TOWARDS GLOBAL PEACE

According to the Creation Plan of God, everyone is free. Freedom is everyone’s birthright, so no one can abolish anyone’s freedom. People are free to use their freedom as they please, if you disagree with the point of view of your fellow beings, you can express your views in a rational manner; you must try to address their minds. Guns and bombs are no options for Muslims. Killing in the name of blasphemy is common. Further, it is strange that no Muslim of repute speaks against this un-Islamic act. Almost all Muslims are silent on this issue. This silence is highly objectionable as there is a Hadith, that if one sees an evil and fails to speak out against it, such a person is as a dumb Satan. If one takes the act of blasphemy as a difference of opinion, then it will be to one’s advantage. Difference of opinion invites discussion, which gives a good opportunity to remove the misconceptions. Moreover according to the Quran, differences create an opportunity to turn an enemy into a friend. Islam emphasizes a rational approach. The Quran does not ask others to refrain from using abusive language against Islam; it enjoins Muslims not to use abusive language against other religions. Islam tries to root out the cause of blasphemy rather than command people to kill those who commit blasphemy. Save others from your evil, to be saved from the evil of others. Freedom of Expression Islam greatly believes in freedom of expression. As such blasphemy in Islam is a subject of intellectual discussion rather than a subject of physical punishment. The concept of blasphemy is completely alien to the original teachings of Islam. Before the advent of Islam, difference of belief was also a punishable act. They used to punish on matters of belief just as on matters of social crime. This old practice is called religious persecution in history. Islam abolished this practice. The Prophet of Islam declared that personal belief is a subject of discussion and exchange rather than of legal punishment. If you go through the Quran and Hadith, the only two authentic sources of Islam, you will find that there is not a single Quranic verse or The responsibility of the believers is to observe the policy of avoidance, and with a well wishing attitude, convey the message of God to them in such a manner that their minds might be properly addressed.