Author(s): Andra Mădălina URSU
Publication name: Romanian Intelligence Studies Review
Publisher name: Mihai Viteazul National Intelligence Academy
Publication type: Journal article
Publication date: December 31, 2023
Pagination:
Issue/ Volume: 2 (30)/2023
DOI:
Abstract:
The current paper analyses narratives used within the Quran regarding Islam
and its relationship/opposition to other religions – focusing on how Islam portrays its
mission against other religions as a zero-sum-game.
Born in times of war, conquer and geographical expansion, Islam understands its
da’wah mission (the act of calling people to embrace Islam) and calculates its gains in
terms of losses for its adversaries. As Jihad sums up to be an obligation of any orthodox
Muslim, and since many Ayyat (Quranic verses) describe conflict, revenge, war-waging
and punishment for the kufr (disbelievers), Islam seems to understand its rapport to other
religions in a zero-sum-game logic; briefly put, in order for the one true religion to win, all
others must lose.
Complementary, after every historical win, a victorious Islam continued to
perpetuate this zero-sum-game logic in relations to non-Muslims, described as
disbelievers, constructing a system of “you are either on our side, or against us” when
addressing communities from conquered regions; this rationale is perpetuated by DAESH
today in Syria, and by Boko Haram in Nigeria. In light of the above, the present paper uses
content analysis to describe how Islam and its primary source – Al Kitab (The Book,
referring to the Quran) see Islam’s relation to the other two Abrahamic religions. Our
conclusions indicate that Islam views itself and its scope as a photographic negative (and
better option) to other religions, and while it defines its primary objective to defeat others,
in its perception of itself, Islam can only win as long as everybody else loses.
Keywords: Islam, narratives, zero-sum-game, game theory, politics.
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