Islam & Europe - Peace, Identity & Integration — Page 13
THE NEED FOR OUTWARD AND INNER PEACE 13 believe that this simple and profound point, if acted upon, not just by Muslims, but by all people, is the means for everlasting peace in society. No doubt, everyone desires peace for themselves and their loved ones, but most people will be lying if they claim that they want their opponents and competitors to have peace and to live with contentment. Yet this is the standard of nobility and generosity of spirit that Islam requires. It is a religion and teaching that promotes selflessness and urges humans to discard all traces of selfishness. The principle given by Islam’s Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is that a person should be open-hearted and pure of mind. Instead of desiring only the best for himself, a person should desire the same for others as well. Sadly, in today’s world, we tend to see the opposite. Modern society is consumed by self-interest and greed. Disorder, conflict and warfare are on the rise and the principles of equity and justice are being consistently discarded. This is illustrated by the foreign policies of many powerful and rich countries. It has been a constant theme of modern history that dominant powers have sent their armies to distant lands, on the pretext of establishing peace, but time has proven that their real objective has been to protect and enhance their vested interests. During such conflicts, if just one of their soldiers dies there is an outpouring of grief and they pledge to take revenge. Yet, when their bombs or munitions cause the death of hundreds or even thousands of innocent civilians – including defenceless women and children - they remain silent and do not express any hint of regret or remorse.