Al Haj Haji Merdel, an Islamic religious scholar and

Al Haj Haji Merdel, an Islamic religious scholar and respected holy man, waits patiently to address a crowd during shura at Marine Corps Forward Operating Base Camp Hanson, Marjah, Afghanistan, Nov. 13, to denounce the Taliban’s use of jihad as a justification for years of war and fighting in Afghanistan. Helmand province government officials, along with local holy men, said the Taliban was using jihad as a false pretext to fight foreign nations in Afghanistan.