Page 43 - Age of Peace Goodword.indd

The Age of Peace

is one that is based on the concept of ‘we and we’. To initiate
war, therefore, is like waging war against one’s own family
members rather than against any outside group. War is now
the act of a pre-civilized age and not of modern civilization.
This universal fact is set forth thus in the Quran:

‘…whoever killed a human being—except as a
punishment for murder or for spreading corruption in
the land—shall be regarded as having killed all mankind,
and that whoever saved a human life shall be regarded
as having saved all mankind.’ (5:32)
War has only one serious upshot: the killing of others.
War is, in effect, an act of mass murder. In this sense war is
the worst kind of heinous crime. In other words, war means
the killing of humanity and peace means the giving of life to
humanity.

Killing a human being is not like killing an animal. Killing
a member of humanity is like killing one’s own self.

It is clear from the foregoing arguments that the sole option
we have before us is not war, but peace.
Killing a human being is not like killing an animal. Killing
a member of humanity is like killing one’s own self. If one
is aware of this reality, one will never make another human
being the victim of one’s violent actions. When one person kills
another, it is out of ignorance. If people’s lack of awareness in
this regard could be remedied, then certainly violence could be
brought to an end. The best way then to counter violence and
war is to promote universal education.

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