Non-violence: Between the Idea and Implementation

Maram Al-Ahmad – Naseeb

Daraa has witnessed numerous tragic incidents in recent years, with one of the most notable being a tribal conflict in one of its towns between the two largest families. What began as a verbal dispute among children escalated into a real battle, resulting in the death of a man, a young man being paralyzed, and others sustaining injuries ranging from severe to minor. The mosque minarets urged residents to stay home and avoid the streets for any reason. The situation did not stop there; some families left the town out of fear for their sons being targeted and killed. Several houses and shops were set on fire, and security forces affiliated with a faction intervened, deploying personnel to maintain order.

In an individual initiative, a resident of the town called on people to gather and stop the bloodshed. Through loudspeakers in the main mosque, he appealed to all wise individuals to intervene and prevent the further loss of lives. He reminded them of the consequences of this conflict and emphasized that its continuation would lead the town towards disaster.

Indeed, a significant number of town residents responded to this call. They approached both parties, highlighting the importance of reconciliation as the only means to avoid more bloodshed. After several days, an agreement was reached, and reconciliation was announced in the presence of a large number of dignitaries and residents of Hauran.

What is non-violence?

If we go back to the first recorded incident of murder in human history when Abel refused to retaliate against his brother with the same violence, initiating his words (If you extend your hand to kill me, I am not extending mine to kill you), as if telling us that we always face two choices: violence and the use of force, which may seem like a quick and effective solution, and the other is the broad and patient peaceful solution, which takes longer but is more successful and impactful. It requires a belief in the justice of its cause and is accompanied by verses explaining the consequences of resorting to violence (So he became among the losers) and (So he became among the regretful).

If we come to recent history and how Japan changed its policy after the infamous nuclear bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, realizing that transforming massive destruction and wholesale killing into scientific, industrial, and technological victory is more prudent than responding to the United States with a similar bomb that would only bring more death and destruction to both countries. Japan now stands as a country whose people celebrate its recovery and use it as an example.

Non-violence does not mean submission or surrender; it is a rebellion characterized by initiative, wisdom, patience, and the rejection of fear. It is a balanced approach that avoids submission on one hand and the use of force or deprivation of rights with weapons on the other. One of its essential tools is a believing and committed public that sees it as a roadmap and a way of life. It is the responsibility of everyone who believes in this approach to be an advocate for it through their behavior, ethics, and the weakest link, faith.

Will non-violence find a place in Daraa?

Amid the daily violence in the province, the word “non-violence” has gained prominence, with recent individual initiatives calling for its adoption as the optimal solution to counter prevailing violence. Advocates of non-violence urge its promotion and establishment in society. Daraa, immersed in chaos and weapons, now stands at a crossroads: either confront violence with violence or pave the way for non-violence in this province. With the increasing voices calling for non-violence, many residents of Daraa consider the idea of its implementation as unrealistic. From their perspective, violence begets violence, and the bullet counters another bullet, and the eye does not resist the pickaxe.

On the other hand, those who believe in the non-violence approach seek to prove their perspective, that it is the safest, least costly, and the light shining at the end of the tunnel we are walking through.