No Extremism

FREEDOM OF THOUGHT that it led to open fighting between the groups, resulting in many deaths. (Al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah, Vol. 11, p. 162) Such incidents have occurred repeatedly in the past and continue to happen even today. Observing these events, some have concluded that disagreement and debate are inherently wrong, and that people should simply follow blindly, avoiding all forms of controversy. But this advice adds one mistake on top of another. Instead of demanding the end of disagreement, people should be taught how to engage in it properly. The unfortunate incident mentioned above happened because the distinction between scholarly disagreement and violent confrontation was not understood. In a military conflict, weapons like swords and guns become unavoidable because war is resolved through force. But intellectual disagreement is entirely different. Resorting to weapons in such a case is a form of irrationality because intellectual disputes should be handled solely through reasoning, not violence. If someone does not accept your argument, present another. If they are not convinced by that either, offer a third, or a fourth. In academic debate, all that is required is the presentation of arguments—regardless of whether they are accepted or rejected. What should be rejected in such incidents is not critique or disagreement itself, but excess and extremism. Excess, in any matter, is harmful.