Conflict resolution

Amin VallianiPublished January 21, 2022 - Updated about 6 hours ago

Facebook Count
Twitter Share
0

The writer is an educationist with an interest in religion.

EVERY religion wishes the world to be a place of peace. It wants

people to share Allah’s bounties with gratitude and humbleness.
However, divisive tendencies have made the world a tinderbox, a
place of bickering and war. These tendencies have divided nations,
communities and families, which has often brought them to the
point of war. History shows that all societies and epochs have
witnessed bloody wars in which hundreds of thousands of people
have been killed and their properties destroyed.
In order to make the world a citadel of peace and tranquillity, these divisive
tendencies must be defeated. In this connection, Islam has made Muslims
brothers in faith with a duty to remain active in peacemaking efforts. The Holy
Quran says: “The believers are nothing else than brothers (in Islamic religion).
So, make reconciliation between your brothers, and fear Allah, that you may
receive mercy” (49:10).

Islam does not allow Muslims to live in hate, rancour and animosity. Rather, it
wishes them to eliminate the root cause of all these evils. Wealth and power
inequalities between communities are often termed the root causes of conflict
as these predisposes them to conflict. Islam wants this world to be conflict-
free, so these material goods have no value in the eyes of Allah.

The Holy Prophet (PBUH) had a special mission to solve people’s internal
problems so that they may live in peace and tranquillity. He was involved in
conflict resolution with both Muslims and non-Muslims who used to approach
him for the amicable settlement of their disputes. It has been enjoined in the
Quran “And if two parties or groups among the believers fall to fighting, then
make peace between them both…” (49:9). At another place it is mentioned
that “…they can have no Faith until they make you (O Muhammad SAW)
judge in all disputes between them…” (4:65).

Islam wants the world to live in peace and harmony.

Thus, Islam encourages conflict resolution through various means like

mediation, arbitration, conciliation, negotiation etc. These are the tools that
demand a lot of expertise, patience, impartiality and sincerity from those who
are tasked with conflict resolution. There are some broad rules for resolving
conflicts as each conflict has a unique history and unique characteristics. Each
party to the conflict has its own dreams, concerns and fears. The task for the
neutral facilitator is to find the right inducement to draw the parties off the
battlefield and into negotiations.

In order to be successful in conflict resolution, the first essential step for the
facilitator is to listen to the disputing parties attentively and try his utmost to
save the process from collapsing. When conflict is mismanaged, it can cause
great damage to the relationship but when it is handled respectfully, it
provides an opportunity to strengthen the bond between the two parties.
Therefore, the facilitator should arrange a meeting with the parties involved to
discuss the issue in depth. He should give everyone a fair chance to speak and
not be judgemental, but rather investigate the situation by investing time,
effort and resources to come up with a fair conclusion. Besides, he should try
to make parties agree on the best solution and determine the responsibilities
of each party. It is also necessary for him to evaluate the process periodically
and make the necessary corrections, if required.

The success of negotiation is attributable not to a particular procedure chosen

but to the readiness of the parties to exploit opportunities, confront hard
choices and make fair mutual concessions. Each party has a unique point of
view and therefore they should agree to disagree but not let conflict become
part of their psyche. This often happens in most societies where litigation
becomes a major problem.

In this world, people live together and share their ideas and thoughts but at
the same time they differ on a number of matters. Though every person has a
right to disagree these differences should not become a cause of conflict,
which must be nipped in the bud as prolonging it becomes more painful with
each passing day. However, there are some people in all societies who are
rigid, stubborn and consider reconciliation a defeat.

In fact, the Muslim world is not a monolithic entity but pluralistic in nature.
Muslims around the globe are of varied types. They differ in culture, economy
and in the interpretation of faith but all of them affirm the shahada and
declare Islam as their faith. They practise it according to their cultural
contexts. All seek Allah’s blessings and pray for His guidance to move forward
on the right path. People interpret faith according to their respective intellect
but seek Allah’s forgiveness if they err in the process of interpretation. Respect
for each other’s thoughts is the best way to avoid conflict.

The writer is an educationist with an interest in religion.

valianiamin@gmail.com