1 00:00:00,020 --> 00:00:11,280 Mark Colvin, it's lovely to be here. Am I am I have a theology background, too. 2 00:00:11,280 --> 00:00:19,050 I read theology here at Oxford. And then I trained as a demand at Muslim College in London. 3 00:00:19,050 --> 00:00:29,220 But I don't have sort of expertise in peace studies. But when I was invited to come and speak, I thought, you know, this is just the thing for me. 4 00:00:29,220 --> 00:00:38,380 This is something I can really get stuck into and would really enjoy because I do a lot of interfaith work. 5 00:00:38,380 --> 00:00:46,480 Is an educational programme that I devised last year, piloted for the first time in the U.K. But really the key is that, 6 00:00:46,480 --> 00:00:52,650 you know, what kind of society are we trying to shape and build and and and leave for our future generations to come? 7 00:00:52,650 --> 00:01:05,950 So thinking about what I should say today, of course, the primary sources in Islam are the the Koran in Haiti. 8 00:01:05,950 --> 00:01:15,900 The revelation itself and then the Hadith contains the reports are the sayings and deeds of the prophet. 9 00:01:15,900 --> 00:01:23,430 But I want to try and take another different look and let this look is really to look at the life of the prophet, 10 00:01:23,430 --> 00:01:32,970 because the Koran speaks of the prophet as being sent as a mercy for the world's eyes, as being an excellent example to follow. 11 00:01:32,970 --> 00:01:36,240 And I thought, you know, let's have a kind of historical look. 12 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:50,470 Let's look at the biography, the seer of the Prophet, and see what kind of examples, how we can take from his life about peace and reconciliation. 13 00:01:50,470 --> 00:01:59,670 And again, I think it would be really interesting to look at the life of the prophet and also try and profess that will be 14 00:01:59,670 --> 00:02:08,220 as can be a promise that he is he will recommend some academic words to read and try and sort of combine the two, 15 00:02:08,220 --> 00:02:18,300 our historical perspective, the life of the prophet, but bring it into the contemporary world and see what lessons as a Muslim we can draw from that. 16 00:02:18,300 --> 00:02:23,310 But I really want to begin in Southall, the Broadway. 17 00:02:23,310 --> 00:02:29,670 I don't know whether any of you have been to the Broadway, but the broader MSO has lots of restaurants. 18 00:02:29,670 --> 00:02:37,920 And every now and then I try and take my family, my daughter and I and my wife. 19 00:02:37,920 --> 00:02:46,680 We go and do some shopping and we treat ourselves to curry house. 20 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:52,140 And last year when I went, I discovered a number of young people. 21 00:02:52,140 --> 00:02:54,540 They had a stall. They were giving out leaflets. 22 00:02:54,540 --> 00:03:05,040 And these leaflets were very much about, you know, if you can't be friends with Jews and Christians, you democracy's haram. 23 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:08,970 You know, unity vote is haram, it's forbidden and so on. 24 00:03:08,970 --> 00:03:20,850 So what I did was take these leaflets and the information that they were disseminating and actually provide a theological response to that. 25 00:03:20,850 --> 00:03:27,360 But what I want to begin with is, is really to say that in the contemporary context, 26 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:34,860 the first steps on the path to effective peacemaking and peacebuilding must entail a dialogue with 27 00:03:34,860 --> 00:03:43,390 those who hold radical extremist views and to challenge their readings off the Koran and Hadith. 28 00:03:43,390 --> 00:03:56,340 So. Through this, we can challenge that narrative because that's absolutely essential to begin this process of peacemaking. 29 00:03:56,340 --> 00:04:04,680 One of the verses that they were using in that literature was about Muslims cannot have relationships with other people of other faiths. 30 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:14,460 And this is a kind of common narrative, common argument that the likes of al-Qaida and everybody in that kind of group try and use. 31 00:04:14,460 --> 00:04:20,640 So what's the Koranic response to that? Because, of course, in the contemporary world, it's an inter, interconnected, 32 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:28,740 interdependent world and Muslims can't simply isolate themselves that there has to be interaction. 33 00:04:28,740 --> 00:04:34,410 They have to create a new kind of system which is suited for the 21st century. 34 00:04:34,410 --> 00:04:42,450 But the Koranic response really to to this diversity and how Muslims should relate to that, 35 00:04:42,450 --> 00:04:46,830 that does a verse in the Koran that says God does not forbid you to deal kindly, 36 00:04:46,830 --> 00:04:52,950 unjustly with anyone who has not fought you for your faith or driven you out of your homes. 37 00:04:52,950 --> 00:05:00,240 God loves to just but God forbid you to take us allies, those who have fought against you for your faith, 38 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:04,680 driven you out of your homes and helped others to drive you out. 39 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:09,550 Any of you who take them. That's those who fight against you as allies. 40 00:05:09,550 --> 00:05:15,420 We'll be wrong. There is now a traditional commentary from Al Tabari. 41 00:05:15,420 --> 00:05:19,530 He in in commentary of this verse, he states, 42 00:05:19,530 --> 00:05:29,100 The most incredible view is that the verse refers to people of all kinds of creeds and religions who should be shown kindness and treated equitably. 43 00:05:29,100 --> 00:05:36,420 God referred to all those who do not fight the Muslims or drive them from their homes without exception or qualification. 44 00:05:36,420 --> 00:05:42,780 And it's interesting that the word the boardroom is often translated as dealing kindly. 45 00:05:42,780 --> 00:05:48,390 But to fully appreciate the meaning of this term. We must examine the root. 46 00:05:48,390 --> 00:05:51,120 It comes from the root as borough. 47 00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:59,520 By doing so, we discover the depths of its meaning and the basis upon which the relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims should be based. 48 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:04,830 It should should be based upon being just to one another. 49 00:06:04,830 --> 00:06:06,840 At one point in the Koran, God says, 50 00:06:06,840 --> 00:06:16,260 let not a people's enmity towards you incited to act contrary to justice B just for it is closest to righteousness. 51 00:06:16,260 --> 00:06:27,120 So any form of peace making, the central theme has to be there have to be mechanisms fought for justice and the dispensing justice. 52 00:06:27,120 --> 00:06:31,170 Another meaning would be dealing benevolently with one another. 53 00:06:31,170 --> 00:06:38,100 A Christian delegation from Madrid visited the prophet, and when it was time for their prayer, 54 00:06:38,100 --> 00:06:41,550 the prophet allowed them to pray in the mosque facing towards the east. 55 00:06:41,550 --> 00:06:49,550 So that really shows you the kind of liberal attitude that the prophet had towards people of other faiths, 56 00:06:49,550 --> 00:06:57,300 but of course, behaving with utmost courtesy at all times. On one occasion, a funeral was passing the prophet. 57 00:06:57,300 --> 00:07:04,030 Out of respect stood up. And that the companion said the prophet. 58 00:07:04,030 --> 00:07:09,190 This is a Jew and the prophet replied. Was he not a human being? 59 00:07:09,190 --> 00:07:10,240 And so from this, 60 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:19,340 Islamic scholars have drawn from the cities and numerous verses of the Koran that every human being has been honoured by God with dignity. 61 00:07:19,340 --> 00:07:27,190 Now, before the mission of the Prophet, an interesting incident took place that shows the prophet's attitude to peace building Mecca, 62 00:07:27,190 --> 00:07:31,310 of course, with a tribal society without any legal system. 63 00:07:31,310 --> 00:07:37,970 The consequence of which was that the rights of the weak and the less powerful tribes were not respected. 64 00:07:37,970 --> 00:07:48,500 A transgression by one person of another would often lead to conflict between tribes because of the absence of a mechanism for redress. 65 00:07:48,500 --> 00:07:52,310 The conflict and war would last for many years. In one incident, 66 00:07:52,310 --> 00:08:01,910 a foreign merchant visiting Mecca would've found himself in a position in which the buyer refused to pay the buyer being a prominent man. 67 00:08:01,910 --> 00:08:09,470 Mecca was well aware that the merchant had no tribal support and would not be able to force him to pay. 68 00:08:09,470 --> 00:08:17,720 However, the merchant appealed to the prophets, trying to Koresh to see that justice was done. 69 00:08:17,720 --> 00:08:23,980 Most of the clans who had no alliances with American man Ments clan responded immediately. 70 00:08:23,980 --> 00:08:27,920 So there was a concrete resolve to ensure that justice was done. 71 00:08:27,920 --> 00:08:36,230 Clan meetings were held and they concluded a pact in which they stated that in every act of oppression in Mecca, 72 00:08:36,230 --> 00:08:44,390 they would stand together as one man on the side of the oppressed against the oppressor until justice was done. 73 00:08:44,390 --> 00:08:48,350 Whether the oppressed man were a Koresh or one who had come from abroad. 74 00:08:48,350 --> 00:08:53,490 It did not matter. And later. 75 00:08:53,490 --> 00:09:03,420 The prophet would say, looking back at this incident, at this event, he would say, I was present in the house of Abdullah Ibn injured on that. 76 00:09:03,420 --> 00:09:08,610 So excellent a pact that I would not exchange my part in it for a herd of red camels, 77 00:09:08,610 --> 00:09:13,440 herd of red camels being very tremendously valuable thing in those days. 78 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:20,190 And if now in Islam I was summoned to it, I would gladly respond. 79 00:09:20,190 --> 00:09:26,640 So I think the first lesson from this would be that the cycle of violence. 80 00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:33,230 Can only be broken through establishing a justice system for addressing grievances. 81 00:09:33,230 --> 00:09:43,010 Secondly, that it just system must ensure that all members of the society feel ownership and that it treats all equitably. 82 00:09:43,010 --> 00:09:52,380 It is also legitimate for Muslims to enter into agreements and pacts with non-Muslims for the greater good. 83 00:09:52,380 --> 00:09:56,550 Now, despite the efforts of violent extremist Eiler ideologues, 84 00:09:56,550 --> 00:10:03,260 warfare in Islam is not a perpetual state, but a means to be employed only as a last resort. 85 00:10:03,260 --> 00:10:13,820 So Islam restricts war, promotes peace, prosperity, justice, freedom, mutual coexistence and cooperation between nations and peoples. 86 00:10:13,820 --> 00:10:19,380 And despite the suffering, I mean, it's incredible when you look at the life of the prophet in Mecca, it's incredible. 87 00:10:19,380 --> 00:10:25,320 The intense suffering that the prophet experienced in the early community experienced. 88 00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:33,630 So, for example, does a Koranic commentary by a Loebner model Wahid, 89 00:10:33,630 --> 00:10:42,060 which states that the idolatries from amongst the people of Mecca were in the habit of harming the companions of the messenger of a lot. 90 00:10:42,060 --> 00:10:48,660 These companions used to come always either beaten up or with their skulls bashed in. 91 00:10:48,660 --> 00:10:52,420 They complained to the messenger of Allah about the situation. 92 00:10:52,420 --> 00:11:00,270 They persistently told them, be steadfast. I have not been commanded to fight. 93 00:11:00,270 --> 00:11:07,420 And this really is the greater jihad. You know, we have this idea of the less that the greater jihad and the greater jihad is in Mecca, 94 00:11:07,420 --> 00:11:15,310 where there's oppression, there's a lot of violence towards Muslims. Yet the response is not violence and violence. 95 00:11:15,310 --> 00:11:22,840 But the response very much is to respond through the through argument, through dialogue and on occasions. 96 00:11:22,840 --> 00:11:29,320 Of course, Muslims are forced to leave to seek refuge in Abyssinia, which was a Christian place. 97 00:11:29,320 --> 00:11:40,870 So, you know, again, that's another argument against those people who say that you can't go two to two non Muslims look for help. 98 00:11:40,870 --> 00:11:52,820 And as a matter of fact, in in Abyssinia, we actually have a tradition in which the Muslims are praying for the king. 99 00:11:52,820 --> 00:11:57,190 The only other really kind of interesting point was when, 100 00:11:57,190 --> 00:12:10,000 after all the suffering and finally when the prophet was his life was threatened in another plot to kill him, he or she left Mecca for Madina. 101 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:14,700 And Madina is an interesting place because not only are the pagan Arabs there, 102 00:12:14,700 --> 00:12:22,780 but they're also that the strong contingent of Jews, that there's also outlying Christian tribes. 103 00:12:22,780 --> 00:12:29,890 And Madina is a place which has completely been exhausted through conflict. 104 00:12:29,890 --> 00:12:34,150 They've just basically exhausted themselves through fighting, 105 00:12:34,150 --> 00:12:39,460 not because they've come to some peace, but because they've been fighting for such a long time. 106 00:12:39,460 --> 00:12:46,180 And so the profit comes and the first thing it does which which is is quite a unique document, really, 107 00:12:46,180 --> 00:12:55,570 his he brings the different parties and different tribes together and establishes what is called the Constitution of Madina and the Constitution. 108 00:12:55,570 --> 00:13:02,320 And Bettina really laid out the duties and responsibilities of the different constitutions of Madina. 109 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:09,130 And this would be to to to allow freedom of religion for all people within Madina, 110 00:13:09,130 --> 00:13:15,310 protection of property and livelihood and equitable treatment of all citizens, 111 00:13:15,310 --> 00:13:26,850 and more importantly, win in order to shore law and ensure law and order all citizens as it would be one against criminals and law breakers. 112 00:13:26,850 --> 00:13:28,380 But the key, I think, for us, 113 00:13:28,380 --> 00:13:38,910 for us when we look at Madina is the idea of the central authority and this is something I think really I can relate to in the contemporary world. 114 00:13:38,910 --> 00:13:46,930 The problem we have is that there isn't a central authority or central leadership within Muslims. 115 00:13:46,930 --> 00:13:53,820 And this is why the likes of al-Qaida, the likes of Taliban, are able to gain ground. 116 00:13:53,820 --> 00:14:02,280 So what we have to try and do is, is to support the infrastructure and support the leadership of these countries. 117 00:14:02,280 --> 00:14:04,470 And it has to be done through democracy. 118 00:14:04,470 --> 00:14:18,240 There has to be we simply cannot go and support governments that are, you know, tyrants, despots, because by doing that, 119 00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:26,090 we're seen as being part of that oppression that these ordinary people at grassroots level exercise. 120 00:14:26,090 --> 00:14:31,050 So leadership is key that that's coming through here. 121 00:14:31,050 --> 00:14:39,560 And of course, this is how this vicious cycle of violence can comes to an end in Madina. 122 00:14:39,560 --> 00:14:49,350 And in all the parties, all the different parties who had been fighting one another were signatories to this agreement. 123 00:14:49,350 --> 00:14:51,960 But but the the problem, I think. 124 00:14:51,960 --> 00:15:03,940 And I haven't done a lot of work on this aspect was, you know, what were the the main contributors to the to the dismantling of the Constitution. 125 00:15:03,940 --> 00:15:11,790 And within this, we've been not enough work, I think has has been done on that because we can learn from that. 126 00:15:11,790 --> 00:15:18,570 But what I also try and do is use the Constitution within it as a foundational document that that isn't the end, 127 00:15:18,570 --> 00:15:21,840 but just the beginning for for Muslims in the contemporary world, 128 00:15:21,840 --> 00:15:23,640 because it means that, you know, 129 00:15:23,640 --> 00:15:37,580 here we have a practise of the prophet that really allows us to create a constitution that embraces other faiths as well. 130 00:15:37,580 --> 00:15:47,420 Now, in in March six, twenty eight, which is six years of the hedra, the migration to Madina the Prophet. 131 00:15:47,420 --> 00:15:55,460 He did something that's really incredible in terms of we were talking about those strategic moves. 132 00:15:55,460 --> 00:16:04,430 What the prophet did was he actually having fought the makins in brother in Ohad, having fought them. 133 00:16:04,430 --> 00:16:11,390 He suddenly decided that they were going to go on the pilgrimage on unarmed. 134 00:16:11,390 --> 00:16:20,390 No weapons. They were dressed in the Iran and they travelled to Mecca, which completely took the makins by surprise. 135 00:16:20,390 --> 00:16:25,940 And there's a place called Todavía where that's the place where they stopped. 136 00:16:25,940 --> 00:16:39,880 And so makins. And the compound of the prophet and the prophet himself were involved in diplomacy, in negotiations, because the makins, 137 00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:52,370 if they allowed the Muslims to continue the pilgrimage, would be a that would give the wider Arabian area a sense that the Muslims that had won. 138 00:16:52,370 --> 00:16:59,280 So they had to come to some kind of agreement. And what's interesting about the agreement is that outwardly, when you look at the agreement, 139 00:16:59,280 --> 00:17:08,050 there seems to be completely against the Muslims because the agreement states, for example, when it's being written down on a number of times, 140 00:17:08,050 --> 00:17:13,910 the prophet said in a disagreement between the messenger of God and other, 141 00:17:13,910 --> 00:17:23,890 that the McCain tribes and and and the that the negotiator for the makins said, Lo, you know, we don't accept you as as much of a messenger of God. 142 00:17:23,890 --> 00:17:28,480 So the prophet said, OK, if that's the attitude, we will cut that out. 143 00:17:28,480 --> 00:17:37,480 And so and then in the second, one of the toughest conditions was that if any convert from Mecca were to go and to seek refuge in Medina, 144 00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:46,000 he would have to be returned back to to to to the tribe in Mecca, which outwardly seemed quite you know, 145 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:57,100 it was quite substantial giving in to the Meccans and some of the companions of the prophet. 146 00:17:57,100 --> 00:17:59,650 What we're not too happy about this. 147 00:17:59,650 --> 00:18:09,280 And and the worst of this was that when the agreement had been signed, a companion, a young Muslim convert who had been chained up. 148 00:18:09,280 --> 00:18:13,030 He arrived and he was crying and saying, look, you know, take me with you. 149 00:18:13,030 --> 00:18:16,520 But the prophet said, no, we've we've established our pact. 150 00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:23,500 And and the pact quite clearly says that if any convert comes to to us in Medina, we have to give him back to the makins. 151 00:18:23,500 --> 00:18:26,890 So he has to be given back to the Merkins. 152 00:18:26,890 --> 00:18:36,970 But I think the really important lesson from this occasion is that that sense of leadership and how the companions, 153 00:18:36,970 --> 00:18:48,490 although they disagreed with the prophet and didn't quite see the wisdom of what was to come, although they disagree, they accepted the decision. 154 00:18:48,490 --> 00:18:55,420 And the problem we have, for example, today in Palestine and so on, is that that kind of leadership isn't there. 155 00:18:55,420 --> 00:19:02,540 People are just not prepared to accept that. You know, sometimes for the sake of peace. 156 00:19:02,540 --> 00:19:16,370 We have to make substantial concessions because peace is always far greater and central to the flourishing of human beings. 157 00:19:16,370 --> 00:19:18,740 So in conclusion, then, 158 00:19:18,740 --> 00:19:27,260 to build lasting peace and to initiate peace making is is something that is intrinsic to the lessons that we learn from the life of the prophet. 159 00:19:27,260 --> 00:19:34,490 The key components of successful peacemaking and peace building has to be one of leadership, 160 00:19:34,490 --> 00:19:40,790 diplomacy, negotiation, foresight and a real, genuine desire for peace. 161 00:19:40,790 --> 00:19:53,330 The preparedness to make the necessary sacrifices of concessions is essential and to ensure that all parties feel they have ownership of the process. 162 00:19:53,330 --> 00:19:58,106 So thank you and I shall conclude their.