Islam & Europe - Peace, Identity & Integration — Page 14
ISLAM & EUROPE: PEACE, IDENTITY & INTEGRATION 14 The consequences of such injustice are extremely damaging and far-reaching. The local people see that their lives are deemed to be of far less worth and value than the lives of those who are from powerful nations. As they observe the stark double standards and the lack of humanity, they become overcome by frustration, anger and resentment and their emotions threaten to boil over at any time. The peace and security of such nations lie in ruins but the rest of the world would be foolish to think that they will not be affected; rather, the world is now so inter-connected that the ramifications of hostilities in one part of the world, are bound to spread beyond borders and we have seen many examples of this in recent years. Hence, if we genuinely desire peace, whether in our personal lives or at a collective level, the pivotal point is that we should like for others what we like for ourselves. As I said before, this simple principle is the foundation for true peace in the world. In terms of religion, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) taught that developing true peace requires for mankind to turn towards God Almighty, who is the Source of Peace, the Noble and the Pure and to try to emulate His attributes. This means that human beings should set aside their personal interests in the pursuit of peace and ensure that their motivations are pure at all times. Certainly, much of the division prevalent in the world today is because the underlying intentions of the parties involved are not innocent or honest. There are clear contradictions between their words and deeds and there can never be peace if there