[Excerpt from a conversation by Javed Ahmed Ghamidi]
The strategy we Muslims have adopted for safeguarding our rights is armed struggle. For the past three centuries, we have been adhering to this approach. The religious and political leaders of the nation have advocated for this method, and the masses have devotedly followed it. The essence of this approach is that if we are scattered, we draw the world’s attention to our issues through acts of violence, and if we are somewhat united, we strive to achieve our rights through warfare. The gains and losses of this strategy can be observed in the current situations in Kashmir, Palestine, Afghanistan, and Iraq. If we categorize our achievements and losses over the past three centuries, it becomes evident that what we have gained is defeat, decline, poverty, and ignorance, while we have been deprived of greatness, elevation, knowledge, and ethics. We have always described this strategy of armed struggle as jihad, thus conveying the message to the world that Islamic Shariah, God forbid, is a proponent of warfare.
In the terminology of Shariah, jihad is the armed struggle of an Islamic state against the oppression and tyranny of nations. According to the Holy Qur’an, along with the strength of faith, the acquisition of material power is indispensable for this endeavor. However, our conduct has always been such that, despite having very weak faith and being completely devoid of military power, we have entered the battlefield with claims of divine assistance. Whether this is foolishness or unfamiliarity with religion, in any case, the result has been that we have exhausted ourselves by sacrificing millions of our workforce to the war. Added to this is the fact that we have also closed the doors of knowledge and wisdom, reform and invitation, and national construction and development.
Thus, the current state of affairs is such that, in matters of knowledge, morals, and sustenance, we find ourselves in a situation of extreme distress. We are at a level of poverty where the majority of us are deprived of the basic necessities of life; our level of ignorance is such that we have become oblivious to those sciences which we ourselves once brought into existence; the extent of our moral decline is such that in terms of dishonesty, deceit, adulteration, and law-breaking, we have no equal in the world. Our lack of respect is such that no one is willing to trust us in international affairs, and in terms of victimhood, whether we are right or wrong, we are always deemed guilty and deserving of punishment.
The truth is that the primary reason for our miserable condition is the error in our strategy. After the successive tragedies in Afghanistan and Iraq, it is possible that we will succeed in realizing this mistake. If this happens, then we should abandon the strategy of armed struggle and adopt a new strategy of moral struggle. This is the only path by which a weak and oppressed nation can open the closed doors of development and progress for itself.
In this context, we must first acknowledge the fact that although we are among the few largest nations in the world in terms of population, we do not hold any significant position among the global powers in terms of strength and capability. We have no standing in the political, economic, and scientific or technological domains of the world, nor is there any likelihood of establishing one in the near future. After acknowledging this reality, we should commence a non-armed moral struggle instead of an armed one. We should, as individuals and collectively, stand on a high moral ground. Adopt a moral stance in both national and international matters, and if necessary, do not hesitate to sacrifice interests for this cause. If faced with violence, confront it with patience and perseverance. Make the struggle for rights entirely non-violent and do not give the oppressor a chance to attack us under any pretense. If it becomes necessary to unilaterally resolve disputes for this purpose, do not shy away from doing so.
Support the oppressed in the world’s forums under all circumstances. Never abandon the principles of justice and fairness, even if they impact our national existence. Set aside all forms of prejudice and promote values such as liberty, democracy, equality, and human sympathy. Unconditionally condemn war and advocate for peace and security. Tolerate religious and political differences and advise others to adopt the same approach. Make full use of the contemporary moral awakening to achieve these objectives. Contribute to the development and advancement of the organizations that raise the voice for human rights around the world and utilize all available media resources extensively.
Moral struggle is, in fact, synonymous with patience, endurance, wisdom, and intellect. When a nation finds itself helpless and powerless against an oppressive nation, when it lacks even the slightest means of defense, when no nation in the world dares to come to its aid, and when there is no such court established in the world that can use the force of law to stop the oppression against the nation, then the only course of action is moral struggle. This means countering tyranny and oppression with the strength of ethics and character. In the collective existence of a nation, values shared by humanity such as peace, freedom, reasoning, justice, compassion, and truthfulness should be strengthened and, based on these, the collective conscience of humanity should be invoked. If a nation persistently raises this voice with patience and steadfastness, the collective conscience of humanity inevitably responds to it. Otherwise, the Almighty joins His voice with that call. The relief for the oppressed comes from the heavens, and eventually, the foundation of tyranny and oppression is dismantled.