Introduction
Just war from an Islamic perspective is the war aimed at defending the religion of Islam. Jihad (meaning struggling or striving) is generally understood in the West as the holy war. The followers of Islamic teachings believe that it is unholy to start the war, however, in some cases, the war is justifiable. Muslims share the calling to work for peace, as specified in Quran, with Christians and Jews but have different visions of how to achieve global peace.
War in Islam, West and from Kant’s Perspective
Quran supports non-violent values and stresses the duty to pursue justice. The war in Islam becomes just only when it is caused by the necessity of doing good to others through struggling against violent oppression. The same value is underlining the Western definition of the just war. Islam, similar to Christianity, grants equal rights to all people despite their race or ethnicity. Muslims are urged to exist in peace with all humans, and the war is justifiable only if it inevitable. The main difference is that Quran permits the defense of religion, while Christianity stresses the value of the non-violent spread of religion. The events of September 11 and the reaction of the American government clearly indicate that the factors underlining the attack and the resulting war in Iraq were examples of an unjust war. Romans valued freedom and orderly government and justified the wars if the threat to freedom appeared. Muslims are ready to protect their religion, and the war is just if it is triggered by religious factors. Western world marks the war just if it is aimed at national security protection. Thus, the desire to maintain peace is shared by Muslims and Christians, while the perception of fair war differs. Kant wrote that global peace could be achieved through universal hospitality when the stranger coming to the foreign land is not treated as the enemy. He also offered that no state should be granted the right to interfere with the government of another state, and no state should come under the domination of another state. His advice was not followed either by Muslims or by Westerners.
Conclusion
Islam, Christianity, and Kant’s philosophy agree on the need to achieve global peace and avoid wars. This value is supported by the global community today as well. The present does not uphold the ideas of Kant about preserving global peace, however. Despite the shared meaning of just war and peace, the attack by Muslims on September 11 and the resulting interference of the United States into Iraq contradict the honored values of both religions.