Islamic Fundamentalism
Islamic Fundamentalism
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misuses this power, it will not be taken away from
him. It is not part of God’s plan of creation ever to
abrogate this free will. And it must be conceded
that it is this freedom, which is the ever-recurring
stumbling block in the establishment of an ideal
society or an ideal State. For even a handful of men,
by misusing their freedom, can disturb the whole of
society. That is why the target set by Islam is exactly
in accordance with nature, that is, the reform of the
individual.
If, on the contrary, the Muslims had been given the
mission of establishing an ideal society, or an ideal
State, that would have been so unnatural as to be
quite impossible. Islam has, therefore, given
Muslims a target which is practicable and which, in
consequence, does not oblige them to come into
conflict with nature. The violence, which marks the
activities of Muslim fundamentalist groups, is the
result of not keeping in mind this wisdom of Islam.
If you aim at the reform purely of the individual,
you will not need to resort to violence for the
achievement of your goal. For the task of reforming
the individual can be carried on, from beginning to
end, in an atmosphere of peaceful persuasion.
