Slides by Dr. Rashied Omar used in "Faith-based Peacebuilding" plenary at RCC 2013 Religion Communicators Council 2013 convention

1. Ḳ hu ṭbah: 11 January 2013
Faith-Based Peacebuilding
in the Social Media Age:
An Islamic Perspective
A. Rashied Omar

2. Islam = Violence
The attacks of
September 11 and
the subsequent
“war on terror” has
served to reinforce
the view that Islam
is in some special
way related to
violence.

3. What is Peace?
Negative Peace
vs.
Positive Peace

4. Johan Galtung Structural
Violence
can be built into
the socio-
economic and
political
structures of a
Society

5. • John Paul Lederach Scott Appleby

6. What is Peacebuilding?
The Dynamic State of affairs in
which the reduction & management
of violence & the achievement of
social & economic justice are
undertaken as mutual, reinforcing
dimensions of constructive change

7. What is Peacebuilding (cont)?
Sustainable transformation of conflict
requires more than the (necessary)
problem solving associated with
mediation, negotiated settlements, &
other elements of conflict resolution;
it requires the redress of legitimate
grievances & the establishment of
new relations characterized by
equality & fairness according to the
dictates of human dignity and the
common good

8. “If you want peace, work for justice” Pope Paul VI
Qur’an: Chapter 5, Verse 8
“Be just, that is the closest
thing to pious faith.

9. In the Name of God,
The Most
Compassionate,
The Most Merciful

10. Compassion
and
Justice

11. Peacebuilding Proposals
• Muslim Condemnations of Violence
• Research on Islam and Nonviolence
• Educating Progressive Imams
• Debate US Foreign Policy in the ME

12. Challenge for
Muslims
To Develop a Theology
of Healing & Embrace
(ta`aruf)

13. Surah Hujurat: 49 Verse 13
• O Humankind!
• We created you from a male and a female,
• fashioned you into nations and tribes,
• So that you might come to know and
recognize each other
• [li ta’arufu] (not despise each other).
• Surely, the most noble and honored of
you in the sight of God is the most
righteous of you (i.e. the best in
conduct).
• Lo! God is All-Knowing, All-Aware.