Through Force or Faith? — Page 40
?— A Reply to Pope Benedict XVI 40 violence. At every level, the teachings of Islam is meant to establish peace and harmony. The sublime guidance that Islam has offered to establish peace and harmony between nations and countries cannot be matched either by any human ingenuity or by any other religion. Only by implementing these sublime teachings, peace and harmony can be established in the world. After the Second World War, an organization of nations emerged by the name of United Nations. We observe that it has met the same fate and is suffering the same plight that was suf- fered by the organization that preceded it. Great minds worked in collaboration and created this organization with great plan- ning. Many committees were set up in it. The Security Council was established to maintain peace and accord in the world and to settle disputes. Another committee was set up to review the economic conditions whenever they become a cause for unrest. A Court of Justice was appointed. But, despite all this, what is hap- pening in the world is quite obvious to all. The reason for these failures is the lack of righteousness. Some nations have set them- selves up above others on the basis of their standard of prosper- ity, or because of their standard of knowledge, or because of their standard of might, or because of their level of learning, or because of their arrogance, or because of their perception that they are more peace loving than the rest. Different standards of perma- nent membership and non-permanent membership have been observed in a way that can never establish justice. Whenever any power has the authority to override a majority decision if done without spiritual insight and help from Allah and righteousness, this action can never be conducive to promoting peace. Therefore, if peace is to prevail in the world, it will be only through the