Non-Violence and Peace-Building in Islam

factors or conditions that prevail in communal violence-free parts of the country or a city and that serve as a deterrent to communal conflict in those parts that are prone to such violence. 14 The Sensible Way to Respond to Provocation T here is one solution to conflict that every person is aware of. In fact, every person uses this very method when he feels that his personal interests are under threat. This solution involves conducting oneself in such a manner that helps winning over one’s opponents, rather than engaging in confrontation with them. Lamentably, however, when it comes to relations between communities, many people forget this method completely. They wrongly believe that there is no solution to their problems other than confrontation and conflict. The basic reason for this contradiction is ‘cheap leadership’. A community that is degenerated lacks the power of action. It seeks to hide this fact under the veil of heated rhetoric. In such a community, the easiest way for someone to become powerful and ‘famous’ is through bombastic rhetoric. Our Muslim leaders stiffly compete with each other in this regard.