World Crisis and the Pathway to Peace — Page 180
180 What these terrorist groups are doing can only be condemned in the strongest possible terms. On the other hand, the Qur’an teaches that even where prisoners are justifiably taken, it is better to exhibit favour upon them and to release them wherever pos- sible. A golden principle for the establishment of peace is given in chapter 49, verse 10 of the Holy Qur’an, where it says that if there is a dispute between nations or groups, third parties should seek to mediate and to bring about a peaceful resolution to the conflict. In the event of an agreement, if either party unjustly seeks to subjugate the other and contravenes the negotiated settlement, then the other nations should unite together and use force if nec- essary to stop the aggressor. However, once the aggressive party withdraws they should not be humiliated or unduly restricted; rather, they should be permitted to move forward as a free nation and a free society. This principle is of great significance in today’s world and in particular for the major powers and international organisations such as the United Nations to act upon. In terms of establishing world peace, an extremely momentous principle, ensuring universal religious freedom, is enshrined in chapter 22, verse 41 of the Holy Qur’an. The Qur’an states that if permission for war was not granted then, in addition to mosques, churches, synagogues, temples and the places of worship of all re- ligions would be in grave danger. Thus, where Allah the Almighty permitted the use of force, it was not just to save Islam, but to save religion itself. In truth, Islam guarantees the freedom, liberty and protec- tion of the people of all religions. Islam protects the right of every individual to follow his or her own chosen path or belief. I