Faith in Action
Programme 5:
Peace Warriors – Combating Religious Intolerance (India)

Aims

This programme aims to introduce students to the following:

To highlight the effects of the violence in this area on both people and property
To emphasise the peaceful tenets of Islam and Hinduism
To explore the reconciliation work that is being done in the community
To understand the motivations of the volunteers who join 'Path of Peace'
To highlight the effects of cross-community dialogue and communication
In combination with the classroom notes, to evaluate the significance and effects of the work of people of faith in this area

There have been a series of violent clashes between Hindu groups and Islamic groups in Gujarat in recent years. This programme follows two young peace workers in this part of India who are bringing practical help to the victims of violence and trying to reconcile Hindus and Muslims. Their work is motivated by the peaceful tenets that underpin each faith, as they explain. The programme interviews some people who have suffered in the recent conflicts, but who still hope for peace. A model section of the community that did not riot is explored, and observations made about the factors that can contribute to community cohesion. Spokespeople from both faiths explain that those who practice violence are damaging the very religion they profess to defend.

Curriculum Relevance

Religious Education is compulsory for all pupils in the 14-16 age range.
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, schools can opt for a full GCSE or a half course. While some schools prefer a general programme, the half courses are increasingly the popular option. In Scotland pupils can opt for a short course or the Standard Grade certificate in RE.
Most courses deal with the fundamental questions raised by life and religion and look at religious responses to social and ethical issues.
Some courses offer a study of selected religions: Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism. Others offer a thematic study of religious teaching applied to contemporary issues, covering topics such as: suffering and evil, peace, conflict and justice, the environment, medical ethics and human relationships.
Courses generally enable pupils to learn about religion, which includes factual learning, and to learn from religion, which includes reflecting on a personal response to the material. Pupils are expected to demonstrate skills of knowledge, analysis, explanation and application of religion, and evaluation.

Background

Hinduism and Islam - War, Peace and Reconciliation

Peace and forgiveness in Islam

Muslims believe that Allah is forgiving and they try to behave in a similar way: 'if a person forgives and makes reconciliation, his reward is due from Allah' (Surah 42.40)
Daily prayers end with believers turning to the people next to them and saying, 'peace be on you'.

Jihad: War and peace in Islam

This Islamic concept has an individual and peaceful meaning, even though is often connected in the media with war. It is concerned with striving against injustice in the name of Allah and is considered a religious duty by Muslims in protecting the ummah (worldwide community of Muslims) from oppression. Sometimes protecting something involves fighting.

Great Jihad is each Muslim's personal striving against the temptation to behave in ways they should not. It is a resisting of selfishness, putting other people and religious duties first. For example a Muslim displays great jihad when they help someone, give to charity or pray, especially if they don't really feel like doing these things. Peace starts with the individual.
Lesser Jihad is military jihad. According to the Qu'ran, greed for power or land, or a desire to convert people to Islam, are not good enough reasons for war. War is only allowed if Islam needs to be protected. The Qu'ran gives conditions for military jihad: fighting should be a last resort; it should be for defence reasons; it should be led by a wise and fair spiritual leader (rather than a politician); wildlife and the environment should be protected; civilians, particularly women and children, should not be harmed; surrender should be marked by a release of prisoners and an end to fighting. The point of the fighting should be to restore peace.
While the Qu'ran lists 99 names of Allah, none of them use war imagery but several stress Allah's peaceful and forgiving nature, such as 'the Compassionate', 'the Pardoner', 'the Generous', 'the Forbearing'.
The correct Islamic approach to war was exemplified by the prophet Muhammed (PBUH) in the Hadith: he treated prisoners well and showed concern for their children. News that the enemy's children had been hurt in the fighting distressed him and he said that the killing of children could not in any circumstances be justified.

War and peace in Hinduism

Two important Hindu concepts are ahimsa, meaning non-violence, and satya, meaning truthfulness.
While the commitment to ahimsa is central to Hindu belief, Hindus also recognise that there are some circumstances that might justify a 'just war' (dharma-yuddha). In the Mahabharata, Lord Krishna advises Arjuna on the battlefield that he has a duty to fight because it is a just war. The criteria for a just war are: invasion, the wrongful seizure of power, exploitation and oppression of the people. As with Islam (see above), these criteria are defensive and have the aim of restoring peace.

Gandhi and Ahimsa

Mahatma Gandhi won independence for India from British rule in 1947 by following a 30 year campaign of non-violent direct action. His wisdom, example and commitment to changing things peaceably have influenced many of those who strive against injustice ever since. Reflections of his work can be seen in the campaign of Martin Luther King in America for Black rights (1950s), and Steve Biko's campaign against Apartheid in South Africa (1970s). It is interesting to note that while all three were killed violently they left a powerful peaceful legacy.

The motivation of karma in Hinduism

While the dharma of a soldier may well be to defend according to the criteria for a just war, the concept of karma is also a key to the Hindu view of war, peace and reconciliation. Karma is the total effect of one's actions on the soul, or atman. Actions influence the soul's next rebirth: good actions lead to a better rebirth. Acts of violence are not considered good, and have consequences that far exceed this life alone. The need to bring about good karma will influence a Hindu's approach to peace and reconciliation.

Activities

The programme stresses the importance of cross-community understanding. Build an e-Bridge from your community to another. Perhaps your school has links with a school in another country, or you could establish a link with a nearby school that has pupils from a different faith tradition to your own. Exchange emails, giving each other some insight into your lives, experiences, beliefs and hopes. Discuss the topics you are studying in RE and the thoughts you each have about the issues raised.
The spokesman for the model community that did not riot highlighted the importance of their Community Council that has representatives from both faiths and which is respected, and of their mutual belief that God created people equal, not divided. Is your school a model community? What sort of things are in place to help it become one, and what else would you like to see?
Read the Background Information. One of the peace workers in the programme talks about the 'Islamic duty to keep the peace'. Imagine you are that volunteer. You have been asked to give a speech to a mixed group of Hindus and Muslims who were involved in the violence. What will you say? Write your speech using these notes and the websites below to help you, as well as your own ideas. Take it in turns to read your speeches out loud to the class. If they were the real audience, which speech would convince them and why?
Using newspapers and magazines, create a collage on the theme of conflict and reconciliation. Work on large sheets of paper and imagine that the top left corner represents war, and the bottom right corner represents peace. How will you show the continuum from the negative to the positive? How will religion feature in your collage?

Links

This web page contains links to other websites that are neither controlled nor maintained by Channel 4 Television. Channel 4 Television is not responsible for the content of these sites and does not necessarily endorse the material on them.

www.pcfre.org.uk
Contains a database of young people's quotes on a wide range of religious topics including, 'how can people live in peace?', 'what is freedom, truth and justice?', and 'what is your vision of a perfect world?'

http://www.reonline.org.uk/
A gateway site to other RE websites, religious organisations and faith communities, this site also contains RE updates and information about resources (including ICT and RE) for teachers.

Faith in Action Programme 5: Peace Warriors – Combating Religious Intolerance (India)