Non-involvement in politics

 

 

The compassion, conscience, the truth, and the submission to that truth which are evident in the Risale-i Nur prevent us from becoming involved in politics. For through involvement in politics, innocent people are often wronged or afflicted with calamities, which is unjust. Some people asked me to explain what I mean by this, so I said:

In this present storm-tossed century, the egotism and racialism that are born of modern civilization, the military dictatorships which have emerged from the World War, and the mercilessness that arises from misguidance have caused such extreme tyranny and excessive despotism that if the people of truth were to defend their rights through physical force, they would either be defeated or have to act in greater tyranny and cause numerous innocent people to perish on the pretext that they are on the side of the opposing party. For those who act and attack on the basis of the feelings of egotism, racialism, and mercilessness will, on some minor pretext, strike at twenty to thirty people because of the mistakes of one or two and destroy them. If, in the cause of righteousness and justice, the people of truth strike only at the one who has struck them, they win only one in return for thirty losses, and then find themselves in a position of defeat. If, in accordance with the unjust rule of responding in kind or retaliation, the people of truth also crush twenty to thirty people on account of the errors of one or two, they will then commit a terrible injustice ostensibly in the name of truth.

This is why we, in obedience to the injunctions of the Qur’an, avoid politics like the plague and refuse to interfere in government. Adhering to this cardinal principle, we even avoid struggling for our rights, despite the fact that truth and right are on our side. Furthermore, since everything worldly is transitory and passing, since death will never disappear, since the door of the grave does not close, and since the hardships suffered for the sake of God are transformed into mercy, we with all certainty place our trust in God with patience and gratitude, and remain silent… and death does not die and the door of the grave does not close.

Said Nursi