Peace And Conflict Resolution In Islam

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.

Peace and Conflict Resolution in Islam steps beyond the limitations of the traditional scholarly framework used to evaluate the politics of Islamic societies, and assembles a selection from the best available English-language writings on a matter of central importance in Islamic precepts: peace (salam) and conflict resolution. The writings present diverse Muslim views on the nature of peace and the processes of conflict resolution, giving expression to a range of syntheses or "paradigms" of Islamic precept and practice, including power politics, world order, nonviolence, and transformation of consciousness and character (Sufism). Attention is given to both the diversity and the underlying points of unity among Islamic perspectives on peace, which accentuate, variously, an absence of war, a presence of justice, and ecological harmony.

Within the Muslim community, the call for peace has manifested and will undoubtedly continue to manifest itself in diverse ways. This reflects continuous efforts to interpret and apply foundational Islamic values in specific historical, social, and cultural situations. Islamic concepts of peace have been misrepresented, misunderstood, or simply ignored. There are indeed differences between prevailing Western and Islamic conceptions of peace. These differences constitute a basis for an ongoing dialogue on the topic. Beneath different interpretations of Islam, there is an underlying unity of intention that gives coherence to various approaches to peace. These in Islam can be categorized in five paradigms. Many Muslims have, at one time or another, subscribed to views that incorporate aspects of more than one paradigm. The model of power politics exalts state authority, views peace simply as the absence of war, and emphasizes the political necessities created by threatening environments. The Islamic world order approach sees peace as a condition defined by the presence of such core Islamic values as order, justice, equity, cultural coexistence (as in the Iranian Dialogue of Civilizations initiative), and ecological stability. Practitioners of Islamic approaches to conflict resolution adhere to a restorative conception of peace that encompasses notions of just compensation for losses, renunciation of retribution, and forgiveness. Though it is not widely recognized, an Islamic paradigm for nonviolence does in fact exist, and some of the most notable recent applications of it have occurred in South and Southeast Asia. Peace is understood as the presence of social justice, which must be sought by a just means. The last approach to peace, the Islamic equivalent of a transformational, spiritually centered paradigm, defines peace as a condition of harmony attained through the transformation of human consciousness. The dominant Western approach to peace finds its substance in political pluralism, individual rights, and, in practice - if not in precept - consumerism. In contrast, Islamic precepts permit a view of peace based on communal solidarity, social justice, faith and cultural pluralism. The differences between Western and Islamic approaches to conflict resolution reflect some of the differences between these two respective perspectives on peace. While the strongest Western approach to conflict resolution is to conceptualize and solve problems, the Islamic approach emphasizes the mending and maintenance of social relationships. Muslims see conflict and competition between individuals and groups as a threat to social unity, stability, and welfare, and are often somewhat less optimistic about conflict than the advocates of new Western approaches. Research and dialogue on conceptions of peace and peacemaking provide and alternative to the solipsism of culture - bound thinking. The can promote a deeper understanding of cross - cultural differences and a greater appreciation of the shared values and goals that will be needed if true coexistence - and perhaps even intercultural complementarity - is to be achieved.

This book examines Arab approaches to mediation, negotiation and settlement of political disputes. This book proposes that two clusters of independent variables are potentially responsible for the distinctive nature of Arab conflict resolution. Firstly, those linked with Arab political regimes and imperatives, and secondly those linked with Arab and /or Islamic culture. The text also focuses on the Arab League and its history of involvement in crisis and conflict situations, along with the roles of individual leaders, emissaries and extra-regional actors such as IGOs (Inter-Governmental Organisations) in undertaking mediation initiatives. IGO and Arab League activity has taken on new importance since the various intervention attempts in connection with the 'Arab Spring' since 2011. During the negotiation process, most Arab regimes tend to view conflicts within a broad historical context and Islamic culture prioritises the cohesion of the community and internal stability of the state over individual autonomy. This has created an authoritarian style of leadership, and in practice, leaders in the Middle East have had near absolute authority in the decision-making process—a fact which will have a lot of weight in conflict management and whether peace will endure for a long period of time. This book is unique in studying these clusters through comparative systematic case study analysis of events prior to and subsequent to the 'Arab Spring', augmented by a quantitative analysis of sample data on Arab disputes, compiled from a larger and newly augmented study comprising the years 1945-2000. Complementary data from the Uppsala Conflict Data Program’s (UCDP) data base of armed conflicts since 1975 is also utilized. This book will be of much interest to students of conflict resolution, peace and conflict studies, Middle Eastern politics and IR in general.

Inter- and intra-clan conflicts in Northern Israel pit hundreds against each other in revenge cycles that take years to resolve and impact the entire community. The Sulha is a Shari’a-based traditional conflict resolution process that works independently of formal legal systems and is widely practiced to manage such conflicts in the north of Israel, as well as throughout the Muslim and Arab worlds. The Sulha process works by effecting a gradual attitudinal transformation, from a desire for revenge to a willingness to forgive, through restoration of the victim’s clan sense of honour. Muslim/Arab Mediation and Conflict Resolution examines the process of Sulha, as practiced by the Arab population of northern Israel, where it plays a central role in the maintenance of peace among Muslims, Christians, and Druze alike. It presents detailed analysis of every stage of this at times protracted process. It uses interviews with victims, perpetrators, Sulha practitioners, community leaders and lawyers, along with statistical analysis to examine how Sulha affects people’s lives, how various sectors of society impact the practice, and how it coexists with Israel’s formal legal system. Furthermore, it examines how Sulha compares to Western dispute resolution processes. This book offers the first comprehensive exploration of the entire Sulha process, and is a valuable resource for students and scholars of Middle East studies, Islamic studies and conflict resolution.

In this ground-breaking volume, the authors analyze the role of religion in conflict and conflict resolution. They do so from the perspectives of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, while bringing different disciplines into play, including peace and conflict studies, religious studies, theology, and ethics. With much of current academic, political, and public attention focusing on the conflictive dimensions of religion, this book also explores the constructive resources of religion for conflict resolution and reconciliation. Analyzing the specific contributions of religious actors in this field, their potentials and possible problems connected with them, this book sheds light on the concrete contours of the oftentimes vague “religious factor” in processes of social change. Case studies in current and former settings of violent conflict such as Israel, post-genocide Rwanda, and Pakistan provide “real-life” contexts for discussion. Combining cutting-edge research with case studies and concrete implications for academics, policy makers, and practitioners, this concise and easily accessible volume helps to build bridges between these oftentimes separated spheres of engagement. The Open Access version of this book, available at: http://doi.org/10.4324/9781003002888, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.

Britain in the Middle East provides a comprehensive survey of British involvement in the Middle East, exploring their mutual construction and influence across the entire historical sweep of their relationship. In the 17th century, Britain was establishing trade links in the Middle East, using its position in India to increasingly exclude other European powers. Over the coming centuries this commercial influence developed into political power and finally formal empire, as the British sought to control their regional hegemony through military force. Robert Harrison charts this relationship, exploring how the Middle East served as the launchpad for British offensive action in the World Wars, and how resentment against colonial rule in the region led ultimately to political and Islamic revolutions and Britain's demise as a global, imperial power.

Egypt is considered the intellectual birthplace of the modern Islamic movements, and is a center of Islamic thought and culture. It is also home to one of the oldest Christian populations in the world. While conflict between these two communities is often the focus of media attention in the region, important efforts to advocate for and support positive inter-communal relations are finding a degree of success. In this book, Peter Makari considers the role of governmental and non-governmental actors in conflict resolution and the promotion of positive Christian-Muslim relations in Egypt. He maintains that, prevailing opinions notwithstanding, the last quarter-century has witnessed a high level of inter-religious cooperation and tolerance. Relying heavily on Arabic sources, Makari examines the rhetoric and actions of official governmental and religious institutions. Combining empirical research with an informed theoretical perspective, this work offers a perspective seldom available to the English reader on questions of tolerance, citizenship, and civil society in this part of the Arab world.