TOWARDS GLOBAL PEACE

It is important to explain to them that although their actions are done in the name of Islam, they are completely un-Islamic. The first duty of Muslims towards non-Muslim nations is not jihad but dawah, or conveying to them the message of God. The most important responsibility of Muslims is to convey the message of God, and this task should continue generation after generation. Moreover, according to Islamic teachings, jihad is the name of peaceful dawah work. Engaging in violence in the name of jihad is the result of a misinterpretation of this concept. Islam allows for defensive war, but that is permissible, if the need so arises, only for a Muslim state and not for individuals or non-state actors. One of the motives behind the Muslim youth’s attack was the belief that America is an enemy of Islam. Such notions are entirely baseless. The fact is just the opposite; America is a friend of Islam. The proof for this is that currently, about five million Muslims are living in the United States and they have established innumerable organizations and institutions which are carrying out their activities with complete freedom. Those Muslim youths who are engaged in violence wrongly believe that they are doing jihad against an enemy. For the sake of argument, if we suppose that America is indeed an enemy of Islam and Muslims, even then, stepping out with a gun and shooting down Americans are actions completely at variance with the teachings of Islam. Taking action against an enemy is the prerogative of an established state, and not of individuals. Therefore, if one believes that ‘so and so’ is an enemy, then the correct procedure would be to refer the case to an established Muslim state, rather than taking measures oneself. Resorting to violence to kill one’s supposed enemies, would be totally un-Islamic. An example of this principle is available in Islamic history. In the 13th century, the Tartars attacked the Abbasid Caliphate based in Baghdad. At that time, al-Imam Ibn Taymiyyah, a well-known Islamic scholar thought that the situation required military action. However, he did not Going against one’s oath is a punishable act in Islam. Undoubtedly, a person who acts against the oath he has taken proves that he is a criminal.