Islam And Peacebuilding

Islam and Peacebuilding in the Asia-Pacific provides a unique backdrop of how native or migrant Muslims interact with communities of other faiths have led to the contemporary treatment of Islam and the Muslim communities in these nations. This book is based on the theme of Islam's presence and development in the Asia-Pacific region, and the concerns faced by Muslims in the region. Section 1 details the current status of peace or conflict between Muslims and practitioners of other faiths in Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and the Philippines, and the role of Muslim institutions in promoting peace in each nation. Section 2 features how Muslims living in cosmopolitan areas such as Australia, Indonesia and Japan engage with people of other faiths. Lastly, Section 3 explores the concerns with the interaction of the religion, state and society in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. A unique collection of the history of Islam in the region, Islam and Peacebuilding in the Asia-Pacific seeks to provide valuable insight for the global policy community by offering a comprehensive treatment of the issues highlighted.

"Most approaches to violence or its opposite in Islam try to establish that the religion of the Prophet is one or the other, and thus get nowhere. Avoiding this trap, Abu-Nimer has given us a wide-ranging and thoroughly researched study that will be of interest to scholars and of use to peace builders."--Michael Nagler, University of California, Berkeley Written by a Muslim scholar, lecturer, and trainer in conflict resolution, this book examines the largely unexplored theme of nonviolence and peace building in Islamic religion, tradition, and culture. After comprehensively reviewing the existing studies on this topic, Abu-Nimer presents solid evidence for the existence of principles and values in the Qur'an, Hadith, and Islamic tradition that support the application of nonviolence and peace building strategies in resolving disputes. He addresses the challenges that face the utilization of peace building and nonviolent strategies in an Islamic context and explores these challenges on both local and global levels. Through a discussion of the structural and cultural obstacles to peace building and nonviolence, the author explains the gap between Islamic values and ideals and their applications in day-to-day reality. To illustrate the actual practice of these values and principles of peace building, the book analyzes three case studies, drawing from the political, sociocultural, and professional arenas. The initial case study discusses the First Palestinian Intifada; it is analyzed as a nonviolent political movement in which Islamic cultural and religious values and rituals played an important role in mobilizing communities to join the movement. The second case study focuses on the role that such values play in traditional Arab dispute-resolution practices such as Sulha (mediation, arbitration, and reconciliation); it extracts lessons and principles used by Arab traditional elders who peacefully resolve family, interpersonal, and community disputes. The third case study discusses the obstacles and challenges facing professionals who provide peace-building and conflict-resolution training and initiatives within the Islamic world. Combining theory with practical applications of peace building, conflict resolution, and nonviolent initiatives in Islamic communities, Abu-Nimer provides a framework for further developing and utilizing these principles in an Islamic context. Mohammed Abu-Nimer is associate professor in the International Peace and Conflict Resolution Program at American University, Washington, D.C., where he is also director of the Conflict Resolution Skills Institute.

Crescent and Dove looks at the relationship between contemporary Islam and peacemaking by tackling the diverse interpretations, concepts, and problems in the field of Islamic peacemaking. It addresses both theory and practice by delving into the intellectual heritage of Islam to discuss historical examples of addressing conflict in Islam and exploring the practical challenges of contemporary peacemaking in Arab countries, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, and Indonesia.

The exploration of the contributions is made with regards to the title in hand by the thought and practice of the global movement associated with the Turkish Muslim scholar Fethullah Gulen. The importance and distinctiveness of teaching of Gulen and the practice of the movement is that it is rooted in a confident Turkish Islamic heritage while being fully engaged with modernity. It offers the possibility of a contextualised renewal of Islam for Muslims in the modern world while being fully rooted in the teachings of the Qu'ran and the Sunnah of the Prophet. It advocates the freedom of religion while making an Islamic contribution to the wider society based on a commitment to service of others.

Islam and Peacebuilding in the Asia-Pacific provides a unique backdrop of how native or migrant Muslims interact with communities of other faiths have led to the contemporary treatment of Islam and the Muslim communities in these nations. This book is based on the theme of Islam's presence and development in the Asia-Pacific region, and the concerns faced by Muslims in the region. Section 1 details the current status of peace or conflict between Muslims and practitioners of other faiths in Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and the Philippines, and the role of Muslim institutions in promoting peace in each nation. Section 2 features how Muslims living in cosmopolitan areas such as Australia, Indonesia and Japan engage with people of other faiths. Lastly, Section 3 explores the concerns with the interaction of the religion, state and society in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. A unique collection of the history of Islam in the region, Islam and Peacebuilding in the Asia-Pacific seeks to provide valuable insight for the global policy community by offering a comprehensive treatment of the issues highlighted.

This timely work addresses sensitive issues and relations between Muslims and Christians around the world. The book uniquely captures the opportunity for Christians and Muslims to come together and discuss pertinent issues such as pluralism, governance, preaching, Christian missionary efforts, and general misperceptions of Muslim and Christian communities. Joint authorship and discussion within the book is used to offer dialogue and responses between different contributors. This dialogue reveals that Christians and Muslims hold many things in common while having meaningful differences. It also shows the value of honestly sharing convictions while respecting and hearing the beliefs of another.

Qamar-ul Huda investigates the application of conflict resolution and peacebuilding in Muslim-majority communities. The book focuses on methods and practices by Muslim practitioners and shows how a faith-based commitment retains the capacity to empower effective social, political, and intellectual action that results in meaningful change.

In the wake of September 11, 2001 religion is often seen as the motivating force behind terrorism and other acts of violence. Religion and Peacebuilding looks beyond headlines concerning violence perpetrated in the name of religion to examine how world religions have also inspired social welfare and peacemaking activism. Leading scholars from the Aboriginal, Hindu, Buddhist, Confucian, Jewish, Muslim, and Christian traditions provide detailed analyses of the spiritual resources for fostering peace within their respective religions. The contributors discuss the formidable obstacles to nonviolent conflict transformation found within sacred texts and living traditions. Case studies of Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Cambodia, and South Africa are also examined as practical applications of spiritual resources for peace.