The world's most famous and perhaps, the most loved, media personality is illuminating the beauty of the Islamic religion on a new show. Oprah Winfrey decided to clear up the confusion revolving around Islam during a new television series, "Belief," airing on her own channel, the Oprah Winfrey Network .
To get an accurate understanding and documentation of the Islamic religion, crew members traveled around the world and into the heart of many Islamic cultures, including the city of Mekkah.
The show aims to be a doorway to understanding many religions that exist in our world today. From Islam, Judaism and Christianity, to Buddhism and Sufism, "Belief" attracts people from around the world and provides them with the ability to experience a variety of spiritual and religious journeys along with a general understanding of humanity's need to find purpose.
What adds to the show however, are the interviews conducted with many young Muslims who talk about their religious faith. The dean of Religious Life at the University of Southern California, Varun Soni, also discusses the major misconceptions revolving around the religion.
Soni clarifies the meaning of "jihad" within the Islamic religion. In the introduction video he states that "one of the most misunderstood concepts in Islam is 'jihad' which many people interpret as a 'holy war.' However, he states that "there is nothing holy about war. What 'jihad' actually represents is the internal struggle, the battle that is raging in our own heart and all of our religious traditions talk about that internal struggle."In that respect, Jihad is not just a Muslim idea but it's a reality of the human condition," he added.