Dave Andrews

Qader Muheideen says ‘the purpose of jihad ultimately is to put an end to “structural violence”,’ and we must choose means consistent with that end. Muheideen says for jihadists to end violence we have to choose nonviolent means. He says there are eight cogent Islamic reasons to reframe jihad as a nonviolent struggle:

1. For Islam, the problem of violence is an integral part of the Islamic moral sphere.
2. Any violence used must be governed by the ‘rules of engagement’ in the Qur’an.
3. If any violence used in modern warfare and/or terror campaigns cannot discrim-inate between combatants and noncombatants, it is quite unacceptable to Islam.
4. Modern technologies of destruction, used in modern warfare and/or terror campaigns, like drones and bombs, render discrimination virtually impossible.
5. So in the modern world, fighting today’s battles, Muslims cannot use violence.
6. Islam teaches Muslims to fight for justice against injustice in the light of the truth that human lives are genuinely sacred and taking human lives is a grievous sin.
7. In order to be true to Islam, Muslims must use nonviolent strategies and tactics in the struggle, such as submission to the will of Allah and civil disobedience.
8. Islam is a strong resource for a nonviolent struggle because of its tradition of personal discipline, social responsibility, robust perseverance and self-sacrifice.

Added to these philosophical/theological reasons are two practical/historical reasons:

9. The use of nonviolent means is more likely to bring about nonviolent ends, like a democratic society with accountable administration and unarmed opposition.
10. And the use of nonviolent means and ends are more likely to get the support and approval of the international community ‘amid competing international norms’.

Dave Andrews p103-4 The Jihad Of Jesus http://bit.ly/1CedNDX