2008 Woodie Awards
The theology of a just war
Josh Justice
Issue date: 4/2/03 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
The American war against Iraq has prompted furious discussion both at home and abroad. The critical ethical question is whether current U.S. action is justified or not. On Monday, March 31, this question was explored in the context of Christian and Islamic doctrine. Presented by the Georgetown Muslim Student Association and Campus Ministry, the discussion featured Georgetown professor Vincent Miller, a Catholic theologian, and Yahya Hendi, the Muslim chaplain on campus.
Miller began by recounting the origins of the Christian viewpoint on war. The doctrine of just war developed from the ideas of St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas. Under this doctrine war is seen as an evil but is justified when used to eliminate an even greater evil. Furthermore, war must be pursued only as a last resort and be proportional to the threat.
The Vatican believes that, in relation to Iraq, not all peaceful means have been exhausted. However, Miller pointed out that some leading Catholic Americans, especially Michael Novak, say that the war is justified by the threat Iraq poses to American security.
Hendi affirmed that Islam is a religion of peace and chastised those who use religion for promoting their violent agendas. He focused on how justice, as one of the highest virtues, must be applied to modern warfare. He encouraged international cooperation and upheld national sovereignty.
Stressing the peaceable features of Islam, Hendi quoted the Koran: "All you who have faith, go into peace." He also discussed the limits on war Islam imposes; it cannot kill any civilians and must further the cause of justice. Hendi argued that, from an Islamic perspective, the war is unjustified because of its lack of international support and civilian casualties.
The discussion clearly showed how both faiths view wars such as current one in Iraq as unwarranted aggression. The evils created by war are not justified over the elimination of a possible threat. Both faith traditions have strong aversion to the killing of civilians, an inevitable occurrence in the modern era of cruise missiles and high altitude bombings. The discussion covered the nature of just wars in a very academic sense but the overriding theme was clearly that the second Gulf War met none of the criteria of a just war.
Justice is an associate editor and a foreign service freshman.
Miller began by recounting the origins of the Christian viewpoint on war. The doctrine of just war developed from the ideas of St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas. Under this doctrine war is seen as an evil but is justified when used to eliminate an even greater evil. Furthermore, war must be pursued only as a last resort and be proportional to the threat.
The Vatican believes that, in relation to Iraq, not all peaceful means have been exhausted. However, Miller pointed out that some leading Catholic Americans, especially Michael Novak, say that the war is justified by the threat Iraq poses to American security.
Hendi affirmed that Islam is a religion of peace and chastised those who use religion for promoting their violent agendas. He focused on how justice, as one of the highest virtues, must be applied to modern warfare. He encouraged international cooperation and upheld national sovereignty.
Stressing the peaceable features of Islam, Hendi quoted the Koran: "All you who have faith, go into peace." He also discussed the limits on war Islam imposes; it cannot kill any civilians and must further the cause of justice. Hendi argued that, from an Islamic perspective, the war is unjustified because of its lack of international support and civilian casualties.
The discussion clearly showed how both faiths view wars such as current one in Iraq as unwarranted aggression. The evils created by war are not justified over the elimination of a possible threat. Both faith traditions have strong aversion to the killing of civilians, an inevitable occurrence in the modern era of cruise missiles and high altitude bombings. The discussion covered the nature of just wars in a very academic sense but the overriding theme was clearly that the second Gulf War met none of the criteria of a just war.
Justice is an associate editor and a foreign service freshman.