Preface by HRH Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal

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" Crescent and Dove, a groundbreaking book edited by Qamar-ul Huda, is a ‘must read’ for policymakers, scholars, and students of international affairs in a world that too often fails to distinguish between the acts of a tiny minority of extremists and the religion of Islam."
—John Esposito, Georgetown University

In the face of overwhelming attention to extremist movements and the fundamentalist Islam they often espouse, exploration of peacemaking and conflict resolution in Muslim communities is especially timely. Crescent and Dove looks at the relationship between contemporary Islam and peacemaking by tackling the diverse interpretations, concepts, and problems in the field of Islamic peacemaking.

Although Islamic law requires followers to preserve and protect life, and peacemaking efforts arise in Muslim communities everywhere, those who advocate for Islamic principles of nonviolence and peacebuilding, as well as traditional methods of conflict resolution, face serious challenges. Writing from their perspective as Muslim scholars and peacebuilding practitioners, the contributors offer critical perspectives on what works, what opportunities exist, and what areas are fertile for effective peacebuilding efforts. Their experience and analysis demonstrate that fostering a culture of peace in Muslim communities and building effective conflict resolution practices must occur within an Islamic framework and must engage Muslim leaders.

Crescent and Dove addresses both theory and practice by delving into the intellectual heritage of Islam to discuss historical examples of addressing conflict in Islam and exploring the practical challenges of contemporary peacemaking in Arab countries, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, and Indonesia. These groundbreaking essays offer possibilities for nonviolent interventions, peacemaking, the implementation of human rights, the reinterpretation of texts, peace education instruction, and employing successful mediation, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills in an Islamic context.

Qamar-ul Huda is a senior program officer in the Religion and Peacemaking Program and a scholar of Islam at United States Institute of Peace. His area of expertise is Islamic theology, comparative ethics, the language of violence, interfaith studies, conflict resolution and nonviolence in contemporary Islam. He is an adjunct faculty member of Georgetown University’s Conflict Resolution Program and has taught at Boston College, Brandeis University, and the College of Holy Cross.