The basic Islamic teachings do not preach violence, but instead seek to protect the rights of every individual in society and promote love, tolerance, equality and justice. Humanity and human rights are considered as the basic building block of the Islamic ideology. Being kind, doing good, being righteous, respecting others, being just, serving humanity, being united, being humble, showing mercy, and loving all together these concepts form the essence of what the Quran teaches, and show that Islam is a religion that promotes tolerance and compassion toward humanity. These concepts are not just ideas but they are an active ways of life. Islam as a religion is not divisive, but is unifying. It is a religion that seeks to bring about acceptance between followers of different faiths, and to establish a basis of peace, respect, freedom, and honour among all people. Failure to bring forth and focus on the core concepts of Islam has led to misunderstanding and misuse of this religion. People who use the Quran as an excuse for violence and terror are proving themselves ignorant and forgetful of what the Islamic religion stands for at its foundation. Unfortunately, mass media plays a large part in perpetuating the fear and lack of understanding about Islam.
“By engaging in conversations about peace, we can see the similarities between the strong messages of peace shared by so many religions. This will help to disprove the claims from extremist groups that religion supports their ideas, placing the actions of these groups in stark contrast to peaceful, compassionate concepts, like those at the core of Islam”.
There is an opportunity for Muslim leaders and scholars to play an important role in making these core principles of peace within Islam more accessible. Peace is sought by people of all backgrounds, as explored in this book. By changing the discussion around Islam from the current predominantly negative one to one of harmony and peace, the conversation is opened up to all people, breaking down barriers between Muslims and non-Muslims. While leaders, scholars, and global media can help to create this shift, individuals all over the globe can also take steps towards achieving a peaceful world. People can use resources such as this book to become better informed about Islam and to learn about its peaceful messages. This will help people to understand that violence and terrorism is not part of, or condoned by, the religion of Islam. Instead, Islam fosters peace and harmony, encouraging the forging of friendships and a demonstration of respect for all peaceful religious practices. Sharing knowledge and ideas about the peaceful world we want to live in, where people support rather than fear one another are an important starting point for bringing about global peace. By engaging in conversations about peace, we can see the similarities between the strong messages of peace shared by so many religions. This will help to disprove the claims from extremist groups that religion supports their ideas, placing the actions of these groups in stark contrast to peaceful, compassionate concepts, like those at the core of Islam. In times such as today, when terrorism threatens the lives of thousands of people, it is more important than ever that we remember the basic teachings of compassion and kindness that exist at the foundations of most religions. There is a need, now more than ever, for the participation of everyone to contribute towards achieving global peace.
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