"Islam" Means Peace: Understanding the Muslim Principle of Nonviolence Today

by Amitabh Pal

Publisher:

Praeger

, 2011

This decisive account of the role of nonviolence in Islam and Muslim societies, both historically and in current times, chronicles an often-obscured but longstanding pacifist tradition.

"Islam" Means Peace: Understanding the Muslim Principle of Nonviolence Today provides a rebuttal to general misperceptions about the religion by documenting its rich tradition of nonviolence. To that end, the book examines the sources of Islam—the Qur'an, the main religious text of Islam, and the Hadith, the deeds and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad. It contests the prevalent notion that Islam is built on violence in part by illuminating the role of the tolerant, mystical tradition of Sufism in Islam, while at the same time examining the misunderstood place of jihad in the religion.

The book is not, however, a historical or theological treatise. Rather, it focuses on the tradition of nonviolence in modern Muslim societies. By spotlighting recent peaceful protest movements in Muslim communities, the book underscores the truly global and multicultural nature of the Islamic tradition of nonviolence. The findings here will be invaluable for Muslims and non-Muslims alike, revealing an alternative tradition both can embrace.

Features

Voices of leading nonviolence activists, such as Nobel Peace Prize-winner Shirin Ebadi, Mubarak Awad, Gene Sharp, and rock star Salman Ahmad, that make the history of nonviolent activism immediate and up to date
A bibliography listing a wide array of source materials

Contents

Acknowledgments
Chapter 1. Introduction
Chapter 2. Inspiration at the Roots: Sources of Nonviolence in Islam
Chapter 3. At the Point of a Sword? How Islam Actually Spread
Chapter 4. Ignored for No Fault of Theirs: The Sufis and Other Pacifist Muslim Sects
Chapter 5. Jihad Is Not War: Grappling with the Most Controversial Aspect of Islam
Chapter 6. A Most Improbable Tale: Nonviolence among the Pashtuns of Pakistan
Chapter 7. Following in the Mahatma's Footsteps: Muslim Gandhians
Chapter 8. A Refusal to Cooperate: The Struggle of the Kosovar Albanians
Chapter 9. Not Just a Land of Conflict: Nonviolence in the Middle East
Chapter 10. Struggling against Heavy Odds: Palestinians and Nonviolence
Chapter 11. To Topple Dictators without Force: Peaceful Protest in Modern South Asia
Chapter 12. Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index

Product Details

• Title: "Islam" Means Peace: Understanding the Muslim Principle of Nonviolence Today
• Author: Amitabh Pal
• Publisher: Praeger
• Print Publication Date: 2011
• Logos Release Date: 2024
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Ebook
• ISBN: 9798216040408
• Resource ID: LLS:9798216040408
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2024-04-12T11:10:44Z

About the Author

Amitabh Pal is managing editor of The Progressive magazine and coeditor of The Progressive Media Project.