While modern definitions of Peace are mostly either Political definitions merely implying “absence of violent conflicts” or Economic definitions implying “Economic Equality”, Islam presents a holistic view stressing Comprehensive health (Physical, mental, social and spiritual) of individuals, family peace (cordial relations within family system) and social order (absence of all forms of violence, disorders and disparities); and in addition Peace in the Life after Death. This was the major point of thrust in the talk delivered by Dr. Javed Jamil, Chair in Islamic Studies & Research, Yenepoya University Mangalore. The online talk titled “Conceptualising Peace in Islam” was organised by “Interfaith Conversation” body of Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi on November 7.
Dr. Jamil said Islam presents a three tier social system comprising Individuals, Family and Society. All three are extremely important. He said that, thanks to the dominance of the market forces, “Family” has become the “most ignored and devastated entity” in the current world. He argued that as opposed to the two-dimensional constitutions prevalent in the world comprising Fundamental Rights and Fundamental Duties, Islam presents a three dimensional system comprising Fundamental Rights, Fundamental Duties and Fundamental Prohibitions. Fundamental Prohibitions are of huge importance as they relate to the substances and practices that pose threat to life and healthiness of life, he explained.
Dr. Jamil presented numerous statistics on extremely high incidences of all forms of violence, including murders and rapes and argued that despite huge legal machinery, crimes are zooming because crimes and litigation both have become big markets. He lambasted the commercialisation of sex and the modern concepts of freedom, saying that this has led to more than 38 million deaths due to HIV/AIDS. He said the violence of all forms are highest in the countries that claim themselves to be the “most civilised” and “most advanced”. He said during the last 120 years more than 180 million people have died in wars and the 5 big powers of the world have been the major culprits. In last 20 years, America and its allies have killed more than 3 million people in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.
In reply to a question, he said that, while any wrongdoing on the part of Taliban should not be acceptable, the media needs to highlight the fact that since 9/11, America has killed more than 2,50,000 people in Afghanistan. While Taliban will be judged on their performance, it is good that the forces of America and its allies have left the country.
In reply to another question, he said in today’s world freedom of women means freedom of men to enjoy them. Why in a world, which claims to be the champion of women’s rights, their freedom has been used to exploit them in sex market, which is becoming bigger and bigger every passing day. He argued that women need to be given freedom in a way that it does not become a source of their exploitation. The modern world is notorious for making them sex objects, turning them into killers of their own children by way of abortion and burdening them with single parenthood, he argued.
Dr. Jamil stressed that, in order to establish peace in the world, all religions have to come together, especially the four biggest religions: Islam, Hinduism, Christianity and Buddhism.