On Justice...

                 Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct (16:90)

                Recently, I was having a discussion with a friend of mine regarding the Palestine-Israel conflict and the implications that it was having on the administration of justice. My friend remarked that he felt that the only reason I strongly sided with the Palestinian cause was because I was Muslim and as a result had a duty to support the Palestinians. As I thought about this allegation, I started to think about the nature of justice and the various manifestations that it can take. Although this post is for anyone who is interested, I dedicate it to my friend so that he can understand the reason that so many people passionately believe that the Palestinian cause is one that requires attention due to the gross lack of injustice that is going on in that particular region.

                As a Muslim, I am taught that justice is an incredibly powerful concept that is rooted at the heart of the faith. Islam came at a time of immense injustice and rectified this justice by implementing a legal system which prescribed punishments for various aggressions against God and His creation. It was a common practice for the Arabs at the time of revelation to bury their daughters alive out of shame and grief. However, God instilled a sense of justice in their deaths by stating that there will come a day when the female child will stand before her Lord and inquire as to what sin she was killed. Additionally, in the verse shown at the beginning of this article, God commands humanity to be just with each other. Finally, the ultimate teaching of Islam is that ultimately God is the greatest judge who will rule between humanity on the day of judgement. Individuals who have had aggressions committed against them will be able to stand in front of the Lord and complain to him and request that true justice be carried out against those who transgressed upon them in their worldly life.

                The Prophet Muhammed (peace and blessings be upon him) was also a tremendous exemplar of justice and how to properly implement it. In an authentic narration, we are told that an affluent lady engaged in theft and was caught. As her punishment was being decided, some of the companions remarked that the thief was a prominent lady and that maybe she ought to be given a second chance of some sort. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) became incredibly angry and swore that if his own precious daughter was found to have stolen something, he would commit her to the punishment prescribed without any hesitation! This illustrates the greatest level of justice, the ability to render punishment to anyone regardless of their societal standing.

                Thus, I do not support the Palestinian struggle because it is one that is aligned to my religion. Rather I support it because the occupation is an illegal one that cannot be justified by any law. I support the right of individuals to return to their homes that were seized away from them illegally. I am in full favour of protection of non-combatants from being fired upon by soldiers. I believe that air strikes should not be rendered upon a people as a means of punishment for their political decisions. I am against individuals being jailed without due process or the right to a lawyer. I believe that if a person is arrested, they should be told of the reason for their detention or else released. I believe in these universal rights for ALL people. Let us work towards a brighter future; a world where justice is not just a concept taught in schools but instead is a universal principle guiding our daily interactions.