By: Dr. Maqsood Jafri
Engineer Col( Retd) Mumtaz Hussain is a veteran scholar and has deep insight in the matters of natural divine acumen and in religious scriptures.
He aspires to see peace and harmony in the agonizing, warring, turbulent, aggressive, devastating and divisive world through the modes and methods of Interfaith dialogue in establishing, justice, peace, equality, humanity and fraternity. He yearns a humane, peaceful and Inter- cultural, Inter-environmental and Inter- Faith world that is saturated with the precious pearls of modernation, reliance, reability, rationality, and tolerance. His treatise contains two parts. In part one titled “ Divine Environmental Acumen”, in the light of the Holy Quran and the Traditions of the Holy Prophet Hazrat Mohammad( PBUH), he has proved that Islam enhances Environmental Acumen. The author ardently desires a clearer, greener, safer and healthier environment.
The second part of the book is of immense importance as it is the dire need of our times. The author aptly opines that the religious extremism, ethnic cleansing, racial feuds, political victimization, state terrorism, social strifes, tribal skirmishes are the main reason of global unrest. He recommends the Policy of Reconciliation between the antagonistic and warring parties. He concludes that human rights and peace must be maintained through tolerance and interfaith dialogue. Great British philosopher Bertrand Russell was a staunch exponent and proponent of tolerance and regarded it the basic trait and factor in enhancing education and civilization. The religious fanatics have profusely shed the blood of innocent people in the name of religion. The human history is drenched in the blood of humans. The Hindus shed the blood of the Buddhists, the Christians shed the blood of the Jews. The Christians and the Muslims in the Crusades killed numerous in the name of Holy Wars for two centuries. Hitler mercilessly killed the Jews and played the Holocaust with the Jews. Today, the Jews, in Israel are randomly killing the innocent Palestinian Muslims. About this horrible, horrific and horrendous human plight in my book titled “ The Rational Study of Islam “ on page 43, I had suggested: “ How can we stop wars and blood baths? The simple answer to this question is, we will have to respect the ideas and faiths of all and sundry.”
What the scriptures say about human peace, harmony, fraternity and interfaith dialogue is the most sacred and sanctum verdict on this subject. In the fifth book of The Torah, in the section called Deuteronomy, Prophet Moses says:” And I charged your judges at that time, saying; “Hear the cases between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him”. The Message of The Torah is the establishment of a just and peaceful world. The Holy Bible in the Gospel of John, Chapter 12, verse 47, Jesus Christ says:” And if any man hears my word and believes not, I judge him not, for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world”. The Holy Bible repeatedly preaches justice, virtue, mercy and love. In Psalms 4: 8, John 14: 27, and Philippians 4: 7, the glad tidings of peace and love have been given to humankind.
Similarly, the Holy Quran in Surah The Heifer verse 256, says:” There is no compulsion in religion.” In Surah “The Bee”, verse 125, the Holy Quran says:” Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and decent preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious.”
I feel it pertinent to deal with this issue in the light of religious mutual harmonious factors and international arena.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights of UNO guarantees dignity, freedom, and justice for all. The human rights enshrined in the UDHR provide guidelines to all nations to evade racial, religious and gender discrimination. But practically, we see that the world is still engulfed in the swirls of turbulent crises. The genocide of the Muslims in Rwanda at the hands of the extremist Buddhists, the uncouth massacre of the Muslim Kosovoians by the Christians Serbians, the bestial killings of the Indian and Kashmiris by Indian fascist regime of Narendra Modi and RSS and the brutal killings and religious cleansing of the Muslim Palestinians by the Israelis are the outcome of religious extremism, racial discrimination , Islamophobia and xenophobia. Islamophobia is a term concocted and coined by the anti- Islam forces. Islam is a religion of peace , moderation, equality and humanity but is being branded as the religion of terrorism. There are many verses in the Holy Quran about peace, justice, humanity and harmony. The treaty between the Muslims of Medina and the Jews of Bani Awf and the peaceful dialogue between Prophet Mohammad ( PBUH), and the Christians of Najran, district of Yemen are living examples of the message of peace, tolerance, mutual harmony and respect for all religions and all humans.
Judaism, Christianity and Islam are Semitic religions and all preach peace, justice , love and humanity.
It is very tragic that not only different religions are at loggerheads but all religions have combatting sects. Both, Intra- faith and Interfaith dialogue and harmony are the dire need of time to save humanity. Every religion is divided into several sects and these sects are beheading each other. We have to face these two challenges and enhance the spirit and culture of fraternity and humanity to save the world from racial discrimination and religious extremism.
I appreciate the enlightened and insightful contribution of Col. Mumtaz Hussian to unite the humans under one canopy of humanity. This treatise is a great contribution and will become a harbinger of peace and tolerance through the call for Interfaith dialogue.
March 17, 2023
