TOWARDS GLOBAL PEACE

act on his own, rather, he wrote a letter to the Muslim Sultan of Egypt and Syria, Al-Nasir Muhammad, advising him to take military measures against the Tartar attackers. (Al-Siyasah al-Shariyyah, Ibn Taymiyyah) It is important to know that an individual cannot declare a country as an enemy. Rather, the whole community of Muslims would have to make this declaration. Once such a declaration is made, the entire Muslim community living there would have to emigrate from such a country. According to Islamic fiqh, residing in a country which is considered an ‘enemy’ country is unlawful. The Palestinian youth migrated to America and took US citizenship. The oath of allegiance to the United States of America reads: “I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.” The actions of the Muslim youth went against this oath of citizenship. An oath, in Islamic teaching, is a promise. The Quran says that one should fulfill one’s promise, else one will be held accountable before God (17: 34) . 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. o Engaging in violence in the name of jihad is the result of a misinterpretation of the Quran.