What Are The Issues | The Conflicts, Past and Present
Interviews and Commentaries | Noteworthy Articles

Islamic Perspectives on Peace and Violence

The events of September 11 raised American public interest in Islam to a new level of intensity. Osama bin Laden declared that the Muslim world was at war with the worlds of Christianity and Judaism. Moreover, he asserted that it was the religious duty of Muslims to attack the United States and individual Americans.

Some who were not very familiar with Islamic theology took this radical rhetoric as symptomatic of a widespread pathology within Islam that made Muslims generally suspect as purveyors of hatred and terrorist acts. Even those who had a more balanced view of the Muslim world realized the need for a deeper understanding of Islam.

Questions that are being asked include:

What is the Islamic perspective on violence and when is violence religiously justified?
How can one understand contemporary Islamic extremism?
What contributions can Islamic institutions make to peacemaking?
What are the most important Islamic resources for peace building?
How can common ground between Islam and the West be found at this time?

For more of this article, please click here.