TOWARDS GLOBAL PEACE

TOWARDS GLOBAL PEACE We often talk of peace in the context of war. But this is a very narrow and restricted notion of peace. Peace is deeply linked with the entirety of human life. Peace is a complete ideology in itself. Peace is the only religion for both—man and the universe. It is the master-key that opens the doors to every success. Peace creates a favourable atmosphere for success in every endeavour. Without peace, no positive action—small or big—is possible. MISUNDERSTANDING JIHAD BECAUSE of a wrong interpretation by some Muslims, jihad has come to be understood as war to ‘reform’ others, or what is called in Urdu as muslihana jang (reformist war). These people say that Muslims are God’s khalifas or deputies on earth and that it is the responsibility of Muslims as God’s deputies to establish the rule of God in the world. They think they are charged with the God-given task of making people obey God’s rules. They name this war as jihad. This understanding of jihad is undoubtedly false. It has nothing to do with the Quran and the Sunnah, the Prophet’s practice. The notion of a ‘reformist war’—from the point of view of its consequences—is nothing but war for promoting fasad or strife. In society, everyone has the right to peacefully express their views, but the belief that one can use physical force to ‘reform’ others is simply unacceptable when it comes to relations between communities and countries. In any particular society, and also at the international level, no group of people can arrogate to themselves a right that they are not willing to allow others also to enjoy. If a particular group wants to have the right to engage in ‘reformist war’, then, obviously, it must be ready to grant the same right to other groups as well. The result of this would be that each group would start warring with the other groups, all in the name of self-styled ‘reform’. Needless to say, no ‘reform’ can ever come about this way. The only result will be never-ending strife.