A seminar on Islam and Nonviolence, to many, sounds unimaginable in a world where the term “Islam” has ceased to be a simple description. Instead, it means a lot of “unpleasant” things to some non-Muslims. Edward Said, a Columbia University professor, writes, “For the right, Islam represents barbarism; for the left, medieval theocracy; for the center, a kind of distasteful exoticism. In all camps, however, there is agreement that even though little enough is known about the Islamic world there is not much to be approved of there.” Needless to say, concerning the issue of nonviolence, Islam is normally perceived as heavily oriented towards the former.
The Center for Global Nonviolence Planning Project is pleased to present this report of an international exploratory seminar on Islam and nonviolence held in Bali, Indonesia, during February 14-19, 1986
