Recent alter- ations to the Law of Return, which guarantees citizenship to any Jew "who has expressed his desire to settle in Israel," have excluded Jews converted by non- orthodox rabbis and further strained relations. Outbreaks between these groups range from minor protests and demonstrations to more violent clashes. HEADS UP Head coverings worn by religious Jewish men often provide a lot of information about who is wearing them. Black hats generally indicate affiliation with an ultra-Orthodox religious group, while Orthodox men with a more centrist affiliation generally wear knit kippot. More liberal or even hippie religious types often wear large and colorful kippot. The intricacies of this code are subtle and complex, often revealing possible political and social affiliations. ISLAM The Arabic word islam translates, in its general sense, as "submission." The basic tenet of Islam is submission to God's will. Islam has its roots in revelations received from 610 to 622 CE by Muhammad, who was informed by the Angel Gab- riel of his prophetic calling. These revelations, the Qur'an , form the core of Islam. Muslims believe the Arabic text to be perfect, immutable, and untranslatable. Consequently, the Qur'an appears throughout the Muslim world- the majority of which is non-Arabic speaking-in Arabic. Muhammad is seen as the "seal of the prophets," the last of a chain of God's messengers that includes Jewish and Christian figures such as Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. The Qur'an incorporates many of the bibUcal traditions associated with these prophets. Though Muhammad rapidly gathered followers to his faith, staunchly monothe- istic Islam was met with ample opposition in polytheist Arabia. Persecuted in his native city of Mecca, Muhammad and his foUowers fled in 622 to the nearby city of Medina, where he was welcomed as mediator of a long-standing blood feud. This Hijra marks the beginning of the Muslim community and of the Islamic calendar. For the next eight years, Muhammad and his community defended themselves against raids and later battled the Meccans and neighboring nomadic tribes. In 630, Mecca surrendered to the Muslims, and afterwards numer- ous Meccans converted to the new faith voluntarily. This established the pattern for jihad , referring first and foremost to the spiritual struggle against one's own desires, then to the struggle to make one's own Muslim community as righteous as possible, and lastly to the straggle against outsiders wishing to harm the Muslim community. Muhammad is not believed to be chvine, but rather a human messenger of God's word. His actions, however, are sanctified because God chose him to be the recip- ient of revelation; several verses of the Qur'an demand obedience to the Prophet. The stories and traditions surrounding the Prophet's life have been passed on as surma, and those who follow the surma in addition to the teachings of the Qur'an are considered to be especially devout.