Weapons of Mass Destruction and Conflict Issues
Weapons of mass destruction can kill on a huge scale. Explore Muslim teachings on them, why terrorism is condemned in Islam, and how Muslims work to overcome conflict.
Use it, the way the marks are given
Free interactive practice at using the material, which is what the marks are for.
Start revising freeWhat you'll cover
Peace, conflict and the hardest questions
Islam teaches that peace is the ideal, yet war and conflict are part of the world. Some of the hardest questions are about weapons of mass destruction and about violence, war and terrorism. This module looks at Muslim teachings on these issues, and at how Muslims work to overcome conflict.
Deterrence, defined
Four ideas run through this topic:
What are they?
What are weapons of mass destruction?
- Weapons that can kill or harm huge numbers of people at once
- Weapons that only ever harm one person
- Harmless training equipment
- Equipment used only to protect civilians
The value of life
A central Muslim teaching is the sanctity of life. Surah 5 verse 32 teaches, in essence, that to take one innocent life unjustly is like harming all of humanity, and to save one life is like saving all of humanity. The rules of war in Islam, such as a teaching in the Muwatta of Malik, reference 21.3.10, forbid harming women, children and other non-combatants. Many Muslims argue that weapons of mass destruction cannot obey these rules.
Muslim objections
Which THREE reasons do many Muslims give against using weapons of mass destruction?
- They kill innocent people and non-combatants
- The harm caused is out of all proportion
- They damage creation and the environment
- They are cheap and easy to build
- They always guarantee lasting peace
Two points of view
People disagree about whether a country should ever hold weapons of mass destruction.
Teachings and ideas
- Surah 5 verse 32 on the value of life
- A teaching in the Muwatta of Malik on war
- The non-religious deterrence argument
- How Muslims overcome conflict
- Taking one innocent life is like harming all people
- Forbids harming women, children and non-fighters
- Holding weapons may stop an enemy attacking
- Peacemaking, forgiveness and rebuilding trust
The path to peace
Put these steps of resolving a conflict peacefully in a sensible order.
- Open dialogue to understand the dispute
- Negotiate and mediate a fair solution
- Reconcile and forgive to end the conflict
- Rebuild trust and cooperation afterwards
True or not?
Tap the TWO statements that are TRUE.
- Islam condemns terrorism, because killing innocent people is forbidden.
- For most Muslims the greater jihad is the personal struggle to do good.
- The word jihad simply means terrorism.
- Islam teaches that civilians may be targeted in war.
- Terrorism is an accepted part of Muslim worship.
Complete the idea
Weapons of mass _____ can kill on a huge scale and harm innocent people, so most Muslims say they break the _____ of life. Some non-religious people argue that having them acts as a _____. Islam _____ terrorism, and teaches Muslims to work for _____ instead.
The deterrence argument
What is the non-religious deterrence argument for holding weapons of mass destruction?
- Holding them may stop an enemy attacking, and so prevent a war
- They are the cheapest weapons a country can buy
- They make good display items for parades
- They cause no harm to anyone at all
Whose view?
- Holding weapons deters enemies and keeps the peace
- They would kill innocents, breaking the rules of war
- A country needs them for its own security
- Work for disarmament and build peace instead
- A non-religious utilitarian argument for the weapons
- A Muslim objection based on the sanctity of life
- A non-religious argument from national security
- A Muslim response that rejects the weapons
What would you say?
A Muslim student is asked about conflict and peace. Choose the best response at each point.
- Someone says jihad just means terrorism. What should the student explain?
- Someone argues a country should keep WMD to feel safe. A Muslim response?
- How can Muslims help to overcome conflict in the world?
Explain it
Explain Muslim attitudes to weapons of mass destruction, and how Muslims work to overcome conflict.
- Explain what weapons of mass destruction are
- Give Muslim teachings against using them, referring to the sanctity of life
- Explain the non-religious deterrence argument and a Muslim response
- Describe how Muslims work to overcome conflict