their families to outnumber Hindus, citing census data that showed a rising Muslim share and a declining Hindu proportion.
The duo framed this alleged demographic strategy as a covert plan to transform India into a Muslim‑majority nation. Togadia even advocated for a two‑child limit on Muslim couples, proposing that any third child be denied access to jobs, education, and government benefits—a stark illustration of how demographic anxieties can be weaponized.
3 Economic Jihad
Facing a cascade of international sanctions since 2006, Iran coined the term “economic jihad” to describe a strategic push against economic isolation. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei even declared 2011 the “year of economic jihad,” urging a multifaceted response.
Key components of this approach included selling oil only to select allies, diversifying gas and petroleum exports, exploring alternative export channels, inviting private‑sector participation in oil sales, and even bartering oil for needed commodities. Domestically, Khamenei called for reducing energy consumption, increasing taxes, boosting local production to curb imports, and courting foreign investors for critical sectors.
2 Media Jihad
The Islamic State, at the height of its territorial control, launched a concerted “media jihad” campaign. The group urged Muslims worldwide to flood the internet with supportive content, demoralise opponents, and republish the Caliphate’s own media productions.
The call first appeared in the Youth of the Caliphate magazine, which glorified fighters and encouraged further attacks. One article, titled “Media Jihad,” specifically instructed readers to purchase phones and laptops to disseminate propaganda across social platforms, turning digital devices into weapons of ideological warfare.
1 Humanitarian Jihad
While many jihadist groups are synonymous with violent offensives, some have temporarily set aside arms to provide humanitarian aid, branding these efforts as “humanitarian jihad.” Critics argue this label can mask ulterior motives.
One notable instance occurred after the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, which claimed tens of thousands of lives. A local militant faction, fighting for the transfer of Indian‑administered Kashmir to Pakistan, laid down weapons and began distributing food, water, rescuing trapped victims, burying the dead, and even establishing a field hospital.
A second example emerged amid the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar. The Front Pembela Islam (Islamic Defenders Front), a controversial organization that oscillates between being labelled a terrorist group and a religious police force, provided aid to Rohingya Muslims. Simultaneously, it called for 1,200 “mujahidin volunteers” from Indonesia, insisting they possess martial capability and are prepared to sacrifice their lives for Rakhine State.