THE CULTURE OF PEACE — Part VI Teachings of Islam

The method of reform that the Prophet Muhammad used in ancient Arabia was that of positive status-quoism. For instance, at that time, there were 360 idols inside the Kaaba. But in the early Quranic revelations no order was revealed to remove these idols from the Kaaba. Instead, in this initial period the Quran announced, ‘purify your garments’ (THE QURAN 74:4). This meant purification of one’s moral character, and that of others, too. No Justification For Violence Violence is against human nature. It murders humanity. It is the most heinous of all crimes. Yet, despite this fact, why do some people still engage in violence? The reason is very simple: Such people fabricate a justification for violence, and then they begin to believe that their violence is justified. Radicalism only exacerbates a given problem. In contrast, positive status-quoism fulfils its purpose without creating any problems in society. But the fact remains that every single justification or pretext that is offered for violence is false. Whenever an individual or group engages in violence, there also exists, at the very same time, the possibility of choosing non-violent or peaceful methods. Yet, in such a situation, violence is still their choice. The fact is that violence is to be abandoned completely and peace is to be accepted completely. One should never resort to violence under any pretext whatsoever. No matter what the conditions are, one must necessarily remain firmly wedded to peaceful methods. Solving Enmities People often think of certain communities as their enemies. And then, on the basis of this imaginary perception, they start fighting against these communities, supposedly to save themselves from the consequences of their enmity. This imaginary enemy of theirs is, however, wholly false. And so are whatever actions they are engaged in to counter this so-called enemy’s imagined threat. Enmity is not a constant aspect of human existence, unlike, say, the fingers of one’s hands. It is just a superficial aspect of human existence.