Tariq Ramadan – Ramadan Chronicles #23 Violence Torture

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.