Hear the word “jihad,” and many immediately think of death, destruction and terror. The truth about the word, however, is the subject of a new book.

“Jihad means a struggle, to strive for, apply oneself. It refers to any situation that requires those of the Islamic faith to work for the betterment of mankind,” said Abdulla Alshehi, author of Filling the Emtpy Quarter: Declaring a Green Jihad on the Desert.

The Empty Quarter is the largest continuous sand desert in the world, much bigger than the Sahara of Northern Africa. Alshehi's book wants to look into alternative ways and techniques to bring water to the Empty Quarter. His goal is to change what is a barren landscape into a beautiful garden.

“There is a real need to do something about global warming. This is a first step in the fight,” said Alshehi.

The first thing that Alshehi wants, however, is to change a preconceived notion about a very highly charged Arabic word.

“When people hear the word jihad, the immediate thought is that of violence and terror. This is not the case,” said Alshehi, “jihad is any sort of struggle for an opportunity to apply oneself and the principles of Islam to the betterment of the world and people. This book wants to start a green jihad. We want to fight global warming and the threats of terrorism.”

The book has additional focus on important environmental issues. The “Masdar Project,” an effort of the United Arab Emirates to create a city with a strong focus on renewable energy and solar power. It will be the first city of its kind, and Alshehi is keen to share its positive effect on the region. Alshehi is also looking closely at the International Renewable Energy Agency, IRENA, which will be headquartered in Masdar.

Thinking out of the box is a recurring paradigm in Filling the Emtpy Quarter: Declaring a Green Jihad on the Desert. Alshehi wants drastically different ideas and concepts to make the Empty Quarter alive again. Ideas such as bringing icebergs from the South Pole, connecting the Dasht River of Pakistan to the UAE, and the AL MAA water harvesting method that collects rain water at the ocean itself.

Many will certainly see the ideas and suggestions as revolutionary. It is a strong hope of Alshehi it will have people pause, think and most importantly, act.

“A jihad, particularly a green one, cannot take place with a single person. This is a project that will encourage, ignite and excite everyone to take part in this great plan,” said Alshehi.

Find the book at the Amazon.com link.

-30-