The US Institute for Peace (USIP) issued a report last month entitled “Islamic Peacemaking Since 9/11“. Summary:
- Muslims in general and Muslim leaders particularly have often been severely criticized for not more energetically condemning the violent acts of Muslim extremists.
- Violent extremists are on one edge of the Muslim community. They are counter-balanced by a growing movement of Muslim peacemakers.
- Equally as notable as Islamic militancy but less noted are Muslims’ 1) widespread condemnation of terrorism and other violent acts; 2) promotion of interfaith dialogue; 3) education of Muslim youth and reeducation of extremist Muslims; and 4) promotion of peaceful conflict resolution.
The report concludes:
It is common knowledge that some Muslims espouse extremist interpretations of Islam, and some of these extremists engage in religiously motivated violence. But what is much less widely recognized is the extent of peacebuilding within the worldwide Muslim community. A large majority of Muslims denounce religiously motivated violence and are disgusted by the abuse of their religion. Evidence of this can be seen in Muslim leaders’ widespread condemnation of terrorism and religiously motivated violence around the world after 9/11, as well as after recent events in India. In addition, this report has described the efforts of many Muslim organizations and leaders to promote more frequent and effective dialogue with Christians and Jews to enhance mutual understanding and create practical steps to improve relations. Efforts are also under way in many places to vigorously educate Muslim youth about the core Islamic teachings of tolerance, peace, and pluralism. In addition, governments and institutions in Muslim countries are working to reeducate Muslim extremists about the falsity of the doctrines they advocate and to find alternative nonviolent methods to express their discontent.
Finally, there are growing indications of Muslim individuals and organizations promoting peaceful conflict resolution.
While the number of Muslim peacebuilding organizations is rising, many are small and struggling financially. International donors could make an important contribution to world peace by aiding these organizations and strengthening their programs. Several American Muslim organizations have recognized the important roles they can play in reinforcing pluralism within Islam worldwide, and they should be encouraged and supported. Muslim leaders who promote nonviolence, pluralism, and tolerance should be recognized and their efforts publicized. Key Muslim organizations around the world are mobilizing to counter extremism within Islam, and they should be applauded.
The report is well worth a read, and provides a viewpoint we don’t get in the mainstream media, because it doesn’t sell papers.
Dave
March 2nd, 2009
The United States Institute of Peace recently released a report, Abrahamic Alternatives to War: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Perspectives on Just Peacemaking.
Summary
- Jewish, Muslim, and Christian sacred texts all contain sections that support violence and justify warfare as a means to achieve certain goals. In particular historical circumstances, these texts have served as the basis to legitimate violent campaigns, oftentimes against other faith communities.
- Many of the passages from sacred texts in all three religious traditions that are misused in contemporary situations to support violence and war are taken out of context, interpreted in historically inaccurate ways, or can be better translated. Finally, all of these passages need to be understood within (and constrained by) the primary spiritual aims of the individual faith.
- There are also a great many teachings and ethical imperatives within Jewish, Christian, and Muslim scriptures that promote peace and present the means to achieve it. These include mandates to strive for political, social, and economic justice; tolerant intercommunal coexistence; and nonviolent conflict resolution.
- The three religious delegations that participated in the conference leading to this report presented slightly different and yet overlapping methods for peacemaking articulated by their sacred scriptures. The considerable overlap led the scholars to affirm the existence of a coherent “Abrahamic Just Peacemaking” paradigm, which began to take focus through their rigorous interfaith debate.
- Further work is needed to articulate fully this Abrahamic Just Peacemaking paradigm. The conference scholars committed themselves to continued development of this model in pursuit of a rigorous and effective faith-based program to promote alternatives to war.
About the Report
Eight Muslim scholar-leaders, six Jewish scholar-leaders, and eight Christian scholar-leaders met from June 13 to 15, 2007, in Stony Point, N.Y., at a conference sponsored by the United States Institute of Peace and the Churches’ Center for Theology and Public Policy. Conference participants specified practices within each of the three faith traditions that could lay the groundwork for nonviolent alternatives to resolving conflict and addressing injustice, while also identifying roadblocks in the sacred texts of their traditions to creating such processes. The scholars ’ teachings found that these ancient religious teachings on peace and justice are often consistent with modern conflict-resolution theory. This report examines passages that support violence in each tradition’s scripture, presents definitions of “just peacemaking” in each tradition, summarizes places of convergence that might create the foundation for a program offering an Abrahamic alternative to war and presents a joint statement and series of commitments reached at the end of the conference.
A fantastic initiative, and a fascinating read!
You can also download the full PDF.
Dave
October 22nd, 2008