RELİGİON, VIOLENCE AND THE ISLAMIC TRADITION OF NONVIOLENCE

Yıl 2003, Sayı: 34, 23 - 62, 01.05.2003

S.ayşe Kadayıfçı

Öz

RELİGİON, VIOLENCE AND THE ISLAMIC TRADITION OF NONVIOLENCE

Öz

Religion is often viewed as a propellant of conflict and violence in international relations and conflict resolution studies. The relationship between violence and religion in general, and islam in particular, became a central concern for scholars and policy makers especially after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. However, history provides that religion has also been a source and inspiration for nonviolent resistance and peace-building. This paper explores the relationship between religion and violence and attempts to understand how religious traditions can be employed for peace-building and nonviolent resistance. To support this idea, the paper introduces the Islamic tradition of nonviolence and provides two examples of how this tradition was employed successfully.

Anahtar Kelimeler

islam, violence, nonviolence, conflict resolution and islam, islam and war, islam and peace