The problem here is that both fatwa and jihad have been used in *both* contexts. Jihad may not only mean "violent attack," but it has also been used in that context. Jihad has been used, not by Americans, to describe Al Queda's attack on 9/11. And fatwa has been used, not by Americans, for the death sentence put on Salmon Rushdie.
In that context, fatwa would be a very good word to use. Just as Ayatollah Ali Khamenei insisted that what Rushdie wrote was so offensive he should be killed even if he repented, so Randall Terry and Bill O'Reilly have insisted that someone "do something" to stop Dr. Tiller from performing legal acts that offended them. The only major differences are that one leader was political and the others are charismatic - and thus one could outright call for an assassination, while the other two could only hint that it would be a very good idea.
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In that context, fatwa would be a very good word to use. Just as Ayatollah Ali Khamenei insisted that what Rushdie wrote was so offensive he should be killed even if he repented, so Randall Terry and Bill O'Reilly have insisted that someone "do something" to stop Dr. Tiller from performing legal acts that offended them. The only major differences are that one leader was political and the others are charismatic - and thus one could outright call for an assassination, while the other two could only hint that it would be a very good idea.