TOWARDS GLOBAL PEACE — Manifesto of Peace

no-war pact, gave the Prophet an opportunity to work uninterruptedly on a constructive programme which would otherwise have been impossible. By means of this peaceful non-political programme, the Prophet and his companions were able to consolidate themselves so thoroughly that they had no need to wage war: their opponents were left with no option but to surrender. This Hudaybiya peace treaty of the Prophet of Islam was like a peace ‘bomb’, its positive effects spread far and wide. The result of this treaty shows that the peace ‘bomb’ is mightier than the violent bomb. Peace is life, and violence means death. Peace promotes construction and progress, while violence leads to destruction and annihilation. Peace enhances creativity, whereas violence does the very opposite. The power of peace is based on love, while that of violence is based on hatred. The capacity of peace is unlimited, while that of violence is limited. Some Historical Examples Japan’s industrial cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, were destroyed by the atom bombs in 1945. After the holocaust, Japan abandoned violence and adopted a peaceful course, which it termed a reverse course for its national development. As a result within forty years, Japan rose rapidly to become a great economic power. India's freedom struggle is an excellent example of the use of peaceful methods to achieve political ends. India’s freedom struggle began in 1857. But even after 60 years of sacrifice, the desired political goal remained a distant dream. Then, in 1920, M.K. Gandhi emerged as the leader of the freedom struggle. Taking a U-turn, he abandoned the violent method and opted for a peaceful course of action for the freedom movement. Things took a miraculous turn after that, leaving the British nonplussed. a non-violent Gandhi had taken away from the British any justification for the use of violence. The following anecdote is an apt illustration. When Gandhi launched his freedom movement by following a peaceful method instead of resorting to violent means, a British officer sent a telegram to his secretariat in these words: “Kindly wire instructions how to kill a tiger non-violently.” The success which was not forthcoming, even after a long and violent struggle, was achieved by peaceful methods in a short period of time. Peace means life, and violence means death. The power of peace is based on love, while that of violence is based on hatred. The capacity of peace is unlimited, while that of violence is limited.