Islam's, other religions' and modern civilization's position with war (Part 2)

As for other religions such as those in the south, east and south-eastern Asia, since they lack in the rules to govern the social and economic life of people, they

resemble more esoteric philosophies, and yet their followers have not withdrawn from waging wars.

As for modern civilization, it is not Islam which is responsible for the millions of deaths in the Soviet Union and communist China; it is not Islam which caused the Soviet/Russian massacres in Afghanistan and Chechnia and the brutal suppression of freedom movements in Hungary and Czechoslovakia. It is not Islam which is responsible for the killing of more than one million people during France’s war to deny Algeria its freedom. It is not Islam which urged America to its adventure in Vietnam, which cost more than a million lives during the war and many more indirectly since. It is not Islam which caused the death of more than 60 million people, mainly civilians, and forced countless millions more to remain homeless, widowed and orphaned, during and after the two world wars. It is not Islam which is responsible for using scientific knowledge to make nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction with which to intimidate poor and weak nations, and maintain the global hegemony. It is not Islam which is responsible for extermination of natives in the Ameircan Continent and Australia. It is not Islam which is responsible for mass massacres in Africa. Islam is neither responsible for world-wide colonialism which lasted centuries and is still continuing in disguise. Nor is Islam responsible for slave trades which cost the lives of tens of millions of people. It is not Islam which is responsible for raising war-mongers like Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini. They were not brought up by Muslims. Likewise, it is not Islam, nor Muslims, that are responsible for the establishment of despotic kings and presidents over the Muslim countries and their oppression, injustices and massacres. It is not Islam which is responsible for modern terrorism, mafia organizations, and world-wide smuggle of weapons and drugs, despite all opposing claims and plots staged to make us believe that it is so.

Islam, which declares, “Peace is what is the best,” aims at establishing peace throughout the world. However, war is a reality of human history. It is a manifestation in the social life of humanity of the inner world of those who have not been able to attain the human perfection in intellect, spirit and morality. Or it is a manifestation of the war between the spirit and the carnal soul, or Satan and the human values of perfection. What is important and necessary is, rather than overlooking a reality in a meaningless idealistic manner, to bring rules to make war just and for the benefit of people in general. It must be like disciplining and training a person or performing, when necessary, an operation on him/her to restore him/her to health after illness or giving the due punishment to a criminal. This is what Islam has done.

Islam does not order war, but allows it on condition that it should be in God’s way and for the defensive purposes. It also enjoins that the limits set by God must not be exceeded. Those limits are related to both the intention and exercise. For

example, Islam does not allow any war for ultra motives such as conquering lands or plundering or quenching any thirst for revenge or obtaining any material advantage or satisfying racist inclinations. It does not force anyone to change his/her faith. Rather it wants there to be a social atmosphere of freedom where everyone will be able to use his/her free will to accept any faith he/she desires. It has also set up limitations in exercising it, such as those that follow:

• Do not betray the agreements you have made.

• Do not make any plundering.

• Wrong no one and exercise no torture.

• Do not touch the children, women and the old.

• Do not destroy fruit-trees and fertile lands.

• Do not kill sheep and cattle.

• Respect all religious persons who live in hermitages or convents and spare their edifices. (Ibn al-Athir, al-Kami fi al-Tarikh, Vol.3, p.227.)