Saggioro/Religious Super-diversity, 2. Nonviolence and Interreligious Dialogue in Islam: the Case of Jawdat Said

Studies on nonviolence are numerous, but only a small number of them have considered this concept in relation to the Islamic world. On the contrary, recent years have seen an increase in analysis about the interrelationship between religion and violence, with a specific focus on Islam since the 2001 terrorist attacks. This chapter explores the relationship between religious diversity and peacebuilding in the Islamic context, by analysing the nonviolent theology of the late Syrian thinker Jawdat Said (1931–2022). The multiple religious identities he encountered during his lifetime influenced his considerable scholarly output, much of which has yet to be translated into English. The importance of diversity, seen as a mechanism for social progress, is a pillar of Said’s nonviolent thought.