Ikkevold og vold i islam, sett med palestinsk blikk

Abstract

This dissertation aims to explore the thoughts and attitudes of nine Palestinian Muslims on religious legitimated nonviolence and violence. The participants work with or as a part of peace-organizations or have connections to such organizations otherwise. Therefore, one can assume that they already have thought about the matter and that they draw in the direction of nonviolence. The results show that these people, whose daily life is affected by an active conflict where Islam is viewed as one of the main reasons for violence, still work for peace and nonviolence, and also uses Islam actively in their argumentation. The participants use a variety of stories, values and opinions, and also different types of textual interpretations related to religious texts, but they all come to the same conclusion: That Islam is mainly a peaceful religion, and that it lays groundwork for nonviolent peacework. Some show, on a religious basis, that violence can, in exceptional cases, be used as a last resort, but that this is in no way preferable. The dissertation does not give a general Muslim view, but illustrates that there is a diversity among Muslim thoughts on the relevant matter.