TOWARDS GLOBAL PEACE

encourage people to practise God’s religion and invite others to the same path. This process had to be continued from generation to generation. The first stage of this revolution was marked by the coercive system being brought to an end, ushering in the dawn of religious freedom in the world. The second stage was embarked upon, when, by availing of the advantages of this freedom, Muslims disseminated Islam at the universal level. Now, Muslims are in the third and final stage of their history, when the progress of religious freedom has reached its zenith. Muslims have to continue this task of conveying the message to people and it is imperative that they do so by adherence to peaceful methods. THE ROLE OF NON-MUSLIMS IN ISLAMIC DEVELOPMENT Islam is the religion of nature, and in treading its path, it is nondiscriminatory, finding room within its scheme of things for every segment of society. In this world any natural process begins with the involvement of different elements—as happened in the case of Islam. Humanity as a whole is an interdependent body and Islam is not an exception. Islam is an ideology aimed at human development, and no process of human development can endure without involving humanity at large. Islamic history contains many examples of the role played by non-Muslims in the development of Islam. This principle of nonMuslim involvement in Islamic development can also be extended from an individual level to the level of an entire group. In the present day context, Western civilization is an appropriate example. Although Western civilization developed in non-Muslim societies without any direct contribution from Muslim minds, it is helpful for Islam in many aspects. For example, it is this Western civilization that finally ended religious persecution and opened the door for religious freedom. Similarly, it is this Western civilization, which has developed the modern means of communication that has made it possible for Muslims to convey the message on a global scale. Also, modern scientific discoveries made in the West have paved the way to proving the beliefs of Islam on a scientific basis. Islam is an ideology aimed at human development, and no process of human development can endure without involving humanity at large.