No killing of children and women
No killing of elderly and sick persons
Exercising patience even during War
Not to head into war “hoping” for a conflict
Leaving the monks and those in places of worship alone
No destruction of property, cultivated lands and crops, etc.
No uprooting or burning of green and fruit-bearing trees
No slaughtering of animals for reasons other than food
No hurting or burning bees
No theft or robbery in the guise of War
Avoiding destruction to an inhabited place!

The current Ukraine and Russian conflict has raised worries about a possible recreation of the nuclear disaster of 1945 when two atomic bombs were detonated on Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the USA. Mankind saw a war that could reach beyond the realms of human control. This incident is proof that contradicts the very belief that states are always guided by the rules of war and are responsible holders of such devastating WMDs. Such weapons just don’t kill the soldiers appointed by the state but also every innocent person, woman, child or elderly that lives in the targeted area.

Considering the fact that we have already passed one nuclear age, why not learn from it and destroy it? The current age of Nuclear weapons is a reflection of the past through glued mirrors with cracks, a reminder for every state that we can be the next victim and hence we continue to see nuclear proliferation to the countries that did not have it previously. This is governed by the phenomena of Nuclear deterrence which in simple language is a strategy to prevent war by having the higher or at least equal power that will prevent the parties from initiating attack. This same mentality leads to competition in numbers on nuclear arsenals owned by states, e.g. Pakistan holds about 100–120 nuclear weapons, which can be delivered by aircraft and land-based missiles, while India’s nuclear arsenal is around 90-110 nuclear weapons, according to estimates by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Reuters, 2022).

In the current time not being a nuclear power is a disadvantage, especially if you are surrounded by an enemy. The current Middle Eastern politics has taken a turn towards the same course of action. Israel’s excuse for having 80- 400 nuclear heads is its history with its neighbours; not all of them are ready to recognize it as a state. Saudi Arabia in return demands for US approval of a civilian nuclear programme as a condition for normalization with Israel, as reported by New York Times. Iran is in an attempt to become a nuclear power which is not approved by the USA, who invaded Iran’s neighbour, Iraq on the assumption (still not proven) that it was developing WMDs. The major problem with the current age is the fact that countries like the USA which possess this power and have used it look at other countries as irresponsible holders of these weapons. The world can become free of WMDs if the five major powers decide to destroy their nuclear weapons, this very discrimination was the reason for India to not sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty and Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty despite being an active promoter Nuclear Weapons, also considered Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), are the necessary evils. Modern warfare has reached the level where the line between offensive stand and defensive stand by the state has blurred with state security as the epicentre of discussion at all the International and National fora. Despite the great threat it possesses and it being a great source of storytelling for the creative industry, the public still cannot grasp the complexities that come along with it.

The current Ukraine and Russian conflict has raised worries about a possible recreation of the nuclear disaster of 1945 when two atomic bombs were detonated on Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the USA. Mankind saw a war that could reach beyond the realms of human control. This incident is proof that contradicts the very belief that states are always guided by the rules of war and are responsible holders of such devastating WMDs. Such weapons just don’t kill the soldiers appointed by the state but also every innocent person, woman, child or elderly that lives in the targeted area.

Considering the fact that we have already passed one nuclear age, why not learn from it and destroy it? The current age of Nuclear weapons is a reflection of the past through glued mirrors with cracks, a reminder for every state that we can be the next victim and hence we continue to see nuclear proliferation to the countries that did not have it previously. This is governed by the phenomena of Nuclear deterrence which in simple language is a strategy to prevent war by having the higher or at least equal power that will prevent the parties from initiating attack. This same mentality leads to competition in numbers on nuclear arsenals owned by states, e.g. Pakistan holds about 100–120 nuclear weapons, which can be delivered by aircraft and land-based missiles, while India’s nuclear arsenal is around 90-110 nuclear weapons, according to estimates by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Reuters, 2022).

In the current time not being a nuclear power is a disadvantage, especially if you are surrounded by an enemy. The current Middle Eastern politics has taken a turn towards the same course of action. Israel’s excuse for having 80- 400 nuclear heads is its history with its neighbours; not all of them are ready to recognize it as a state. Saudi Arabia in return demands for US approval of a civilian nuclear programme as a condition for normalization with Israel, as reported by New York Times. Iran is in an attempt to become a nuclear power which is not approved by the USA, who invaded Iran’s neighbour, Iraq on the assumption (still not proven) that it was developing WMDs. The major problem with the current age is the fact that countries like the USA which possess this power and have used it look at other countries as irresponsible holders of these weapons. The world can become free of WMDs if the five major powers decide to destroy their nuclear weapons, this very discrimination was the reason for India to not sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty and Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty despite being an active promoter of a nuclear-free world.

The debate gets even bigger today with the use of AI technology – the idea isn’t new though. It took root in the1960s during the cold war era. They saw the potential of AI and its capability to respond to a nuclear attack, even by surprise. They pursued the development of AI systems that could make their command and control process more agile and give decision-makers more time to focus on what really mattered: deciding whether to launch a nuclear strike or not (Dr Vincent Boulanin, 2018). The early warning system is one of the highlights of AI. This can give time to the state to take actions to minimize damage if not fully avoid it. Nevertheless, the drawbacks outweigh the rewards, one of them is that machines are prone to errors and this is the equation where the public comes into play.

The policies and strategy pursued in directing diplomacy aren’t in the hands of the masses and authorities at the top are more suitable to take that call but citizens should know the complexities that accompany the advancement of Nuclear weapons. Wars are fought to protect the lands but while doing so the people of the land are seldom protected, rather they become collateral damage, like refugees. Nuclear weapons are a direct threat to every individual on both the sides of the war whether they supported the war or not or regardless of the fact that they weren’t the ones to order a nuclear attack. Few countries like India and China have ‘no first use policy’ but Pakistan and USA do not have any such formal commitment. In this case, it is the responsibility of the citizens to act like a voice of reason. Contrary to the narrative that makes one proud owner of Nuclear weapons one should be hesitant and know the repercussions. Public opinion and pressure are a big advantage of democracy, the citizens of the country with ‘no first use’ should ensure that the State doesn’t withdraw from it and citizens of the countries with no such policy should strongly pursue the leadership to take it up.

This also opens the door for the Muslim scholarship to take up new statecraft issues and reflect on it from the Sharia point of view. The complexities of the current era can’t be ignored and we also need to abide by the strict rule of war state by Prophet Mohmmed ﷺ. This includes

1. No killing of children and women
2 No killing of elderly and sick persons
3. Exercising patience even during War
4. Not to head into war “hoping” for a conflict
5. Leaving the monks and those in places of worship alone
6. No destruction of property, cultivated lands and crops, etc.
7. No uprooting or burning of green and fruit-bearing trees
8. No slaughtering of animals for reasons other than food
9.No hurting or burning bees
10. No theft or robbery in the guise of War
11. Avoiding destruction to an inhabited place!

While Islam is seen as a threat by the West, the rules of warfare as per Sharia stand against the current Nuclear Global age. The Muslim youth should take this opportunity to be active participants in research and development initiatives that can protect the world from this threat. More than opportunity, it is a religious obligation on Muslims and a moral responsibility of mankind in general.