Peace, Unity and Justice in the Society
Senior 6 · General and Religious Studies
Peace, Unity and Justice in the Society
Lesson 2 of 5
24 min
Across the street from the United Nations headquarters in New York, a curved granite wall carries words from the prophet Isaiah, written about 2,700 years ago: "they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more" (Isaiah 2:4). A promise first spoken to ancient Israel now faces diplomats from 193 member states.
The sacred books of Christians and Muslims say a great deal about peace, unity and justice. This lesson sets their teachings side by side, asks what they share, and faces a hard question: why have people who read these books sometimes done the opposite?
Definition
Shalom (Hebrew) and salam (Arabic): peace in its full sense: wholeness, well-being and right relationships, not only the absence of war.
Righteousness: being right with God and acting rightly towards others; in the Bible it is closely linked to justice.
Equity: fairness that takes account of each person's situation.
Peacemaker: someone who actively works to end conflict and restore relationships, not merely someone who avoids trouble.
Just war: a theory, developed by Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, that sets strict conditions under which force may be used, for example only in defence and as a last resort.
| Theme | The Bible (World English Bible) | The Qur'an (Pickthall, 1930) |
|---|---|---|
| Peace | "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God." (Matthew 5:9) "If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all men." (Romans 12:18) "Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you." (John 14:27) | "And if they incline to peace, incline thou also to it, and trust in Allah." (8:61) "The (faithful) slaves of the Beneficent are they who walk upon the earth modestly, and when the foolish ones address them answer: Peace" (25:63) |
| Unity | "See how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to live together in unity!" (Psalm 133:1) "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28) | "O mankind! Lo! We have created you male and female, and have made you nations and tribes that ye may know one another. Lo! the noblest of you, in the sight of Allah, is the best in conduct." (49:13) "And hold fast, all of you together, to the cable of Allah, and do not separate." (3:103) |
| Justice | "What does Yahweh require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8) "But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream." (Amos 5:24) "You shall not be partial to the poor, nor show favoritism to the great" (Leviticus 19:15) | "O ye who believe! Be ye staunch in justice, witnesses for Allah, even though it be against yourselves or (your) parents or (your) kindred" (4:135) "let not hatred of any people seduce you that ye deal not justly. Deal justly, that is nearer to your duty." (5:8) "Lo! Allah enjoineth justice and kindness" (16:90) |
| Life | "You shall not murder." (Exodus 20:13) | "whosoever killeth a human being for other than manslaughter or corruption in the earth, it shall be as if he had killed all mankind, and whoso saveth the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind" (5:32) |
Figure 1 shows six shared teachings. Two stand out for Rwanda. First, human equality: Qur'an 49:13 says that God made "nations and tribes that ye may know one another", not so that one may despise another, and that nobility comes from conduct, not birth; Galatians 3:28 says that in Christ the divisions of ethnicity, class and sex lose their power to separate. Both directly contradict the divisionist ideology that prepared the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Second, justice even against oneself: 4:135 and Leviticus 19:15 require justice that favours no one, rich or poor, friend or relative.
Worked example 1: using scripture to answer divisionism
Task: A young man posts online that people from another region "cannot be trusted". Using one Bible verse and one Qur'an verse, explain why this contradicts their teaching.
Bible. Galatians 3:28 says all are "one in Christ Jesus", whatever their origin. Judging people by their region denies this oneness.
Qur'an. 49:13 teaches that God created "nations and tribes that ye may know one another", and that "the noblest of you … is the best in conduct". Worth comes from conduct, not origin.
Conclusion. Both books reject judging people by group. In Rwanda such a post could also break the law: the Constitution commits the State to eradicating divisionism (Article 10).
Worked example 2: what about the passages on war?
Problem: Both books also contain passages about fighting. Do they contradict the teaching on peace?
Reading in context. Qur'an 2:190 says "Fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you, but begin not hostilities. Lo! Allah loveth not aggressors," and 8:61 commands accepting peace when the enemy inclines to it. Muslim scholars therefore teach that fighting is permitted only in defence, under strict rules. Christian just-war theory likewise allows force only for a just cause, as a last resort, and with protection for civilians.
Conclusion. Read in context, these passages limit violence; they do not glorify it. When people use scripture to justify attacking the innocent, they break its central teachings, such as 5:32 and "You shall not murder".
During the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, some Christian clergy and lay believers took part in the killing or failed to protect those who sought refuge, while other believers, Christian and Muslim, risked their lives to hide and save people. In 2016 Rwanda's Catholic bishops, and in 2017 Pope Francis, asked forgiveness for the failings of the Church and its members. The lesson for every believer is plain: the sacred books teach peace, unity and justice, but only people can practise them. Other traditions agree: Hinduism and Buddhism teach ahimsa, non-violence, and Rwandan culture honours ubupfura, nobility of character shown in conduct.
Tip
Quote, explain, apply. For "What do the sacred books teach about justice?", quote a verse, explain it in your own words, and apply it to a situation in Rwanda or in your school. Three verses handled this way beat ten verses listed.
Important
Discuss. Why do you think 4:135 says justice must be done "even though it be against yourselves or (your) parents or (your) kindred"? When is it hardest to be fair?
Practice
Sources and credits
Written by Ganzaa: Figure 1, the table, the worked examples and the exercises.
