The Culture of Peace

The Culture of Peace History is witness to the fact that whenever anyone has attained any success, it has only been after adopting the method of reconciliation. Not a single person has ever achieved any real success through confrontation and fighting. The importance of reconciliation lies in the fact that it provides an opportunity to fully exercise one’s right to use the available opportunities. On the other hand, the path of confrontation leads one to waste one’s energies in trying to destroy others, as a result of which one can engage in no constructive work whatsoever. The secret of success lies in stabilising oneself and building oneself up, and definitely not in the destruction of hypotheticalenemies. No to ‘Corruption in the Land’ The Quran describes a certain form of behavior in the following words: When they are told, ‘Do not cause corruption in the land,’ they say, ‘We are only promoters of peace.’ (2:11) This Quranic verse refers to people who, on the face of it, are engaged in some reformist effort but whose method is not proper. Their method is such that, in actual practice, it causes fasad, or strife. Here, ‘corruption in the land’ means that as a result of their methods, people start clashing with each other. Their methods lead to stirring up hatred between people, weakening their moral sensibilities and engendering negative thinking. All these are forms of ‘corruption in the land’ to which this Quranic verse refers, because they destroy social peace, leading to violence and confrontation. From this Quranic teaching we learn that for an action to be considered proper, it is not enough that it appears to be started for a good cause. In addition to this, it is necessary to keep in mind what sorts of results are produced by activities undertaken in the name of reform. If these activities give rise to hatred, tension and