Chapter Fourteen

Peace in a Plural Society enjoy. If a particular group wants to have the right to engage in ‘reformist war’, then, obviously, it must be ready to grant the same right to other groups as well. If this happens, the result would be that each group would start warring with the others, all in the name of self-styled ‘reform’. Needless to say, no ‘reform’ can ever come about in this way. Rather, the only result will be never-ending strife. The fact is that there is only one legitimate form of war, and that is war that is fought in defense. If a nation crosses its geographical boundaries and openly attacks another nation, the latter has the right to reply by fighting in defense. Other than in this case, there are no grounds for war in Islam at all. This principle is as firmly accepted in Islam as in many other systems. With regard to this principle, there is no difference between Islam and non-Islamic systems. In this regard, there is an issue that needs particular attention. It relates to the past, to the period of the age of Monarchy. In this period, much of the world was ruled by various dynasties. At that time, the monarch was considered to be above the law. He thought he could do whatever he pleased. Because of this, every king engaged in deeds that were clearly morally or legally improper. This was the case with Muslim kings in ancient India, too. For instance, Mahmud Ghaznavi demolished the Hindu temple at Somnath and looted its gold. Likewise, it is said that Aurangzeb destroyed a Hindu temple in Benaras and built a mosque in its place. And so on. Such deeds were committed by kings in every country in those days. But all these were later treated as just a part of ancient history and did not become a cause for continuous conflict between communities. It is only in India that incidents like these became a cause for continuing bitterness between communities— Hindus and Muslims—leading to repeated communal riots. They became a major obstacle in promoting communal harmony. The basic reason for this exceptional case of India in this regard is, I believe, that the Indian Muslim ulama and intellectuals have