The Preservation of Culture

may derive lessons from them. In the absence of such historical relics, the very purpose of traveling would be rendered meaningless! Every group or community has its own particular culture. And they possess the absolute right to safeguard it. In matters relating to culture, the question of whether it is against or in favour of Islam should not arise. Indeed, any community that wants to protect its culture should be given the right to do so. Just as this has been endorsed by secularism, so also has it been accepted by Islam. There is an event in Islamic history which very aptly illustrates this point. Jerusalem was conquered during the Caliphate of Umar, the second Caliph of Islam. Caliph Umar went to Jerusalem from Makkah, and signed an agreement with the Christians. This agreement contained, among other things, the guarantee that all the relics in the Christian churches,—for instance, the statues of Mary and Jesus, and the Holy Cross, believed to be the one on which Christ was nailed would be left intact. All these objects were part of the Christian culture, and it was specified in the agreement that the Christian community had the right to preserve and maintain them. (Tarikh Tabari) This act on the part of the second Caliph of Islam shows that it is the right of every community to safeguard its culture, whether under Muslim rule or not. No government is vested with the right to interfere in the cultural affairs of another community. The issue of the preservation of culture must remain independent of government intervention. One important point to be borne in mind is that, as far as international matters are concerned, the Islamic norm would be the same as the agreed norms of other nations. This principle of Islam can be inferred from certain incidents in the life of the Prophet.