Abstract
In this seminar unit, students engage with the pacifist approach of contemporary Islamic thinker
Jawdat Said (1931-2022). Said advocates absolute non-violence, the renunciation of retaliation, and the transformation of the hatred that a Muslim may experience into love through "defense with good" (Qur'an 41:34). Said's position is that a legitimate and peaceful society cannot be created by resorting to violence. Countering violence with violence would result in a spiral of violence that would encourage the emergence of dictatorships. He bases his approach on Islamic sources. The story of the two sons of Adam, Cain and Abel, in the Koran is a central aspect of his approach. Based on different methods, students engage with Said's approach, understand it and discuss its potentials and limitations. Finally, they reflect on pacifism as a possible approach for establishing sustainable world peace and discuss its preconditions, possibilities and challenges.
Timescale
One lecture (approximately 90 minutes)
Key Terms
Jawdat Said, nonviolence, pacifism, peacebuilding.
Key competences / Learning outcomes
- Understanding of Jawdat Said's theory of Islamic pacifism
- Understanding, Discussion and critical reflection of the possibilities and limits of his approach
- Discussion of pacifism as a possible approach for sustainable peace in the world
