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Islam: the Religion of Peace?

2011, The Journal of Rotterdam Islamic and Social Sciences

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Islam and Peace

Farid Mirbagheri 3
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First Online: 01 January 2022

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Instrumentalization of religion ; Islamic fundamentalism ; Jihad ; Mysticism ; Peace within to peace without ; Political Islam

Introduction

The advent of Islamist fundamentalism and the terrorist attacks of the 2010 decade have highlighted the need for a better understanding of the concept of peace in Islamic teachings. The traditional training of scholars and practitioners in the West appears somewhat obtuse and thus prejudicial to a multifaceted assessment and appreciation of the more intransigent outlooks in the Islamic faith. In the light of the cultural clashes propounded in the last years of the last millennium (Huntington 2011 ), it is important to have a more comprehensive outlay of discursive peace in Islam, where the radical interpretation of the faith can be understood and thus critiqued and countered.

Both Islam and peace are interpreted differently by various religious and political groupings, schools of thought as well as independent scholars. Various...

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Galtung, J. (1996). Peaceful world by peaceful means . London: Sage.

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Mirbagheri, F. (2022). Islam and Peace. In: Richmond, O.P., Visoka, G. (eds) The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Peace and Conflict Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-77954-2_54

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Islam – The Religion of Peace

(Adapted from the Review of Religions, March, 1933, Vol. XXXII, No. 3)

Islam is that religious system preached to the world by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) from the desert of Arabia in the beginning of the 7th Century of the Christian era. Islam, though presented in its most perfect form by the Prophet of Arabia (saw) , did by no means originate with him. It was the religion of all the Prophets of God from Adam (as) up to Jesus Christ (as) . It was as wide in its conception as humanity itself. In fact, any divine teaching that was given to any nation was Islam. But the teachings of the prophets before the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) , were constrained by the limitations of time and local circumstances, and were meant only for the peoples for whose spiritual growth and development they were revealed. Hence, those teachings were not given any independent name. But because the Divine teaching that was given to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) assimilated all that was imperishable in the teachings of all the prophets before him, and because it was meant for all peoples and all time, therefore God gave it a distinct name, which is Islam. The Holy Qur’an says:

…This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed My favour upon you and have chosen for you Islam as religion… (Ch.5:V.4)

Again it says :

Surely, the true religion with Allah is Islam (complete submission)… (Ch.3:V.20)

The word Islam indicates the very essence of the religious system known by that name. Its primary significance is the “making of peace,” and the idea of peace is the dominant idea in Islam. Islam stands for peace between man and his Creator, between man and his fellow beings and between different religions and communities. Peace is the greeting of one Muslim to another and “Peace” shall also be the greeting of those in Paradise. “The Author of peace” is one of the many names of God mentioned in the Holy Qur’an and the “Abode of Peace” is the destination and the spiritual goal of humanity. It is only natural that a religion which claims to be the Last Divine Message for mankind should offer us some basis on which inter-religious, international and inter-communal peace could be established permanently and without any fear of being disturbed.

The enormities and the most monstrous crimes that man has committed against man have been perpetrated in the fair name of religion. Innocent and honest men have been burned at the stake, stoned to death, buried alive, and drowned in the sea, in the name of religion. Nations have fought against nations to impose their own religious beliefs on their opponents. To stamp out Buddhism, the holy fathers of the so-called peaceful Hinduism sanctioned the wearing of arms against the heretics. The Romans subjected the Christians to every persecution known to man. The storm of savage fanaticism which in the annals of Christendom is called “The Holy Wars,” swept over Western Asia to serve the cause of Christianity. Some so-called Muslims have also wrongly carried fire and sword in the name of religion; Islam however has always respected the freedom of conscience:

Let religion only be for the sake of God . (Ch.2:V.194)

There should be no compulsion in religion… (Ch.2:V.257)

are the express commandments of the Holy Qur’an. The Muslims are strictly enjoined to respect and protect the places of worship of the followers of other religions, even at the cost of their lives. The Holy Qur’an says:

…And if Allah did not repel some men by means of others, there would surely have been pulled down cloisters and churches and synagogues and mosques, wherein the name of Allah is oft commemorated… (Ch.22:V.41)

The inclusion by Islam of the belief in the Divine origin of all religions and the acceptance of their founders as Messengers of God, in its fundamental doctrines, is the most important and practical step that Islam has taken to remove feelings of bitterness and animosity among the followers of various faiths and to create an atmosphere of peace and goodwill among them.

That the great religions of the world are one in origin and many in form is a truth now widely recognised, but when Islam made its appearance in the world that truth was quite unknown. It was from the desert of Arabia and from the mouth of the man who could not even read and write that the great truth was promulgated that God was the Lord, not of a particular tribe or particular nations, but of all nations, nay of all the worlds. The God Whom Islam requires us to worship is the Lord of all peoples, of all ages and all countries.

He has been equally Merciful and Beneficent to all nations. If He raised Muhammad (saw) from Arabia, He raised Moses (as) from Egypt, and Jesus (as) from Judea; Zoroaster (as) from Iran, and Buddha (as) and Krishna (as) from India. These Prophets were the propagators and disseminators of the same fundamental truths, though their teachings differed in their quality and scope. Hence Islam recognised the truth that all these teachers of humanity were God’s great Messengers and it was made incumbent upon a Muslim to believe in them as he believes in Muhammad (saw) . Ransack the pages of all religious scriptures and you will not find this teaching in them. A Christian may look upon Muhammad (saw) as an imposter, and a Jew regard Jesus (as) as a false Prophet, and a Hindu who believes in the finality of the Vedic revelation may consider Moses (as) a charlatan, but a Muslim ceases to remain a Muslim the instant he ceases to revere any one of them as he reveres the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) . Consistently with these teachings, how can a Muslim adversely criticise Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism and Hinduism when he regards the Old and the New Testament in their original form, the Vedas and the Zend Avesta in their pristine purity as the revealed Word of God? Does not this great principle of Islam strike at the very root of all religious rancour? The Holy Qur’an says:

…there is no people to whom a Warner has not been sent. (Ch.35:V.25)

And We did send Messengers before thee; of them are some whom We have mentioned to thee, and of them there are some whom We have not mentioned to thee… (Ch.40:V.79)

According to these verses all great Prophets of God are the spiritual ancestors of a Muslim and their followers his brothers in faith.

Peace between Labour and Capital

The other great problem which is seriously undermining the peace of the world is the discontent prevailing in the working class against the capitalists. Islam claiming to bring about harmony and peace among warring interests has not failed to solve this baffling question also. On the one hand it recognises private ownership because there is no spirit of competition and incentive to progress left without the recognition of this fact, because if those who work harder than others or can bring a superior intellect or higher business capacity into the conduct of their affairs are to be deprived of the just rewards of their labour, all this competition and striving after better results would cease and the world would come to a standstill. On the other, Islam recognises in principle the right of the poor in the wealth of the rich. The Holy Qur’an says that in the wealth of the rich, those who can and who cannot ask have a right.

Islam suggests three remedies to remove the vast disparities of wealth and poverty. Firstly, it enjoins the distribution of inheritance. No man has the power to bequeath the whole of his property to one man, so as to promote its accumulation in a few hands. Under the Islamic Law of inheritance and succession, a man’s property must be distributed among his parents, all his children, his widows, brothers, sisters, and nobody can interfere with or divert this mode of distribution.

Secondly, Islam prohibits the giving and taking of interest. The possibility of being able to raise loans on interest enables people with established credit, to enhance it to any extent they please by borrowing. The huge trusts and syndicates which at present monopolise the sources of the national wealth would not be possible without interest, and wealth would be more evenly distributed among the people.

Thirdly is the institution of Zakat. Zakat is a charge of two and a half percent levied by the Government on all capital, money, precious metals, and merchandise, etc., which a person has been in possession of for one year or over. It is not a tax on income, but is a tax on capital. The proceeds of this tax may be provided to those who possess the necessary business capacity, but who are unable to make a start owing to want of funds. By this institution of Zakat, Islam provides for the discharge of all those rights that the poor have in the wealth of the rich, and thus brings about reconciliation between the haves and the have-nots.

International Peace

The third problem which is destroying the peace of the world is the unsatisfactory condition of the international relations. For the settlement of international disputes Islam lays down rules for Muslim states which contemplate a body like the present League of Nations [replaced later by the United Nations – Editor]. The Holy Qur’an says:

And if two parties of believers fight against each other , make peace between them; then if after that one of them transgresses against the other, fight the party that transgresses until it returns to the command of Allah. Then if it returns, make peace between them with equity, and act justly. Verily, Allah loves the just. (Ch.49:V.10)

This verse lays down the following principle for the maintenance of international peace: as soon as there are indications of disagreement between two Muslim nations, the other Muslim nations, instead of taking sides with one or the other of them, should at once serve a notice upon them to submit their differences to the ‘peace makers’ for settlement. But if one of them refuses to submit to the League, or having submitted refuses to accept the award of the ‘peace makers’, and prepares to make war, the other nations should all fight it. It is apparent, however, that one nation, however strong, cannot withstand the united forces of all other nations and is bound to make a speedy submission.

Peace between the Rulers and the Ruled

The strained relations of the rulers and the ruled is another factor disturbing the world’s peace. Islam prefers a democratic government but does not preclude any form of government. The Holy Qur’an has used the word Amanat (trust) in describing the Islamic concept of Government.

For a full appreciation, however, of the Islamic concept of the State, it is necessary to quote the verse, which in brief but comprehensive terms, describes the nature and duties of the rulers and the ruled. The Holy Qur’an says:

Verily, Allah commands you to make over the trusts to those entitled to them, and that, when you judge between men, you judge with justice. And surely excellent is that with which Allah admonishes you! Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing. (Ch.4:V.59)

According to this verse, government is a trust, and not in the nature of property, and the rulers are required to rule justly. And another verse of the Holy Qur’an states:

O ye who believe! obey Allah, and obey His Messenger and those who are in authority among you… (Ch.4:V.60)

enjoins all men to obey those who are in authority over them and thus cuts at the root of all kinds of rebellion and anarchy.

Peace in the Family

By recognising the social status of woman and securing her rights in inheritance, in the guardianship of the children, in the management of the affairs of the family and in worship (in short, in Church and State), Islam has established peace in the family on a firm basis. If men have rights over women, women according to the Qur’an, likewise, have rights over men. According to Islam, women are the keystone of the arch of family life. Unity in the family is essential to a progressive state. Let it not be forgotten that of all religions, Islam alone has accorded woman status which after thirteen centuries of progressive development, working with the legacy of a prior civilisation, under the most favourable circumstances, the most civilised country in the world has not given her. By raising women from the condition of a mere chattel in which they were held before the advent of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) , and giving women their rightful place in society, Islam settled those knotty family problems 1300 years ago which in the present progressive state of woman have wrecked many homes.

Peace among Individuals

Islam has laid down detailed injunctions which regulate the relations of individuals towards one another:

God commandeth you to do justice, beneficence and kindness to kith and kin. (Ch.16:V.91)

In this verse of the Holy Qur’an God has set forth three injunctions. The first step is the step of justice. A Muslim is enjoined to discharge his duty and obligations quite faithfully and honestly and in the best way he can. No violation of the rights of others is permitted. When justice becomes to him a matter of course, he is required to do more than mere justice. He should be beneficent to others. When beneficence begins to appear to him not a very high stage of morals, he should be kind to his fellow people as a mother is kind to her son.

The first stage of morals is of doing good in proportion to the good received; the second stage is of doing more good than the good received; and the third and the highest stage of morals consists in doing good to others, not in return of a good received, nor in doing more good than the good received, but in doing good as prompted by natural impulse without the expectation of any reward or even any appreciation or acknowledgment.

Nothing seems more ironical than that the religion of which the very name signifies peace, which stands for freedom of conscience, which has enjoined upon its followers to respect the religious beliefs of other peoples and to protect their places of worship even at the risk of their own lives, a religion which has struck at the very root of religious acrimony by requiring its followers to believe in the missions of all the Prophets of God and in the Divine origin of their teachings, a religion which has laid down teachings that if fully acted upon would bring about an era of perpetual peace, should be looked upon as a religion breathing war and preaching hatred and a religion propagated at the point of the sword.

But such really is the prevailing view about Islam. Let there remain no doubt about it that Islam positively forbids the use of force for the propagation of its teachings.

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Islam Is a Religion of Peace

Monday, November 9, 2015 / By: Manal Omar

Publication Type: Analysis

Can the wave of violence sweeping the Islamic world be traced back to the religion's core teachings? A USIP-FP Peace Channel debate about the roots of extremism.

There is a tempting logic that has gained prominence in the post-9/11 world that attributes violent extremism from Muslims to the core tenets of Islam. It is tempting, of course, because if there is one single driver of conflict, after all, then there is one solution. Trying to understand the complex roots of violence can seem overwhelming, and trying to find solutions to it can leave policymakers and civic leaders paralyzed. Yet the concept of one cause — and, therefore, one solution — can be very dangerous. In the best case, this oversimplification may waste financial and human efforts to solve problems because they are based on a faulty diagnosis. In the worst case, it can actually fuel the conflict.

The temptation toward simplicity is evident even in the question posed in this debate. The framing reveals a fundamental error: that violent extremism is fundamental to Islam rather than committed by individuals. The fact that there is violence emanating from parts of the Muslim world does not mean that violence is a product of the religion.

The complicated truth of the matter is that the extremist violence that has overtaken a majority of Muslim countries, including Iraq, Syria, and Pakistan, is the product of complex political and social circumstances. They include colonial legacies and more modern great power politics — and the artificial borders that they bequeathed the region. The violence is perpetrated by official structures that favor a few over the many, and the collapse of government institutions. Religion, certainly, is part of the mix, especially in fragile nations or under authoritarian regimes, but that comes into play not because of the nature of the faith but because of the way it is abused and manipulated.

To grasp this complexity, it is important to understand three areas: the role of global politics that have destabilized the region and inflamed tensions; how dysfunctional states create an opening for extremism; and finally, how religion fills the gaps created by international and domestic uncertainties.

Let’s start with the politics. In doing so, it’s important to note that Western states have played a significant role in the rise of extremist groups. Middle East experts such as Hassan Hassan, who co-authored the book ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror , argue that the emergence of the self-styled Islamic State (another name for ISIS) has more to do with U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East — who it supports, how its military interventions have changed the region — than with the Quran. The U.S. Coalition Provisional Authority’s 2003 order to dissolve the Iraqi Armed Forces, for example, left hundreds of thousands of well-trained soldiers bitter and unemployed. Many of these officers now provide the militants with the military expertise required to conquer territory as quickly as they have.

Another example of the United States’ role in stoking extremism is its support for the United Nations’ policies on Israel, which critics have attacked as a double standard. In 2003, John Austin, a former British Parliamentarian, wrote an article for the Palestinian NGO Miftah citing conflicts from Kosovo to East Timor to Iraq to Rwanda. In each of those cases the U.N. imposed enforcement measures such as arms embargos, and international tribunals to prosecute crimes against humanity. Yet on Israel’s illegal building of settlements, there has been no action despite numerous U.N. resolutions dating back to the late 1970s often because of U.S. intervention on its behalf.

As for state-level problems, domestic power struggles and government dysfunction across the Middle East have also opened the door for violent extremist groups. Robert I. Rotberg outlines in his book, When States Fail: Causes and Consequences, that a state’s failure to provide citizens with basic rights and services allows violent nonstate actors to emerge and take control. Failures were not limited to economic needs; a lack of political inclusion, freedom of expression, and the right to live with dignity have been primary drivers of youth radicalization and violence. A more recent example can be seen in Iraq and Syria: the Islamic State and al-Nusra Front have offered services and material benefits to lure citizens into joining the fight.

A 2015 study by Mercy Corps, Youth & Consequences: Unemployment, Injustice and Violence , which examined conflicts in countries such as Afghanistan, Colombia, and Somalia, found that the principal drivers of political violence are not the high unemployment or lack of opportunities traditionally articulated by development agencies. Rather, the study found that the political violence, which is often framed in religious terms, was linked to experiences of injustice: discrimination, corruption, and abuse by security forces.

In this context, religious spaces often become incredibly important — and powerful. Extremist groups don’t just offer services such as employment, they also proffer a utopian ideology that extends beyond the rhetoric of suicide and sacrifice to promise an ideal state built on strict principles of “justice” and order based on their twisted interpretation of Islam. Islam, in turn, becomes a tool for violent groups to attract support for their causes, much like the way nation-states have used nationalism and patriotic fervor. And the only venue often available for recruitment in otherwise repressive societies is the more radical religious institutions.

Under authoritarian rulers such as Iraq’s Saddam Hussein and Libya’s Muammar al-Qaddafi, many countries in the Middle East and beyond eliminated media outlets, student unions, and professional associations that were not directly under the control of the state. For Muslims in these environments, the mosque became the sole channel for expressing opposition, and the weekly Friday sermon the only place for dissidents to reach the people.

Using Islam as a tool of political extremism has led to many different results. The circumstances that produced the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq are different from what shaped Boko Haram in Nigeria, though both claim to be genuine Islamic groups. In the latter case, the extremist organization evolved as a response to the Nigerian government’s heavy-handed approach and ultimate killing of the group’s founder, Muhammad Yusuf in 2009. Prior to that, the group mainly had waged low-level attacks, rather than the spectacular assaults they now conduct against civilians and the Nigerian military.

Boko Haram and its ilk have manipulated Islam as a powerful recruitment tool, in much the same way Western states use nationalism to mobilize support for wars. Confrontations such as the invasion of Iraq, or the Soviet Union’s incursion into Afghanistan, have sparked the creation of more extremist groups — by destroying civil society, for example — than religious belief ever could.

Those who claim Islam is an inherently violent religion ignore the overwhelming majority of adherents to the faith — there are more than 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide — who live peacefully. They would also ignore that using religion as a justification for violence is nothing new. There are countless examples of members of other religions invoking faith as they perpetrate violence — Buddhist nationalist movements in Sri Lanka and Myanmar instigating violent campaigns against Muslims, for instance. Most people are able to critically analyze these movements and not lay the blame on Buddhism or Christianity.

The most prominent Muslim academics agree extremist groups believe in a fringe version of Islam well outside the scholarly consensus. In 2014, more than 120 of the world’s top Muslim leaders and scholars wrote an open letter to the Islamic State’s leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and his followers, using the same religious texts the militants cite and arguing the group’s practices are not legitimate in Islam. Signatories include the former and current Grand Muftis of Egypt and top Muslim clerics from Nigeria, the U.S., Canada, Pakistan, and Indonesia.

Muslims have taken grave risks to condemn violence, and some are on the front lines militarily too. Youth activists across the world regularly receive death threats as they offer alternative narratives to resolve conflict through nonviolence. Others have picked up arms to combat these extremist groups when condemnation is not enough. It is Muslims on the ground throughout Iraq and Syria who are leading the fight against the Islamic State. If the tenets of Islam could truly cause violence, all these Muslims would be joining the Islamic State instead of risking their lives to stop it.

Ironically, those who insist the Islamic State is a natural outgrowth of Islam share a similarly narrow conception of the religion as its followers.

Ironically, those who insist the Islamic State is a natural outgrowth of Islam share a similarly narrow conception of the religion as its followers. Despite the wealth of diversity and growth within Islam, they insist on defining it as monolithic.

Intisar Rabb, a professor of law and the director of the Islamic Legal Studies Program at Harvard Law School, argued in an email exchange, “Sunni Islam’s most curious blessing and its curse is perhaps its radical legal pluralism: the ability to contemplate that any interpretation of the law, so long as it relates to and engages a sophisticated process of interpretation, is a good-faith effort to arrive at the ‘right answer,’ which may change over time.” Historically, this has allowed for change and reformulation of the law to fit times and places as disparate as 7th century China to 10th century Baghdad to 20th century America, Rabb said. This characteristic, however, can become a curse, because it speaks of no final authority and often leaves a vacuum that permits crude or hostile interpretations that hold sway with the unsuspecting.

Shiite Muslims, for their part, adhere to a broad norm of following a living expert interpreter of Islamic law (called a mujtahid), who can evaluate and refine Islamic values for contemporary circumstances. In the context of Iraq, that has proved a valuable asset in containing some violence. Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani’s statements and fatwas (religious rulings) even since the beginning of the conflict in 2003 directly prevented mass revenge killings on a number of occasions . One of his fatwas this year called for restraint after Shiite-dominated Iraqi government troops and militias freed Tikrit and revealed mass grave sites that presented visceral evidence of June’s massacre of hundreds, possibly thousands, of Iraqi soldiers at the nearby Camp Speicher, when the Islamic State overran the military base. The revelation had heightened the potential of revenge attacks against Sunnis because the Islamic State claims to represent and defend all Sunnis.

Besides exacerbating conflict, oversimplifying the underlying causes by laying the blame at the door of an entire religion can mean billions of aid dollars wasted in chasing a false premise, and opportunities missed in the meantime. Seeking to use moderate Muslim clerics superficially to counter extremist messaging, for example, may have little impact if the root of the problem lies elsewhere.

Solving the problem of violent extremism demands embracing the complexity of the problem over the simplistic black-and-white narratives used by extremists on both sides of the debate. Scholarly analysis, and the lived experiences of more than 1 billion Muslims, including myself, makes clear that violence committed by Muslims is not because of the faith. Once this is understood, the world can stop focusing misguided attention on one ostensible factor that has been twisted unrecognizably. With a more balanced approach, it’s possible to demonstrate that violent extremism has no state or religion, and that all identities, ethnicities, and religions are part of the solution.

Read Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s piece here.

Reposted with permission from ForeignPolicy.com , Source: “ Islam Is a Religion of Peace "

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Senior Study Group for the Sahel: Final Report and Recommendations

Thursday, January 18, 2024

By: Bipartisan Senior Study Group for the Sahel

The United States has not traditionally viewed the Sahel as a region of vital interest, whether in terms of security or from an economic or business perspective. This has led to a pattern of reactive involvement shaped by the circumstances of specific events rather than proactive commitments. This pattern reveals the lack of a comprehensive strategy for the volatile Western Sahel region, which includes Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger. In April 2022, President Joe Biden announced that the US government would advance the “U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability” in coastal West Africa by prioritizing a partnership with Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, and Togo.

Type: Report

Civilian-Military Relations ; Democracy & Governance ; Peace Processes ; Violent Extremism

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versión On-line ISSN 0718-9273

Veritas no.47 valparaíso dic. 2020, http://dx.doi.org/10.4067/s0718-92732020000300151 .

Sección Teología

La cultura de la paz y la tolerancia religiosa desde una perspectiva islámica

The culture of peace and religious tolerance from an Islamic perspective

Abbas Yazdani 1

1 University of Tehran (Iran) [email protected]

The subject of the culture of peace and non-violent communication is extremely important, even more so today than in the past. The contention of this paper is that Islam is a religion of tolerance, peace, and reconciliation. I shall argue that there are many principles of the culture of peace in Islam. However, this doctrine may be misunderstood in some Islamic societies due to the poor knowledge of Islamic teachings or wrong education. Therefore, we strongly need to have a true interpretation of religious teachings as well as a true approach to religious diversity to provide the culture of peace.

Kew words: Peace; violence; Islam; religious teachings; religious diversity

El tema de la cultura de paz y la comunicación no violenta es sumamente importante, especialmente en la actualidad. El argumento de este artículo es que el Islam es una religión de tolerancia, paz y reconciliación. Argumentaré que hay muchos principios de la cultura de paz en el Islam. Sin embargo, esta doctrina puede malinterpretarse en algunas sociedades islámicas debido al escaso conocimiento de las enseñanzas islámicas o la educación incorrecta. Por lo tanto, necesitamos tener una verdadera interpretación de las enseñanzas religiosas, así como un verdadero enfoque de la diversidad religiosa para difundir la cultura de la paz.

Palabras clave : Paz; violencia; Islam; enseñanzas religiosas; diversidad religiosa

Introduction

One of the social problems in the contemporary world is the social conflicts that arise from political, cultural, ethnic, racial, geographical, and religious conflicts. Nowadays, humans are tired of the heart-breaking, devastating and catastrophic struggles and conflicts, and are looking for a way to have a peaceful and non-violent society. While analyzing the concept of peace and, in contrast, expressing all forms of violence, this article claims that religion provides valuable foundations for the culture of peace and the realization of a non-violent society. This article, of course, emphasizes the teachings of the religion of Islam. I will argue that the basic principle of Islam, whether in relations with Muslims or non-Muslims, is interaction, peace, tolerance and friendship, and that war in Islam is forbidden except for defense. In other words, the nature of war in Islam is a defensive one, not an offensive one. Given that a large part of the world's population consists of followers of the world religions, their view of concepts such as tolerance, peace, and reconciliation is extremely important. catholic theologian Hans Kung says: “There will be no peace among the peoples of this world without peace among the world religions” ( 1996 ). The number of people dying in war in recent years has been extremely high. Since the 1990s, millions have died in the Congo, Sudan, and other African countries, and hundreds of thousands in former Yugoslavia, Iraq, Yemen and Syria. The result is that more than 80 percent of the casualties are civilian, and the number of refugees and displaced persons has increased sharply. Therefore, the need for reconciliation, peace and tolerance is felt more than ever.

1. Definition of peace and the importance of the culture of peace

The key question here is that: what exactly do we mean by peace? “The term is highly emotive, historian, and is often abused as a tool of political propaganda” ( Howard, 1971 : 225). Galtung defines peace as “the absence of violence in every form” (Galtung, 1996 : 9). To that end, he also points out that violence occurs in three modalities. The first modality is direct violence. Direct violence is manifested in various forms of intentional bodily harm, including killing, maiming, siege, and any other form of force to the body that causes harm and poses an affront to basic human needs. The second modality of violence is structural violence. Galtung argues that this form of violence results from the presence of social structures whose cornerstones are exploitation and repression (1996: 198).

Structural violence is manifested in acts that enable some actors in society to benefit from unequal exchange and the plight of the disadvantaged. Structural violence can be seen in social structures such as politics, education, religion, and media. The third type of violence is cultural violence. A society that does not respect the rights of others, a society that is racist, ethnic, monopolistic, ... is considered culturally violent.

Peace is more than the absence of war. It is also “the maintenance of an orderly and just society,” orderly in being protected against the violence or extortion of aggressors, and just in being defended against exploitation and abuse by the more powerful ( Howard, 1971 : 226). Gandhi spoke of non-violence rather than peace and emphasized the necessity of overcoming injustice. Gandhi’s meaning was deftly summarized by Jonathan Schell: “Violence is a method by which the ruthless few can subdue the passive many. Non-violence is a means by which the active many can overcome the ruthless few.” Yet the word non-violence is “highly imperfect,” wrote Schell (2003 : 144).

Many writers distinguish between negative peace, which is simply the absence of war, and positive peace, which is the presence of justice. Peace can be slavery or it can be freedom; subjugation or liberation. Genuine peace means progress toward a freer and more just world ( Cousins, 1946 : 45-6). Johan Galtung developed the concept of “structural violence” to describe situations of negative peace that have violent and unjust consequences ( Galtung, 1969 ).

For Muslims peace is not merely the absence of war or organized violence. It is also the presence of justice and the creation of conditions in which humans can realize their full potentials. Human beings' nature is inclined to peace, and the violence comes because of how we were educated, not because of our nature. Faulty education gets us disconnected from our compassionate nature. Wrong education describes humans as basically evil and selfish. That is the core of violence.

Building a culture of peace is an urgent task for our present age so more than the past. Culture of peace is contrasted with the culture of war and violence, and could be developed by education and enlightening people, especially the younger generation. The 1989 UNESCO international congress in order to encourage people to develop a culture of peace, acknowledged that “The congress recommended that UNESCO ‘help construct a new vision of peace by developing a peace culture based on the universal values of respect for life, liberty, justice, solidarity, tolerance, human rights, and equality between men and women’.” ( UNESCO, 1989 : 51).

The UN call for peace education suggests that education in general is important for the establishment of a culture of peace and that specific sorts of peace education may be of particular importance. These include the expectation that children, from an early age, should benefit from education about the values, attitudes, modes of behavior, and ways of life that can enable them to resolve any dispute peacefully and in a spirit of respect for human dignity and of tolerance and non-discrimination. (53/243, Dedaration... in Salomon, 2009 : 107)

2. What really religious education teach, peace or violence?

The major world religions claim that their education systems teach peace. However, some people say that in practice history and religious education were used to promote war rather than peace. They point to the ethnic/religious conflicts in Burma, Sri Lanka, india, Sudan, iraq, Yemen, Syria, Palestine and Israel, as well as the attacks on the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre in New York on September 11, 2001, in the name of radical Islam, and subsequent attacks by Islamic extremists in Bali, Madrid and London. They argue that because religion is, and has been, the cause of so much violence and wars, religious education should be banned from schools and colleges in Islamic society.

While after September 11 George W Bush expressed that “Islam is a religion of peace”, But Osama bin Laden 1 and his many followers had different view and believed that September 11 represented authentic Islam. In February 1998 Bin Laden remarked “The ruling to kill the Americans and their allies-civilians and military- is an individual duty for every Muslim who can do it in any country in which it is possible to do it.” However, in this paper I take a very different view. My contention is that, taught sensitively and in the right way, religious education can in fact be a force for good, peace, understanding and reconciliation. The vast majority of Muslims and Islamic scholars believe that nothing in Muhammad's life or in the Qur'an or Islamic law justify terrorism.

There are many principles in Islamic teachings that provide a foundation for creative peacemaking. In Arabic salaam is translated as peace and is considered as one of the holy names of God. ( Nasr, 2002 : 217). Islam is a religion of universalism, tolerance, peace, and reconciliation. Islam teaches that life is sacred and that the believer has a duty to uphold truth and justice. Social justice is the core principle of Islam. Pursuing justice in the face of oppression and suffering is the personal and collective duty of every Muslim. But Islam is often misunderstood as a religion of the sword that justifies the use of violence to spread the faith; while the principles of nonviolence are not well developed within Islam. Concepts of peace are at the core of the Islamic teachings. The term salaam envisions a peaceful, harmonious social order of justice towards all without violence or conflict.

3. The principles of the culture of peace in Islam

The primary principle in Islam is peace. Islam emphasizes on peace in communication with all Muslim and non- Muslim people in a society, and encourages its adherents to avoid war and violence. The Qur’an places limits on the use of force. The Qur’an acknowledges the right of retribution but states “those who forgive the injury and make reconciliation will be rewarded by God.” (Qur’an 42: 40). There are many principles of peace in Islam, which are significant for creating the culture of peace that I shall point to some of them here:

The first and cardinal principle of culture of peace is the acceptance of religious faith is optional. According to Islamic teachings, people are free to accept religious belief. Qur'an says: “Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from error: whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that never breaks. And God hears and knows all things.” (2: 256)

لاَ إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِهينِ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الْغَ ه ي فَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بِالطَّاغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِن بِا ه للِّ فَقَدِ اسْ تَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَىَ لاَ انفِصَامَ لَهَا وَ ه الل سَمِيعٌ عَلِيم.ٌ

On this point, the Qur’an is unequivocal: “The truth is from your Lord, so whoever wills- let him believe; and whoever wills - let him disbelieve” (18:29).

قُل الحقُ مِن ربِکم فمَن شاء فليُومِن و مَن شاء فَليَکفُر.

The message to non-Muslims is, “For you is your religion, and for me is my religion.” (109: 6). These passages counsel tolerance and patience toward other faiths. Therefore, religious faith is a voluntary matter that individuals must choose freely and consciously and not compulsively. The message of such verses of the Qur'an is to respect dissenting beliefs and to recognize the freedom of others. This principle can in many cases prevent cultural violence and contribute to the realization of a culture of peace.

The second principle in creating a culture of peace and a non-violent society is Islam's emphasis on peace as the primary law and non-violence.

God invites people to peace: “Allah invites to the Home of Peace, and guides whomever He wills to a straight path”. (10: 25)

وَ ه اللُ يَدْعُو إِلَى دَارِ السَّلاَمِ وَ يَهْدِی مَن يَشَاء إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ

The Qur'an invites people to peace and life, and regards war and violence as the evil way. (2: 208)

يا ايها الذين آمنوا ادخلوا فی ال ه سلم کافهَ و لاتتبعوا خطوات الشيطان انهه لکم عد ه و مبين

The Qur'an commands that if your enemies desire peace, welcome it.

و اِن جنحوا لل ه سلم فاجنح لها و توکل علی الله انه هوالسميع العليم

That means: But if they incline towards peace, then incline towards it, and put your trust in Allah. He is the Hearer, the Knower. (8: 61).

Moreover, except in limited cases, it does not permit the use of force. Although the Qur'an recognizes the right to retribution its adherents, it is also a reward for forgiveness. So in ash-Shura it says: The retribution of a bad action is one equivalent to it. However, whoever pardons and makes reconciliation, his reward lies with Allah. He does not love the unjust. (42: 40).

وجزاءُ سيهئهِ سيهئه مِثلُها فمَن عَفا و اَصلح فاجَرُهُ علی الله

Islam permits defensive jihad on a number of conditions:

1.- The occurrence of aggression. ‘And fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not commit aggression; Allah does not love the aggressors’ (2: 190).

.وَقَاتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَِّ الَّذِينَ يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ وَلَا تَعْتَدُوا إِنَّ اللََّ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُعْتَدِينَ .

2.- The principle of proportion. ‘Whoever commits aggression against you, retaliate against him in the same measure as he has committed against you. And be conscious of Allah, and know that Allah is with the righteous’ (2:194)

فَمَنِ اعْتَدَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ فَاعْتَدُوا عَلَيْهِ بِمِثْلِ مَا اعْتَدَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ وَاتَّقُوا اللََّ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللََّ مَ عَ المُتَّقی نَ

3.- Observe the necessity. ‘And fight them until there is no oppres- sion, and worship becomes devoted to Allah alone. But if they cease, then let there be no hostility except against the oppressors’ (2:193).

وَقَاتِلُوهُمْ حَتَّىٰ لَا تَكُونَ فِتْنَةٌ وَيَكُونَ الدِهينُ لِلَِّّ فَإِنِ انْتَهَوْا فَلَا عُدْوَانَ إِلَّا عَلَى الظَّالِمِينَ

4.- Adherence to human principies and valúes. This principie is so important in Islam that even if the enemy becomes cowardly, it does not endorse the deviation from human values. So after the conquest of Mecca, the Prophet of Islam said instead of revenge and bloodshed today is a day of mercy. Therefore, the distinction between aggression and defense must be distinguished; aggression is unlawful but defense is permissible under certain circumstances. The Qur'an has even forbidden Muslims from re- proaching. ‘Do not insult those they call upon besides Allah, lest they in- sult Allah out of hostility and ignorance. We made attractive to every com- munity their deeds. Then to their Lord is their return, and He will inform them of what they used to do’ (6:108).

وَلَا تَسُبُّوا الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَِّ فَيَسُبُّوا اللََّ عَدْوًا بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ كَذَٰلِكَ زَيَّنَّا لِكُ ه لِ أُمَّةٍ . عَمَلَهُمْ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبهِهِمْ مَرْجِ عُهُمْ فَيُنَبهِئُهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُون.

In his defensive battles, the Prophet of Islam best practiced human and moral principles, even treating his most vicious enemies with humane behavior. During the Hunayn war, he granted the majority of captives mercy and returned their property to them. In the conquest of Mecca that some Muslims used to chant that today is the day of vengeance, but the Prophet said to them today is a day of mercy, then told the people of Mecca and the leaders of their war, you are all free and there is no worry for you. The Prophet of Islam during the wars never deprived the enemy of drinking water. In the Kheybar battle he was strongly opposed when he was offered the opportunity to close the waterway or poison the drinking water in the fortress, and forbade the spread of poison in the city of enemies and in general everywhere. During the war, the Prophet said: Do not kill women, children and the elders and do not burn palm trees and crops. Imam Ali (PBUH) also commands his soldiers: Never start a war with the enemy unless they start, do not kill the fugitives, do not attack the wounded, don't go into their homes, don't attack women, and don't scold anyone. ( Ibn al-Jouzi, 1997 : 91)

The teachings of Islam invite people to live a peaceful life based on theism, justice and purity. Therefore, peace in Islam is an eternal constitution. Even the nature of war in Islam is a defensive one, not an offensive one, because the principle of Islam is peace and coexistence, not conflict, violence and war. In many verses of the Qur'an, God has allowed Muslims to fight only for defense. Therefore, war in Islam is a secondary principle, not a primary one.

The third principle in creating a culture of peace and a non-violent society is to pay attention to the spiritual self-awareness inherent in our human nature that can move people away from violence. Human nature has a tendency for peace and friendship. Enjoying compassion, and love for others is part of our human nature. Violence is not our nature. Basically, non-violent relationships can bring us closer to our nature and help us connect and return to what is truly a pleasing way of life, one that con tributes to one another's well-being and comfort. Human nature tends to peace, and not violence; violence comes from how we learn, not from our human nature.

The Islamic teachings attempt to invite people to global peace and a peaceful life on the basis of theism, justice and piety. So, in Islam peace is an immortal and primary law. Lo! Allah loveth not aggressors." (2: 190). This interpretation of peace which is based on Qur'anic teachings can develop a widespread peace around the world and terminate conflicts in many places. “Invite (all) to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious: for your Lord knows best who has strayed from His path, and who receives guidance.” (16: 125)

4. The role of religious education in social development

In spite of these principles of peace in Islamic cultural heritage, we question the reason behind the violence in some Islamic societies; violence in various dimensions of direct or structural violence or cultural violence. To respond to this question, I would say that since there are many types of interpretation of Islamic doctrines from different points of view, and within different Islamic communities, hence, we are faced with the conflicting voices in some fields. However, we should not forget that there are conflicting voices within other religions as well. “The problem lies with the way religion is understood and practiced. It must be stressed at this point that the problem is not with religion per se. It is not the philosophy or the doctrines, it is not the practices or the rituals, which are the issue. Rather, it is our interpretation of religion which constitutes the problem. It is the meaning we attach to certain doctrines and rituals which creates difficulties. Over the centuries, most adherents of most of the faiths have developed an exclusive view of their particular religious tradition. God is seen as the God of their particular group. Truth and justice, love and compassion, are perceived as values which are exclusive to their religion. The unity that they seek is invariably the unity of their own kind. Their religion -they are passionately convinced- is superior to other religions. ( Haar & Busuttil, 2005 : 72-73). This Islamic theory of peace culture is misused in some Islamic societies because of poor knowledge of Islamic teachings or due to wrong education. And there are different interpretations of religion and its foundations among Muslims and there are also misunderstandings of Islamic teachings. There is no question that the problem is not with the essence of Islam but with the problem of understanding and interpreting Islam. As a result, people are drawn into violence, war and strife because of some misunderstandings and misinterpretations of Islam's teachings.

One of the main causes of misunderstandings and misinterpretations of the Islamic teachings, is Fundamentalism, and the avoidance of rationality. The use of reason in understanding, and interpreting religion, has always been the subject of serious disputes among scholars throughout the history of religion. As a result of Fundamentalism, and the avoidance of rationality in the religious teachings, the individual has adopted a religious exclusivist approach and considers himself just and salvable, and that all other religions are void and misleading. One prominent example is the idea of Salafist religious exclusivist.

There is no doubt that education in any society can play a key role in human development and consequently in the growth and development of that society. Education in any society will play an important role in the cultivation of knowledgeable people and in the development of culture, social order and cohesion, the development of civic institutions and thus the development, progress and excellence of society. The human factor is the most important factor in the development, growth and development of a society. Therefore, in our age of information explosion, education can be the most effective factor in solving political and social challenges. It is so important that some social science experts have said that without cultural and social development, economic development would not be possible. Experts believe that “the spread of education around the world is not due to functional requirements, and not because of labor market demand, but because of the world-wide citizenship process and the democratic belief that the development of education is a component of civil society”. ( Sadovnik, 2007 : 7)

My definite suggestion for the realization of a society free of violence and a culture of peace is primarily to teach peace discourse in society. It has to become a public culture. The discourse of peace must be incorporated as an approach to the educational system. As a matter of fact, some countries have incorporated the discourse of peace into their educational system literature. From kindergarten and elementary school to university level, where there should be a department of peace and conflict resolution. To avoid conflicts and violence in societies on the one hand, cultural and religious pluralism must be accepted, interactions and friendship must be pursued, and on the other hand to reject exclusivism. Religious tolerance, which is based on the teachings of Islam must be followed. We must learn to embrace cultural and religious pluralism on the one hand, and pursue interactions, friendships and rejection of exclusivism on the other hand to tolerate dissent.

5. The Approach to religious tolerance and building a culture of peace

In our time, there is an urgent need for good philosophical arguments for religious toleration in the encounter with religious diversity. They might reinforce settled habits of toleration and justify teaching toleration to people in society. The Kantian response to religious diversity is the view that all religious claims are on a par with respect to truth, because all teach the same thing or make the same claim. Kant distinguishes between “pure religious faith”, which is ‘a plain rational faith which can be convincingly communicated to everyone’, and “historical faith”, which is intimately linked with particular historical forms. The essential content of the former, of pure religious faith, is the understanding of all moral duties as given by God. Kant held that this content -the claim that all moral duties are given by God- is present in all particular religions. Therefore, Kant maintained that the fundamental religious claim, the “plain rational faith” is always and everywhere the same. This fundamental religious claim is discoverable and justifiable by reason alone, unaided by revelation, scripture and the like. The Kantian strategy has two essential parts: one is the reduction of all religious claims to a single fundamental claim, and second is the view that the claims of all actual religious communities bear approximately the same relation to this fundamental claim. “They are all concerned with salvation/ liberation/ enlightenment/ fulfilment...” ( Hick, 1994 : 86-87). Kant’s position is the view that the major world religions relate to the Ultimate Reality, in different ways. There is no public evidence that any one religion is unique or superior to others and thus has closer access to Ulti- mate Reality. Christianity is simply “one paradigm of the divine-human relationship among many others,” and thus “arguments for the absolute- ness, superiority or uniqueness of Christianity become difficult if not im- possible.” ( McFague, 1985 : 381).

John Hick, a contemporary advocator of a broadly Kantian strategy on religious diversity holds that there are indeed genuine differences and (at least apparent) incompatibilities among the claims of different religious communities. He divides these differences into three categories: incompatibilities with respect to historical matters, quasi-historical or trans-historical matters, and the ways of conceiving and experiencing religious beliefs. Hick holds that these incompatibilities that different religions claim are not important in religious regards. They do not make an important difference to what religion is really all about, which is “the transformation of human existence from self-centeredness to Reality- centeredness.” (Hick, 1994: 95). Hick holds that the differences of belief between traditions are best seen as “different ways of conceiving and experiencing the one ultimate divine Reality.” ( Hick, 1984 : 229). Hick describes the Real in terms of the following functions:

The Real is thus not experienced as it is itself, but is postulated to satisfy (a) the basic faith that human religious experience is not purely projection but is at the same time a response to a transcendent reality or realities, and (b) the observation that Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism etc, which are communal responses to these different gods and absolute, seem to be more or less equally effective contexts for human transformation from self-centeredness, with all the evils and miseries that flow from this, to a re-entering in the Transcendent as experienced within one’s own traditions. ( Hick, 2010 : 284-5)

Muhammed Legenhausen has argued that in the Qur'an we have a pluralist position that tries to explain contradictions, better than Hick does:

one of the major problems faced by any form of pluralism, including the form of pluralism accepted in the Qur'an, according to which various religions were sent by Allah to His messengers in different times and places, is what to make of the apparent contradictions among the creeds of the different religions...Various means to resolve the contradictions are suggested in the Qur'an itself. (See: (2:75), (3:78), (5:41)) It is also claimed that what was revealed to the different prophets was the same, so that contradictions among creeds must be due to content apart from what was revealed. (See: (2:136), (3:84), (4:150), (42:13-14)) Religious differences are generally explained in the Qur'an as having arisen from sin: from pride in the partial truth each of the different groups has possessed and form envy. (See: (3:18), (23:53), (30:32), (42:14)) ( Legenhausen, 1999 : 140).

According to Qur'an, God ordained other religions by means of His prophets prior to His final revelation. However, the teaching of Judaism and Christianity were not incorrect. They were different paths towards God in different circumstances. For this reason, all of the divine religions are called Islam in the general sense of complete submission to the com- mands of Allah. While Muhammdian Islam used for the final revelation which is a specific sense of Islam. The Qur'an contains the verse: “The religion before Allah is Islam (submission to His will)” (3: 19). This seems to articulate an exclusivist position but some theologians interpreted the verse as a form of Islamic pluralism and remarked that by Islam here meant the general sense of complete submission to the commands of Al- lah; so all of the divine religions are called Islam.

“They saw the differences in rituals and modes of worship among the various religions as man-made distinctions. As one of them observed, “The lamps are different, but the Light is the same.” ( Ponniah, 1984 : 81). 2 We shall now show how this spirit of universal unity exists within a par ticular religious tradition. Since the tradition we are most familiar with is Islam, we shall draw our arguments from that tradition, though it must be emphasized that most of the other religions have an equally strong com- mitment to a unity transcending the boundaries of class, community and creed.

The fact that the primary purpose of Islam is to achieve the unity of humankind is clearly enunciated in the Qur'an itself. The Qur'an declares for instance, “Mankind were one community” and “Lo! this your religión is one religion and I am your Lord, so keep your duty unto Me.” (23: 52 in Pickthall, 1994 )

The reference to “one religion” is to that one universal divine truth revealed to humankind from the very beginning. The Qur'an says that this was the truth that was revealed to Abraham and to Noah and to Moses and to Jesus. (42: 13). In fact, it makes it very clear that every community on earth has received this universal truth. In the words of the Qur'an, there is not a nation but a warner has passed among them (35: 24). And what is this universal truth? It is belief in God and doing good. This is lucidly explained in a Qur'anic verse.

And they say none shall enter paradise unless he is a Jew or a Christian, these are their vain wishes. Say 'Bring your proof if you are truthful; yes! Whosoever submits himself to Allah and he is a doer of good, for him there shall be his reward with his Lord, on such shall be no fear nor shall they grieve. The Jews say.” The Christians have nothing [true] to stand on”. And the Christians say, “The Jews have nothing to stand on,” although they [both] recite the Scripture. Thus do those who know not [I.e., the polytheists] speak the same as their words. But Allah will Judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that over which they used to differ. (2: 111- 113).

وَقَالُواْ لَن يَدْخُلَ الْجَنَّةَ إِلاَّ مَن كَانَ هُوداً أَوْ نَصَارَى تِلْكَ أَمَانِيُّهُمْ قُلْ هَاتُواْ بُرْهَانَكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ) 111( بَلَى مَنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُ هِ للِّ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ فَلَهُ أَجْرُهُ عِندَ رَبهِهِ وَلاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ ) 112( وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ لَيْسَتِ النَّصَارَى عَلَىَ شَيْءٍ وَقَالَتِ النَّصَارَى لَيْسَتِ الْيَهُودُ عَلَى شَيْءٍ وَهُمْ يَتْلُونَ الْكِتَابَ كَذَلِكَ قَالَ الَّذِينَ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ مِثْلَ قَوْلِهِمْ فَا ه للُّ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُ مْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فِيمَا كَانُواْ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُون) 113

“And yet, the Qur'an notes with regret, humankind destroyed this universal truth and became divided into sects.” (6: 160). While the Qur'an is opposed to sectarianism, it accepts that there are different ways of reaching the universal truth. It says, “For each we have appointed a divine law and a traced-out way. Had God willed He could have made you one community. But that He may try you by that which He hath given you. So vie one with another in good works”. (5: 48).

According to the Qur'an, revelation is universal, so God sent a revelation to all human beings and the main message of all revelations was one thing and it was monotheism.

لکل جعلنا منکم شرعة و منهاجا و لو شاء الله لجعلهم امة واحدة ...

It means that “We have prescribed for every tribe Shari'ah. If God wills, He could make them one and the same nation.” Tabatabei said that the Qur'an says: If God had willed, He could have created human beings and talents uniformly so that they would have from the beginning to the end the only viability of a Shari'a, but God did not do it, providing a plat- form for human beings to grow and evolve, and bragging is not possible in geographical or linguistic or racial areas, but rather in the passage of time and the development of one's ability to accept the perfect law so that one can enter the realm of the great divine Test. ( Tabatabei, 1995 : 252).

Therefore, the plurality and diversity were due to the will of God. Accordingly, the Qur'an has never criticized the prophetic messages; rather, it has criticized the misunderstandings of some followers. There is no verse in the Qur'an that annulled previous religions. According to the Qur'an, those who believe in God, believe in the Hereafter and do good deeds will be saved. The Qur'an also confirms that Jews, Christians and Sabians will be rewarded.

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَ الَّذِينَ هَادُواْ وَ النَّصَارَى وَ الصَّابِئِينَ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَِّّ وَ الْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَ عَمِلَ صَالِحا فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُ مْ عِندَ رَبهِهِمْ وَ لاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَ لاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ .

6. Seyyed Hossein Nasr and religious pluralism

The prominent Traditionalist Seyyed Hossein Nasr is one of the Muslim scholars who proposes a pluralistic view to religious diversity. He is a proponent of the idea known as Perennial Philosophy 3 (in Latin philosophia perennis). Perennial Philosophy differentiates between inward and outward aspects of religions and believes in multiplicity of manifestations while considering the reality behind them as the same. In other words: “While truth is one, its expressions are many” (Nasr, 2005: 24). Perennial Philosophy is an eternal knowledge which forms the core of all true religions, and embraces the primal and the historical, the Semitic and the Indian, the mythic and the ‘abstract’ types of religions (Nasr, 2005: 30). According to Perennial Philosophy, wisdom is essentially of divine origin, and knowledge is a sacred thing that God has given to man. In addition, Perennial Philosophy considers spirituality, commitment, and morality as other aspects of knowledge. Nasr writes:

By philosophia perennis ... is meant a knowledge which has always been and will always be and which is of universal character both in the sense of existing among peoples of different climes and epochs and of dealing with universal principles. This knowledge which is available to the intellect is, more- over, contained at the heart of all religions or traditions, and its realization and attainment is possible only through those traditions and by means of methods, rites, symbols, images and other means sanctified by the message from Heaven or the Divine which gives birth to each tradition. (2005: 28)

The traditionalists distinguish between the external form and the essence which that form manifests, or form and substance, so the external forms of a religion are seen as “accidents” which are issued forth from and return to a substance that remains independent of all its accidents. ( Nasr, 2005 : 31). Accordingly, Nasr maintains inner unity and outer multiplicity of religions. He says: “The Absolute does not, however, manifest Itself in the same manner in different religious universes. The Ultimate Reality manifests Itself in multifarious sacred worlds sometimes in mythical forms and at other times as "abstract" monotheism. Sometimes It manifests Its Names and Qualities in the sounds and forms of a sacred language and at other times as divinities symbolizing the various divine forces; hence the distinction between a polytheism aware of the Divine Unity transcending multiple sacred forms.” ( Nasr, 1996 : 19-20).

He believes that what makes religions different is only the outward appearance not the Reality they all are issued from. The idea that reality of all religions is the same is what Frithof Schuon calls “Transcendent Unity wisdom that is at the heart of all traditions, from Vedanta and Buddhism to Kabbalah and the traditional Christian or Islamic metaphysics, and is the highest finding of human life. This view holds that there is a fixed thing that is the essence of all religions and traditions and does not change with temporal and spatial changes. What changes is the theological form or expression of this wisdom.

of Religions”. Each religion depends on the area and location in which it appears and the characteristics of people it comes for. Nasr says:

Revelation is always given in the language of the people to whom God addresses Himself. As the Quran says, “And We never sent a messenger save with the language of his folk that he might make [the message] clear for them.” Hence the multiplicity of religions in a world with multiple “humanities.” The human state therefore gives a certain particularity to various revelations of the Truth while the heart of these revelations remains above all form. ( Nasr, 1989 : 158)

Hence, doctrinal language play a great role in religious diversity. “No religion, whether it be Islam or Christianity, Hinduism or Buddhism, can be without a doctrine as to what is Absolute and what is relative. Only the doctrinal language differs from one tradition to another. Nor can any religion be without a method of concentrating on the Real and living according to It although the means again differ in different traditional climates” ( Nasr, 2000 : 1-2). According to Nasr’s traditionalist view, and with regard to the Quranic verses, “not only is the multiplicity of religions necessary, but it is also a reflection of the richness of the Divine Nature and is willed by God” (Nasr, 2004: 16). This can be better understood in comparison with John Hick’s idea about religious pluralism. Hick looks at the matter through modern philosophy in which epistemology plays a central role and using Kant’s discrimination between noumenon and phenomenon he tries to explain the diversity of religions. According to Hick the origin of religious diversity is difference in experiences of the Ultimate Reality. Different people with different epistemic backgrounds have variant experiences of the Ultimate Reality; hence they form their own conceptions of god which are not the same as others. In this view, different understandings are not genuine, because they are human made. So, to reach consensus, religions should leave their dogmatic position aside and try to be more convergent. This is the key to peace.

But in Nasr’s thoughts, the difference between religions is as authentic as their inward unity, because they all are formed by the will of God. Religion is God’s reaction to human needs and as a whole is originated from God. So, all religions, by all their differences and as they are (i.e. in their traditional form), must be honored and accepted.

According to Nasr, modernity and globalization have brought us a situation where we should accept plurality of religions and respect them. People in the past used to live in religiously homogenous traditional societies and usually did not encounter beliefs different from theirs. Hence they considered their own beliefs as binding and accepted them in a dogmatic way. But today, this isolation is broken and people are facing different cultures and religions. Nowadays, to ignore other traditions is difficult, if not impossible. Believing in Transcendent unity of religions helps us to respect other religions in peace.

It is important to notice that Nasr talks about pluralism at the level of truth not only soteriological pluralism. It means that different religions propose equivalent truths, and because the truth ends in the salvation they all find salvation, and it is not the case only one or few religions find their way toward real salvation while followers of other religions find the salvation just by God’s favor.

Nevertheless, it can be argued that some religions may have gone through alterations to their truth through time, thus different religions may not be the same, when it comes to access to the truth, as well as salvation. However, religions could still be considered as the same at the core level. Metaphorically, the Truth can be the tip of a mountain and religions are different paths to that tip; some are wide and easy to pass while others are narrower and harder, though eventually all will end to the top.

All of this is a denial of religious exclusivism and to have tolerance with others. And last but not least, the responsibility is on the intellectuals and the media to enlighten people to have better understanding of their faith in social aspects. People should be aware of peace as a primary universal human right. The media plays a central role in the public sphere to encourage people to have peaceful communications with each other. “The media is used as an effective tool for peace. Rather than promoting division, the media can advocate for strategies of conflict resolution, dialogue, cross-conflict understanding, and reconciliation” (Loewenberg, 2009: 174). As a peace journalist, they should identify, understand, and explain the roots of conflict and working against disinformation; providing balanced information from a variety of sources; and educate the public by offering principles of culture of peace.

In conclusion, we need a more peaceful world, in which a non-violent communication will be guaranteed. This paper suggests first, to teach peace discourse in society for the realization of a society free of violence and the culture of peace. Second, to avoid conflicts and violence in societies, cultural and religious pluralism should be accepted, interactions and friendships between people with different religions should be pursued, on the one hand, and to reject exclusivism and conflicts on the other hand.

Since religion is a crucial factor to secure peaceful world, as almost every war between the nations has involved wrong religious education, we strongly need to have a true interpretation of religious teachings. One of the main causes of misunderstandings and misinterpretations of the Islamic teachings is Fundamentalism, and the avoidance of rationality. Education in any society will play an important role in the cultivation of knowledgeable people and in the development of culture. Because the human factor is the most important factor in the development, growth and development of a society.

I have argued that there are many principles in Islamic teachings that provide a foundation for the culture of peace. The first, the acceptance of religious faith is optional. The second is Islam's emphasis on peace and non-violence as the primary law. The third principle is to pay attention to the spiritual self-awareness inherent in our human nature that can move people away from violence. In spite of these principles of peace in Islamic cultural heritage, however Islamic teachings are misunderstood and mis- interpreted in some societies. The responsibility is on the intellectuals and the media to enlighten people to have better understanding of their faith in social aspects.

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1 Osama bin Laden traces his radicalism to the Wahhabism of his native Saudi Arabia, a movement that began with the reformer Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab (1703-87), and advocate of a puritanical reading of Islamic law and belief.

2 This is a quote from the great Persian mystic Jalaluddin Rumi.

3 The pioneers of Perennial Philosophy as a holistic traditional view are thinkers such as Guénon, Coomaraswamy, Schuon, and Burckhardt. Perennial Philosophy is eternal

Received: June 16, 2020; Accepted: July 31, 2020

* Associate Professor in Philosophy of Religion, Department of Philosophy and Islamic Theology, University of Tehran, Iran. Author of the book Evidentialism and The Rationality of Religious Belief (2011).

Tuesday 16 October 2018

Islam, a religion of peace english essay for matric, fa, ba, bsc, css classes.

All the religions and laws give the message of peace.
People of all the religions have committed terrorism.
Miss-interpretation of Islam.
Like all the other religions of the world, Islam promotes peace, love and harmony.
Islam forbids killing of innocent people.
Acts of different terrorist groups do not represent Islam.
Conclusion.

About Maher Afrasiab

Hello, I am Maher Afrasiab a founder of Ratta.pk and some other websites. I have created ratta.pk to promote the eductaion in Pakistan. And to help the students in their studies. Find me on Facebook: @Maher Afrasiab

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