EVERY PERSON IS YOUR POTENTIAL FRIEND

as giver members of society, being of benefit to others. They should become givers, rather than takers. Today, large parts of the world face communal violence—violence in the name of differences of religion, sect, language and so on. What are the causes for this? The basic cause for this is the lack of the art of managing differences. There are two methods for handling differences. One is the method of extremism, and the other is the method of tolerance. Votaries of the method of extremism think that among the various schools of thought that exist only one is right and that the rest are wrong. Hence, they insist that all the others should be eliminated. In contrast, votaries of the method of tolerance or broadmindedness consider differences to be a matter of diversity. They have a practical formula for relating with this diversity: ‘Follow one, respect all’. This is the right approach to adopt. What should be done to end communal violence? There is only one principle to overcome an environment of hate—and that is, to adopt unilateral reconciliation, as the Prophet of Islam did on the occasion of the Treaty of Hudaibiyah. Many Muslims think they are oppressed in different parts of the world. What do you think about this view? Muslims are not oppressed. They are simply paying the price for their unwise actions and approach. They need to live and act based on practical wisdom. What advice will you give for reforming madrasas? The people who are in charge of madrasas (religious seminaries) must have a proper understanding of the contemporary age. They should be aware of their times. By being aware of the age means that those who are associated with madrasas must function, work and plan in line with contemporary times. Without a proper understanding of the contemporary age and context, they cannot properly act, plan and function. This is why the madrasa authorities must have a good knowledge of the context and the conditions of the times. Failing this, their work will not produce any positive results. Consider this analogy to understand the vital importance of having a deep understanding of the times and context one is living in: Today, we live in an age of peace. Now, if some person is unaware of today’s age; and in an age of peace begins fighting with others, naturally, the results