Islamic Pe rs p e c t i ves on

Peace and Violence

B r i e f l y . . .

• Islam and the West share cultural ro o t s, inc l ud i ng a shared commitme nt to peace,

but Islam and the West are out of touch with each othe r. The clash between the two,

ho w e v e r, is one of symbols ra t her than of civilizatio ns. 

• C o nt rary to stere o t y p e s, Islam advocates nu me rous no n v io l e nt and peacebuilding

values and expects Mu s l i ms to live by them. Despite these ideals set out for Mu sl i ms, various societal fo rces pose obstacles to their impleme nt a t io n .

• Te r rorism finds some historical pre c e de nt in a few he re t ical Is l a m ic sects, but Is l a m

does not teach Mu s l i ms to kill inno c e nt people in the na me of a political age nda. 

• A l t hough the re is no justific a t ion for the terrorist acts of September 11, Ame r ic a n

support for autho r i t a r ian re g i mes in the Muslim world both breeds ra d ical opposit ion in these count r ies and stimulates ant i - A me r ican sent i me nt. 

• W hen mo de rate Mu s l i ms re main silent, ex t remists speak for all. It is time that Mu slim mo de rates rescued Islam and Muslim causes from the clutches of ex t re m i s t s. 

• Mo de rate Mu s l i ms must fig ht against all fo r ms of pre j ud ic e, hatre d, and int o l e ra nc e

within Muslim ranks and must militantly advocate peaceful re s o l u t io ns of conflic t

both within and outside the commu n i t y.

• T he West and Islam need to actively eng a ge each other and learn the best that the y

each have to of f e r. 

Introduction

T he events of September 11 raised Ame r ican public int e rest in Islam to a new level of

i nt e ns i t y. Osama bin Laden de c l a red that the Muslim world was at war with the worlds

of Christianity and Judaism. Mo re o v e r, he asserted that it was the re l ig ious duty of Mu sl i ms to attack the United States and ind i v idual Ame r ic a ns. Some who were not very fa m i liar with Is l a m ic theology took this ra d ical rhe t o r ic as symptoma t ic of a wide s p re a d

p a t hology within Islam that ma de Mu s l i ms ge ne rally suspect as purveyors of hatred and

t e r rorist acts. Even those who had a mo re balanced view of the Muslim world re a l i z e d

t he need for a deeper unde r s t a nd i ng of Islam. Questio ns that are being asked inc l ude :

What is the Is l a m ic perspective on vio l e nce and when is vio l e nce re l ig iously justifie d ?

w w w. u s i p . o rg

S P E C I A L R E P O RT

1200 17th Street NW • Washington, DC 20036 • 202.457.1700 • fax 202.429.6063

January 24, 2002

AB O U T T H E RE P O R T

T he United States Institute of Peace hosted a

w o r k s hop on Is l a m ic perspectives on peace and

v io l e nce on November 7, 2001. The workshop was

c o - s p o ns o red by the Division of Int e r na t io na l

Peace and Conflict Resolution at Ame r ican Un i v e rs i t y. Of course, int e rest in this topic took on muc h

g reater sig n i f ic a nce fo l l o w i ng the events of

September 11, which posed questio ns about ho w

Islam views acts of political vio l e nc e. Although this

p o l i t ical cont ext ma de the topic particularly time l y,

it should be noted that the workshop was also part

of a series of workshops organized by the Ins t i t u t e

over the past year on the perspectives of vario u s

faith commu n i t ies toward peacema k i ng. 

T he workshop was co-chaired by David Smo c k ,

d i rector of the Institute’s Relig ion and Pe a c e ma ki ng Initia t i v e, and Abdul Aziz Said, Mo h a med Said

Farsi Is l a m ic Peace Chair professor at Ame r ic a n

Un i v e r s i t y. The other three pre s e nt e r s, Mo h a m me d

A b u - N i me r, Mu q t e dar Khan, and Sulayman Nyang ,

a re all pro m i ne nt Muslim scholars based at Ame r ican universities and experts on Islam and peace.

This report was pre p a red by David Smock. 

The views ex p ressed in this report do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Institute of

Pe a c e, which does not advocate specific policies.

UNITED STATES INSTITUTE OF PEAC E

CO N T E N T S

I nt ro duc t io n 1

Islam and the We s t 2

Is l a m ic Views of Peace and Vio l e nc e 2

Islam and Te r ro r i s m 3

Factors Unde r l y i ng September 11 4

C h a l l e nges for the West and

for Mu s l i ms 4

E ng a ge me nt Between the West 

a nd the Is l a m ic Wo r l d 6
How can one unde r s t a nd cont e m p o rary Is l a m ic ex t remism? What cont r i b u t io ns can

Is l a m ic ins t i t u t io ns ma ke to peacema k i ng? What are the most important Is l a m ic

re s o u rces for peacebuilding? How can common gro u nd between Islam and the West be

fo u nd at this time? These questio ns and others were addressed by four scholars of Is l a m

at the workshop organized by the United States Institute of Peace on November 7, 2001. 

Islam and the West

Popular slogans to the cont ra r y, Islam and the West are not inhe re ntly inc o m p a t i b l e,

a c c o rd i ng to Professor Abdul Aziz Said. The re is a deep re s o na nce between Islam and

Western civilization. Like Christia ns and Je w s, Mu s l i ms share a common calling to work

for peace, as enjoined by the Quran. The shared cultural roots joining Islam and the

West are too often fo rgotten. Although the re c e ntly voiced (and fre q u e ntly ill-conceived) opinio ns re g a rd i ng a “clash of civilizatio ns” posit that Islam falls outside the

J ude o - C h r i s t ian and He l l e n ic cultural cont i nuum, the reverse is in fact the case. Classical Is l a m ic civilization was cons t r ucted out of Ara b, Biblicist, and He l l e n ic culture s, but

cast a wider net by int e g ra t i ng Pe r s ian, Cent ral As ian, and Ind ian compone nts within

its cultural synt he s i s. Historic a l l y, Islam is the true bridge between West and East. Said

w e nt on to point out that Islam’s Hellenism was me d iated primarily through Eastern

C h r i s t ian int e l l e c t ual circ l e s, and important stre a ms of Muslim philosophical and scie nt i f ic tho u g ht still re main an unde r s t ud ied field linking Late Antiquity with the Rena i ss a nc e. Thus the re are stro ng gro u nds for asserting that Islam as a civilizatio nal fo rc e

a nd re l ig ious tra d i t ion should be perceived as an int e g ral part of the Western tra d i t ion. 

What is often viewed as a clash of civilizatio ns is really a clash of symbols, Said

p o i nted out. The symbols on the one side are he a d s c a r v e s, turbans, and other symbols

of Is l a m ic re l ig ious ex p re s s ion that We s t e r ners often find re p e l l a nt, just as funda me ntalist Mu s l i ms view much of Western culture as ant i - Is l a m ic. Mo re o v e r, cultural cont a c t

between Islam and the West has been ma r red by historically une q ual power re l a t io ns,

“ l e a v i ng the West arro g a nt and ins e nsitive and the Muslim world de f e nsive and ins ec u re.” Western arro g a nce breeds contempt and fa na t icism on the Is l a m ic side, and the re

is evide nce of para no ia on both side s. The Is l a m ic world is of f e nded by the West’s cult u ral triumphalism, backed up by overwhe l m i ng military fo rc e. This is int e r p reted by

s o me Mu s l i ms as a new Crusade. The West and the Is l a m ic world are out of touch with

each othe r. Befo re the West can effectively convey its int e nt io ns, it has to unde r s t a nd

what is go i ng on in the Arab and Muslim world toda y. This involves active listening to

t he voices from the re g ion and eng a g i ng with them in sustained dia l o g u e. 

Islamic Views of Peace and Violence

C o nt rary to stereotypes of Islam, Professor Mo h a m med Abu-Nimer stated, Islam advocates nu me rous no n v io l e nt and peacebuilding values and expects Mu s l i ms to live by

t hem. These values are supported by the Quran and the Hadith (the Pro p het’s saying s ) .

O ne of these values is the duty to pursue justice (Quran 5:8). Ano t her is the ne c e s s i t y

of do i ng good by struggling against oppre s s ion and he l p i ng those who are in ne e d. A

t h i rd such value is that all hu ma ns are God’s cre a t ion, have sacred lives, and thus are

all equal (7:11). Islam gra nts no special privileges based on ra c e, ethnic i t y, or tribal

a f f i l ia t ion. Mo re o v e r, all Mu s l i ms are to respect and preserve hu man life (5:32). Is l a m

also calls for the quest for peace, which is a state of phy s ical, me ntal, spiritual, and

s o c ial harmo ny (5:64). Other verses stress the importance of tolera nce and kind ness to

o t her people (16:90). Looking at the life of the Pro p het, one notes his use of no n v iol e nt me t hods to resist those who persecuted him; the Pro p het never resorted to viol e nce or fo rc e. Pe a c e ma k i ng and ne go t ia t ion are cons ide red mo re effective than

2

AB O U T T H E IN S T I T U T E

T he United States Institute of Peace is an indep e nde nt, nonpartisan fede ral ins t i t u t ion cre a t e d

by Cong ress to pro mote the pre v e nt ion, ma na geme nt, and peaceful re s o l u t ion of int e r na t io na l

c o n f l ic t s. Established in 1984, the Institute me e t s

its cong re s s io nal ma ndate through an array of

p ro g ra ms, inc l ud i ng re s e a rch gra nt s, fellowships,

p rof e s s io nal tra i n i ng, educ a t ion pro g ra ms fro m

h igh school through gra duate school, confere nc e s

a nd worksho p s, library servic e s, and public a t io ns.

T he Institute’s Board of Directors is appointed by

t he Pre s ide nt of the United States and confirme d

by the Sena t e.

BOA R D O F DI R E C TO R S

Chester A. Cro c ker ( C h a i r man), Ja mes R. Schlesinge r

P rofessor of Stra t e g ic Stud ie s, School of Fore ign Servic e,

G e o rgetown University • S eymour Martin Lipset ( V ic e

C h a i r man), Hazel Professor of Public Po l ic y, George

Mason University • Betty F. Bumpers, F o u nder and 

fo r mer Pre s ide nt, Peace Links, Wa s h i ngton, D.C. 

• Holly J. Burkhalter, Advocacy Dire c t o r, Phy s ic ia ns fo r

Hu man Rig ht s, Wa s h i ngton, D.C. • M a rc E. Leland, E s q . ,

P re s ide nt, Ma rc E. Leland & As s o c ia t e s, Arlington, Va. 

• M o ra L. McLean, Esq., Pre s ide nt, Afric a - A me r ica Ins t it u t e, New York, N.Y. • María Otero , P re s ide nt, AC C IO N

I nt e r na t io nal, Some r v i l l e, Ma s s. • B a r b a ra W. Snelling,

State Senator and fo r mer Lie u t e na nt Governo r, She l b u r ne,

Vt. • Harriet Zimmerman, V ice Pre s ide nt, Ame r ican Is ra e l

P u b l ic Affairs C o m m i t t e e, Wa s h i ngton, D.C.

ME M B E R S E X O F F I C I O

Lorne W. Cra n e r, As s i s t a nt Secretary of State for Demo cra c y, Hu man Rig ht s, and Labor • Douglas J. Fe i t h , Unde r

S e c retary of Defense for Po l icy • Paul G. Gaffney II, V ic e

Adm i ral, U.S. Navy; Pre s ide nt, Na t io nal Defense Un i v e r -

s i t y • R i c h a rd H. Solomon, P re s ide nt, United States

I nstitute of Peace (no n v o t i ng)
3

a g g re s s ion and vio l e nt confro nt a t ion. In fact, the Ara b ic me a n i ng of the word Is l a m

itself connotes peace. Ano t her virtue in Islam is fo rg i v e ness (23:96). Mu s l i ms are urge d

to live in harmo ny and peace with all fellow hu ma ns. 

Despite these ideals set out for Mu s l i ms, various societal fo rces pose obstacles to

t heir impleme nt a t ion, Abu-Nimer no t e d. Amo ng these are the cooptation of re l ig io u s

l e a ders by go v e r n me nt s, which leads to a lack of trust and credibility in re l ig ious leadership. Other challenges inc l ude corruption, patria rchal social struc t u re s, rig id socia l

h ie ra rc h ie s, econo m ic de p e nde nce on the West and the sense of he l p l e s s ness it enge nde r s, and the hu m i l ia t ion ge ne rated by such confro nt a t io ns as the Ara b - Is raeli conflict. 

Islam does not fully advocate pacifism, Professor Mu q t e dar Khan stated. Islam do e s

permit the use of fo rc e. But the theory of jihad, which me a ns “struggle in the path of

G o d,” fo r b ids vio l e nce except: (1) when Mu s l i ms are not allowed to pra c t ice their fa i t h ,

that is, when fre e dom of re l ig ion is thre a t e ned; (2) when people are oppressed and subjugated; and (3) when people’s land is fo rcibly taken from them. In these situa t io ns

Islam allows a ra nge of re s p o ns e s. One can fo rgive the oppressor or one can re s p o nd

with fo rc e. The re are Qura n ic sources enc o u ra g i ng both positio ns. The Quran states,

“A nd slay them whe rever you find them, and drive them out of the places from whe re

t hey drove you out, for persecution is worse than killing” (2:191). But the Quran also

s t a t e s, “Tell those who disbelieve that if they cease persecution of believers that whic h

is past will be fo rgiven them” (8:38). Khan went on to say that the re is no hie ra rc hy

of verses in the Quran. Those who privilege the first verse over the second will wage

war to fig ht injustic e. And most militant Mu s l i ms invoke this verse in the de f e nse of

t heir actio ns. But then the re are Mu s l i ms who privilege the second verse and seek a

d i p l o ma t ic end to persecution and urge fo rg i v e ne s s. These two verses are exemplary of

t he tens ion between realism and idealism in Islam. But in the final analysis Islam is

what Mu s l i ms ma ke of it, Khan said.

Islam and Terrorism

T he great tra ge dy of September 11, stated Professor Sulayman Nyang, is distinct fro m

all pre v ious terrorist acts against the United States because it is a form of “hig h - t e c h

b e s t ia l i t y.” It is a bestiality ma de possible by the subord i na t ion of scie nce and technology to the totalitarian, fa na t ical, and eschatological cons t r uct of a system-chall e ng i ng group. Much blood has been shed by people who believe that their vio l e nt

a c t io ns serve a divine cause. This distortion of the teachings of the great re l ig io ns has

been most brutal and fa na t ical when the blood of the faith commu n i t y, tribe, or na t io n

is ma de sacred “by the fa na t ical uttera nces of the re l ig iously and ra c ially int ox ic a t e d.

Muslim leaders and commu n i t ies should ma ke it clear that they have zero tolera nce fo r

t e r ro r i s t s. ”

N y a ng cont i nued by saying that any Muslim fa m i l iar with the history of Islam as a

p o l i t ical fo rce in history and as a philosophic a l - mo ral fra mework for hu man actio n

k nows well that Islam does not teach Mu s l i ms to kill inno c e nt people in the na me of a

p o l i t ical age nda. Ac c o rd i ng to the Quran, taking of one life is like the killing of all

hu ma n k i nd. Added to this are the other verses that set down the rules of eng a ge me nt

if Mu s l i ms are fo rced by their circ u ms t a nces and cond i t io ns to fig ht their ene m ie s.

Te r rorism, Nyang said, can be traced historically and philosophically in early Is l a mic tho u g ht to the Kharijites. The Kharijites were a small sect in 7th century Islam who s e

members at first supported Sayyid i na Ali Ibn Abu Talib for the caliphate but the n

opposed and fo u g ht him because he accepted arbitra t ion in his fig ht with Mua w i y y a h ,

t he go v e r nor of Syria. Being totally committed to an egalitarian unde r s t a nd i ng of socia l

j u s t ice and unw i l l i ng to compromise even when it served the collective int e rest of the

u m m a h ( t he whole Is l a m ic community), members of the Kharijite sect unleashed a

s e r ies of terro r i s t ic acts that ma de life na s t y, brutish, and short for ma ny Mu s l i ms. This

Muslim leaders and

communities should make it

clear that they have zero 

to l e rance for terro r i s t s.

Islam advocates numerous 

nonviolent and peacebuilding

va l u e s.
4

lasted until the Kharijites were effectively de c i mated by the Um mayyad dy na s t y. The i r

acts of terrorism helped stimulate an enhanced appre c ia t ion for political order and stability within Islam. The rise of sultanic stro ng men in Is l a m ic history can be traced to

s o me ex t e nt to the acts of political vio l e nce by disside nt groups like the Kharijites. 

B e s ides the Kharijites, the re was also the case of Hassan al Sabbah, the leader of

t he As s a s s i ns in the Is l a m ic Me d ieval Ages who is now re me m b e red in history books as

t he Old Man of the Mo u ntain. Exe rc i s i ng tre me ndous influence over his fo l l o w e r s, this

my s t e r ious Muslim leader fo u nd in terror an effective ins t r u me nt of political and socia l

i nt i m ida t ion. This terrorist network gave us the English word “a s s a s s i na t ion,” de r i v e d

f rom the Ara b ic word h a s h a s i n .

Factors Underlying September 11

Khan asserts that the Ame r ican support for autho r i t a r ian re g i mes in the Muslim world

both breeds ra d ical opposition in these count r ies and stimulates ant i - A me r ican sent ime nt. He cites Tu r ke y, Alge r ia, Saudi Ara b ia, Bahrain, and Kuwait as examples of no n -

de mo c ra t ic re g i mes that re p ress popular mo v e me nts with U.S. support. The lack of

peaceful channels for protest and dissent in the Arab world has slowly ra d icalized mo s t

mo de rate Is l a m ic opposition gro u p s. The West legitimized the military coup that prev e nted Islamists from coming to power after winning an election in Alge r ia in 1992.

T he United States gave tacit support to Tu r key when it fo rced Islamists out of power

in the 1990s, even after they had won popular ma nda t e s. “It is not the hatred of

de mo c racy and fre e dom but the de s i re for de mo c racy that has ma de ma ny Mu s l i ms hate

t he United States, which they blame for the perpetua t ion of unde mo c ra t ic polities in

t heir world.” Other sources of hostility inc l ude Ame r ican troops statio ned in Saudi Arab ia, U.S.-supported sanc t io ns against Iraq, and unc r i t ical Ame r ican support for Is rael. 

Khan goes on to say that no ne of this justifies the atro c i t ies of September 11. “I

w o nder how those Mu s l i ms re s p o nsible for the slaughter of Ame r ican civilia ns would

ra t io nalize their actio ns in the lig ht of this Qura n ic verse: ‘He who has killed one innoc e nt soul, it is as if he has killed all hu ma n i t y. And he who has saved one soul, it is as

if he has saved all hu manity . . .’ (Quran 5:32). What happened was ho r r i b l e, inhu ma n ,

a nd un-Is l a m ic. But re f l e c t ion over Muslim grie v a nces can help us unde r s t a nd how even

devout people can be driven to commit the mselves to terro r. Systema t ic re p re s s ion dispossesses people of their hu ma n i t y, inc i t i ng them to commit inhu man acts.” 

N y a ng quotes John Cooley in citing the boome ra ng effect of Ame r ican support fo r

t he Afghan re b e l l ion against Soviet occupation. Cooley wro t e, “The cons e q u e nces of

a r m i ng, tra i n i ng, and fina nc i ng this global band of Muslim partisans, ma ny of who m

hated their Ame r ican, Saudi, and other paymasters as much as or mo re than they did

t he Soviet occupie r s, were evide nt even befo re the war was over” (“Te r rorism: Cont inuity and Change in the New Cent u r y,” Global Dialogue, Autumn 2000, p. 13).

Challenges for the West and for Muslims

T he re are three da nge r s, noted Khan, against which all peace-loving people must be on

g ua rd: (1) this conflict must not be allowed to become a clash of civilizatio ns between

Islam and the West; (2) hawks and ex t remists must not be allowed to hijack and do mi nate the discourses in the West and in the Muslim world; and (3) the search for security and re v e nge should not be allowed to unde r m i ne the mo ral fa b r ic of our socie t ie s.

He goes on to note that the United States should stop “obsessing over bin Laden and

Islam and exa m i ne the re c e nt history of their actio ns overseas to grasp the depth of

h a t red they enge nder amo ng fo re ig ne r s.” Mo re o v e r, “when the United States re s p o nd s

to the mu rder of inno c e nt people with massive attacks that kill mo re inno c e nt people,

“It is not the hatred of democra cy and freedom but the desire

for democra cy that has made

m a ny Muslims hate the United

S ta t e s, which they blame fo r

the perpetuation of undemoc ratic polities in their wo r l d . ”
5

t hen it is me rely re s p o nd i ng to terror with terro r. When Is l a m ic scholars claim that suic ide bombings against Is rael are permissible because the Is raeli army also kills civilia ns

a nd children, then they have conc e ded the int e r p re t a t ion of Is l a m ic law to the Is ra e l i

a r my.” Regardless of what the other do e s, we must be careful to re s p o nd by re ma i n i ng

within the bounda r ies of our own mo ra l i t y. We must not allow the inhu manity of the

o t her to strip us of our hu ma n i t y. The best way to ens u re that this war on terror do e s

not escalate is by advanc i ng a new discourse. Un l i ke the pre s e nt discourse whose cent ral the mes are Is l a m ic terrorism and Western colonialism, we need to ex p l o re the me s

that talk about bridg i ng the gap between Is l a m ic values and Muslim pra c t ic e s, and

between de mo c ra t ic values and Ame r ican fo re ign polic y. The new discourse will eme rge

if the mo de rates within the Muslim world and in the West seriously begin collective exe rcises in self-re f l e c t ion and self-criticism to bridge the chasm between values and actio ns,

deeds and word s, ideas and re a l i t ie s.

S a id asserted that new U.S. perspectives are critically important. Ame r ican polic y

t o w a rd the Is l a m ic world need not be obsessed with Is l a m ic funda me ntalism, but it

s hould ra t her address some of the root causes of terro r i s m — s u f f e r i ng of the Pa l e s t i n ia ns, ma l d i s t r i b u t ion of re s o u rc e s, and absence of legitimate and ge nu i nely partic i p a t o r y

p o l i t ical authority in the Arab world. The exc l u s ion of Muslim and Arab people fro m

active partic i p a t ion in political life unde r m i nes political stability in the Middle East and

t he Is l a m ic world and thre a t e ns vital Ame r ican int e re s t s. The future of de mo c racy in the

re g ion, Said said, de p e nds upon what Ame r ic a ns do at this critical mo me nt in history.

This is not to say that the United States should substitute pro - de mo c racy int e r v e nt io ns

for its tra d i t io nal support of re p ressive re g i me s. While re p ressive re g i mes can be imposed

by subversion, de mo c racy cannot be successfully implanted from the outside, and certainly not by subversive me a ns. It is an ind ige nous and de l icate flower that only flouri s hes when deeply rooted in the dre a ms and hopes of the great majority of a na t ion. The

United States now has a chance to be part of the struggle for de mo c racy in the Ara b

w o r l d. Success de p e nds on a stro ng Ame r ican commitme nt to the ever-eme rg i ng tra ns nat io nal cons c io u s ne s s, one that trusts in the universal promise of de mo c ra c y.

T he Muslim community toda y, Said asserted, finds itself eng a ged in a profo u nd struggle in this cruc ial mo me nt of its history, effectively cut off from the past, faced with a

p re s e nt that is characterized by tyra n ny, poverty, and hu m i l ia t ion, with no viable or

de s i rable prospects for cre a t i ng its own future. Mu s l i ms have much to gain from unde rs t a nd i ng the West and its hard-won achie v e me nts in the realm of political coex i s t e nc e.

D e mo c racy is scarce in the Is l a m ic world toda y, but this is mo re the result of a lack of

p re p a ra t ion for it and less because of an absence of re l ig ious and cultural fo u nda t io ns.

Is l a m ic social ins t i t u t io ns are mo re dy na m ic and variegated than is ge ne rally re c o g n i z e d ;

t hey pro v ide the basis for ge nu i ne partic i p a t ion. Mu s l i ms need to ask, what kind of citi z e ns can Islam cre a t e, animated by Is l a m ic values and cont exts? What can Islam do to

b r i ng about participatory de c i s io n - ma k i ng? To day’s challenge for Mu s l i ms lies in the

ex p a ns ion of the orig i nal ideas of Islam, and a willing ness to de mo ns t rate curiosity about

h i s t o r ical ex p e r ie nces and achie v e me nts of the West. 

Ac c o rd i ng to Khan, Muslim mo de rates must become aggressive in their de a l i ng s

with ex t remists in their midst. The first step is to recognize that when mo de ra t e s

re main silent ex t remists speak for all. Those Mu s l i ms who do not wish to be re p res e nted by the likes of Osama bin Laden must speak out loud and clear. What is also

c r uc ial is that they reject specious int e r p re t a t io ns of Islam and Is l a m ic principles that

people like bin Laden use to justify the mu rder of inno c e nt civilia ns. Mo de rate Mu sl i ms must also re member that vague and ge ne ralized stateme nts conde m n i ng terro rism are not he l pful. They must condemn specific acts and specific ind i v iduals and

g roups associated with those acts. If you are against terrorism then let the world kno w

that in unequivocal terms, Khan said. 

Khan cont i nu e d, “Ma ny Mu s l i ms have become hy p o c r i t ical in our advocacy of

hu man rig hts in our struggles for justic e. We protest against the discriminatory 

The future of democra cy in the

region depends upon what

Americans do at this critical

moment in histo r y. 

We must not allow the

inhumanity of the other to 

strip us of our humanity.
6

p ra c t ices of Is rael, Ind ia, and other no n - Muslim na t io ns, but are mostly silent agains t

t he discriminatory pra c t ices in Muslim states. We rig htly condemn Is raeli tre a t me nt of

Pa l e s t i n ia ns at all int e r na t io nal fo r u ms. But our silence at the way ma ny Mu s l i m

na t io ns have treated the same Pa l e s t i n ia ns really questio ns our commitme nt and concern for them. While we loudly and cons i s t e ntly condemn Is rael’s ill tre a t me nt of

Pa l e s t i n ia ns, Russian excesses in Che c h nya, or Serbian atro c i t ies in Bosnia, we re ma i n

s i l e nt when Muslim re g i mes abuse the rig hts of Mu s l i ms and slaughter tho u s a nds of

t hem. Are Mu s l i ms not supposed to stand for justice even if it me a ns taking a posit ion against our dear ones (Quran 6:152)? It is time that we face these hy p o c r i t ic a l

p ra c t ices and struggle to tra ns c e nd them. For de c a des we have watched as Mu s l i ms in

t he na me of Islam have committed vio l e nce against other Mu s l i ms, from the Ira n - I ra q

war to the struggles in Afghanistan. As Mu s l i ms can we condo ne such inhu man and

s e nseless waste of life in the na me of Islam? The culture of hate and killing is teari ng away at the mo ral fa b r ic of the Muslim socie t y. We are mo re focused on ‘the othe r ’

a nd have completely fo rgotten our duty to Allah. In pursuit of the inferior jihad we

have sacrificed the superior jihad, which is the inner struggle for go d l i ne s s.” 

It is time, Khan cont i nu e d, that Muslim mo de rates rescue Islam and Muslim causes

f rom the clutches of ex t re m i s t s. “As I see it, the only way out is through an ex t re me

i nt o l e ra nce for int o l e ra nc e. Mo de rate Mu s l i ms must fig ht against all fo r ms of pre j ud ic e,

h a t re d, and int o l e ra nce within Muslim ranks and must militantly advocate peaceful re so l u t io ns of conflict both within and outside the commu n i t y. Inde e d, Muslim mo de ra t e s

must wage war against war and realize the Qura n ic ma ndate that Mu s l i ms are a na t io n

of mo de ra t ion and justice (2:143).”

Ac c o rd i ng to Abu-Nime r, “Our job, as Muslim and no n - Muslim scholars and pra c t it io ne r s, is to cont i nue the cons t r uc t ion of an authe nt ic and culturally based peaceb u i l d i ng and no n v io l e nce fra mework that can be applied both on policy and commu n i t y

l e v e l s. The Quran, the Hadith, and other Is l a m ic tra d i t io nal sources pro v ide plenty of

e v ide nce to support the convic t ion that Islam is a re l ig ion of peace and justic e, and that

no n v io l e nt pra c t ices are well rooted in the re l ig ion. Educ a t i ng both Mu s l i ms and no n -

Mu s l i ms on the peaceful me s s a ge of Islam and era d ic a t i ng the ig no ra nce that leads to

t he negative stere o t y p i ng of Islam and to enmity between Mu s l i ms and no n - Mu s l i ms is

t he first step toward peaceful and just re l a t io ns between Muslim and no n - Muslim commu n i t ie s. Ho w e v e r, such efforts are not enough. Pe a c e b u i l ders and age nts of socia l

c h a nge in Muslim commu n i t ies have also to face the struc t u ral obstacles that exist in

Muslim commu n i t ie s. Although such social, cultural, and political obstacles are of t e n

ma i nt a i ned by ex t e r nal fo rc e s, ind i v iduals and org a n i z a t io ns can resist this decay and

t hese evil fo rc e s. Every Muslim community should resort to self-exa m i na t ion and criticize itself for the role it has played in perpetua t i ng the reality of stagna t ion, vio l e nc e,

a nd a sense of he l p l e s s ne s s. ”

Engagement Between the West and the Islamic World

Most important for both communities is active engagement, commented Said.

Active engagement with one another, through sustained dialogue, permits each to

understand the deep meanings, associations, and implications of the prevailing

clash of symbols referred to above. The West need not recoil from Islamic symbols,

as they do not represent anti-Western, anti-secular, irrational extremism. The West

remains secure enough to uncover the extent to which a deeper pathology has

been clothed in religious rhetoric. Active engagement permits us to understand and

recognize the true expressions of human religiosity and protects us from the politics of manipulated symbolism. Whereas healthy expressions of religiosity reflect a

mature understanding of a faith tradition, psychopathology operates at the level

of symbols in order to generate a new system of confrontation. Confrontation feeds

Muslim moderates [must]

rescue Islam and Muslim causes

f rom the clutches of ex t re m -

i s t s. . . . Moderate Muslims

must fight against all forms of

p re j u d i c e, hatred, and into le rance within Muslim ra n k s.

Ac t i ve engagement would allow

the West to avoid entra p m e n t

in this process of confro ntation, moving beyond initial

n e g a t i ve reactions to Islam in

o rder to discover human

commonality and shared 

experiences and needs. 
7

on the need to address despair through actions predicated upon and intended to

s p read fear. It should not be difficult for Western Christia ns to unde r s t a nd the da nge r

of misappro p r ia t i ng re l ig ious symbols, for we need only look at the ex p e r ie nce of the

C r u s a des of the 12th and 13th cent u r ie s, in which mo b i l i z a t ion for ma t e r ial and political goals was cloaked in the symbolism of re l ig ious de v o t ion. Active eng a ge me nt would

allow the West to avoid ent ra p me nt in this process of confro nt a t ion, mo v i ng beyond

i n i t ial negative re a c t io ns to Islam in order to discover hu man commo nality and share d

ex p e r ie nces and ne e d s. 

As Mu s l i ms seek to harmonize the Is l a m ic spirit of commu nalism with the chang i ng

c o nd i t io ns of their own socie t ie s, Said cont i nu e d, they have a new opportunity for conc e p t ua l i z i ng the na t u re of Muslim citizenship and assuming a greater role in the shapi ng of their history. A re t reat to a cultural ghetto by any group, be it Muslim, Je w i s h ,

C h r i s t ian, Buddhist, or Hindu, is not only a de n ial of the rich diversity of the mo de r n

c u l t u ral ex p e r ie nc e, but also a re j e c t ion of re s p o nsibility for future ge ne ra t io ns. 

Islam and the West have the ability to develop a new and mu t ually re w a rd i ng re l at io nship, Said conc l ude d. Such a re l a t io nship would be premised not on ideas of cult u ral superio r i t y, but on mu t ual respect and openness to cultural eclecticism. Mu s l i ms

a nd We s t e r ners can learn from each other and cooperate in pursuit of hu ma ne values.

T he West and Islam are not de s t i ned to meet as rivals. The West can give Islam the best

that it has in exc h a nge for the best of Is l a m .

Contributors

Abdul Aziz Said is director of the Division of Int e r na t io nal Peace and Conflict Resolut ion at Ame r ican Un i v e r s i t y, whe re he holds the Mo h a med Said Farsi Is l a m ic Peace Chair.

He also directs the Center for Global Pe a c e.

Muqtedar Khan is assistant professor of political scie nce and director of int e r na t io na l

s t ud ies at Adr ian College. He is also the vice pre s ide nt of the As s o c ia t ion of Muslim Socia l

S c ie ntists and is on the board of the Center for the Study of Islam and Demo c ra c y. 

Sulayman Nya n g is professor of African stud ies at Ho w a rd Un i v e r s i t y. He fo r me r l y

served as deputy ambassador for the Gambia to Saudi Ara b ia. He is author of I s l a m ,

C h r i s t i a n i t y, and African Identity.

Mohammed Abu - N i m e r is assistant professor of int e r na t io nal peace and conflict re s ol u t ion at Ame r ican Un i v e r s i t y. He is the author of Nonviolence and Peace Building in

Islam: Theory and Practice ( fo r t h c o m i ng ) .

The West can give Islam the

best that it has in exchange fo r

the best of Islam.
Of Related Intere s t

Ma ny other public a t io ns from the United States Institute of Peace address issues that

relate directly to Islam and to re l ig ious cont r i b u t io ns to peacebuilding. 

Recent Institute reports include:

Faith-Based NGOs and International Peacebuilding ( S p e c ial Report, October 2001)

Catholic Contributions to International Peace ( S p e c ial Report, April 2001)

To obtain an Institute report (available free of charge), write United States Institute of

Pe a c e, 1200 17th Street NW, Suite 200, Wa s h i ngton, DC 20036-3011; call (202) 429-

3832; fax (202) 429-6063; or e-mail: usip_re q u e s t s @ u s i p . o rg .

Recent books from USIP Press include:

Islamic Activism and U.S. Foreign Po l i c y, by Scott W. Hibbard and David Little (1997)

Islam and Democracy: Religion, Po l i t i c s, and Power in the Middle East, by Timo t hy D. Sisk

( 1 9 9 2 )

For book sales and order info r ma t ion, call 800-868-8064 (U.S. toll-free only) or 703-661-

1590, or fax 703-661-1501.

United States 

Institute of Pe a c e

1200 17th Street NW

Wa s h i ngton, DC 20036

For mo re info r ma t ion, see our website

( w w w. u s i p . o rg), which has an online

e d i t ion of this report cont a i n i ng

links to related websites, as well as

a dd i t io nal info r ma t ion on the topic.

SP E C I A L RE P O R T 8 2