Tariq Ramadan – Ramadan Chronicles #23 Violence Torture
AI: Summary ©
The speaker discusses the importance of resisting violence and the need for peace in Islam. They stress the need for agents of peace and the importance of acknowledging the legitimate resistance to violence. The speaker also emphasizes the need for individuals to be aware of their surroundings and to not let oppression and injustice dominate their world.
AI: Summary ©
There is one type of resistance which is
critical,
during these days.
Every day, day in, day out, we are
talking about violence, and Islam is connected to
violence. It's important for us to take a
stand and to be clear about everything which
has to do with the teachings in Islam.
The teaching in Islam, all our values are
calling for peace.
Peace, Islam,
is what we find in Islam. In Islam,
salama, there is salaam.
At the same time, it's one of the
names of God. It's one of the names
of paradise.
It's everything that we have to say when
we meet one another. Assalamu
alaikum. Peace be with you, which is
exactly what we are calling for. When we
come to the Quran and we read
And then we put you in a way
on a path that you have to follow.
Follow it and do not follow the passions
or the instincts or the desire of the
people who don't know.
Meaning that when it comes to principles, when
it comes to your consciousness,
when it comes to your ethics, you should
be an agent of peace on Earth, so
you have to resist violence. You have to
resist the violence of the oppressors. You have
to resist violence when it comes to war,
when it comes
to real violence, and at the same time,
symbolic violence because there are many types of
violence. But violence
is not to be accepted in Islam. We
should be agents of peace. And while the
prophet, peace be upon him, settled in Medina,
he said,
spread
peace around you, knowing at the same time
that the people
of,
These
ways
that are coming out of our teachings.
This understanding is critical in Islam. Islam is
not promoting violence. Now there is also something
which is very important that,
sometimes with the oppressors and the colonizers, you
have to resist. So there is something which
is called legitimate,
defense. They're legitimate defense. And it could be
understood also sometimes
as legitimate violence where
the oppressor is trying to kill you. You
need to find
the means to promote this resistance,
the resistance to the violence, which is not
the same type of violence. All these people
today who are trying to tell us, you
know what? Violence has to be condemned whatever,
no matter what. No.
The violence of the oppressor, the violence of
the colonizers
should be condemned. But when it comes to
resisting violence and resisting oppression,
this is legitimate defense. And and this has
to be celebrated because this is what we
can define as the dignity of human being,
the dignity of our humanity. And every single
nation on earth, every single country
has its own,
just people. The people who resisted. The resistance,
that
were part of their being and the dignity
of the nation.
We should also understand
that to get peace,
we need justice,
we need dignity,
we need freedom, we need conditions
of peace
are all these notions that we are,
just
reminding us, which has to do with our
freedom, which has to do with our dignity,
it has to do with the way we,
dignified on earth. And any
oppressor,
any country which is promoting
indignity,
injustice,
and killing people and innocent people should find
resistance
and should find people ready to say no.
The legitimate resistance to your violence, it's our
dignity. It's the way we are human beings.
And our world today
needs
resistance
and needs this clear
understanding
that if we are not here
to resist
oppression and injustice,
our world is going to be corrupt and
our society
is undignified.
This is the choice that we have to
make.
Remember to tell the people you love that
you love them. Life is fragile.