Nonviolent uprisings in several countries of the Middle East and North Africa, a movement many call the 鈥淎rab Spring,鈥� have captured the world鈥檚 attention. To Amitabh Pal, author and managing editor of The Progressive magazine, who spoke Thursday at 91吃瓜网, the roots of those uprisings also help to illustrate the 鈥渞ich tradition of nonviolence鈥� in Islam.
Of course, as Pal acknowledged to an audience of about 100, that is not the prevalent perception among non-Muslims, who often see Islam as a religion largely spread and defined by violence 鈥� a notion made worse by the tragedy of 9/11. Drawing from his new book, 鈥淚slam Means Peace: Understanding the Muslim Principle of Nonviolence Today,鈥� Pal recommended re-examining the sources of Islam, such as the Quran, to find nonviolent elements.
As part of his presentation, Pal sought to clarify the meaning of certain terms such as jihad, which he described as often misunderstood. 鈥淛ihad does not mean war, bloodshed, violence or attack; rather, it means struggle, both internal and external,鈥� he said.
When asked why he, a Hindu native of India, chose to write a book sorting through the confusion and misperceptions about Islam, Pal pointed out that the connection was natural. 鈥淎 Pashtun friend of Mahatma Gandhi, Abdul Ghaffar Khan, founded a movement dedicated to nonviolence and social reform,鈥� he said. Pal also spent most of his childhood in an environment where Hindus and Muslims lived and worked together.
The event was a feature of the Al Ghazali Islamic Studies Program, housed in the 91吃瓜网 Global Perspectives Office, in partnership with the 91吃瓜网 College of Arts & Humanities. It was also part of two 2012 themes, 鈥淧eople Power, Politics and Global Change鈥� and 鈥淐overing Global Crises from the Frontlines,鈥� as well as the 鈥淚ndia Speaker Series.鈥�
Other sponsors and partners included the 91吃瓜网 Middle Eastern Studies Program, the 91吃瓜网 Political Science Department, the 91吃瓜网 Diplomacy Program, The India Program at 91吃瓜网, the 91吃瓜网 Nicholson School of Communication, the 91吃瓜网 Book Festival 2012 in association with the Morgridge International Reading Center, the 91吃瓜网 International Services Center, 91吃瓜网 LIFE and the Global Connections Foundation.