Peace
Peace, a legal and political concept in international relations, is a permanent and legal agreement between two or more countries that not only ends war but also establishes a new status. The United Nations has declared September 21 as the International Day of Peace. This date was selected at the fifty-seventh session of the General Assembly. In the past, based on Resolution 36/67 dated November 30, 1981, the third Tuesday of September, the opening day of the regular sessions of the General Assembly, was chosen as the International Day of Peace.
Peace Treaty
Peace is the highest and final stage in ending conflicts. This document is a permanent and legal agreement between two or more countries that not only ends war but also establishes a new status.
- Root Settlement of Disputes: In this treaty, fundamental disputes such as international borders, economic and political issues, and the determination of the aggressor are fully settled.
- Compensation for Damages: The method of paying war reparations and compensating for incurred damages is specified therein.
- Official End of War Status: Only with the approval and signing of a peace treaty does the state of war legally end, and normal diplomatic and economic relations are established.
- Internal Regulations: In the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, declaring peace is among the duties of the Supreme Leader (Principle 110), and concluding a peace treaty requires the approval of the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Principle 77) and the signature of the President (Principle 125).
- Implicit Recognition: Concluding a peace treaty with the occupying regime of Israel by the Islamic Republic of Iran is not possible, as it does not recognize this regime, and a peace treaty would constitute implicit recognition of it. Furthermore, the dispute between Iran and Israel is considered fundamental and unsolvable; therefore, the status between the two parties remains merely a ceasefire.
Ceasefire
Ceasefire means the temporary and limited halt of military operations in a specific region or time. This concept is considered a superficial and temporary agreement, and there is a possibility of it being broken and violated by the involved parties at any moment.
- Temporary Nature: A ceasefire does not end war, but merely stops conflicts for a short period.
- Humanitarian or Tactical Goals: It is usually used for evacuating the wounded, burying the dead, or surrendering defeated forces, and sometimes as a first step to start peace negotiations.
- No End to War Status: Despite the halt of active fighting, disputes, hostility, and the state of war remain in force.
- Legal Example: United Nations Security Council Resolution 598, which was designated as the initial step for resolving disputes between Iran and Iraq, is a prominent example of a ceasefire.
Armistice
Armistice is a formal, legal agreement broader than a ceasefire, concluded to end military conflicts between parties of a war.
- Suspension of War Operations: In an armistice, military operations are suspended, but the state of war does not legally end. In other words, the war is stopped, but not yet "ended".
- Unlimited Duration: Unlike a ceasefire which is limited, an armistice can be for a long or unlimited period.
- Possibility of Violation and Return to War: This document does not guarantee stable peace. According to Articles 36 to 41 of the 1907 Hague Peace Convention, in case of serious violation of obligations by one of the parties, the other party has the right to resume hostile operations. The following are historical examples of the subject that have been referred to:
- Treaty of Hudaybiyyah: Some historians consider the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah in the sixth year of the Hijri calendar to be the most important example of armistice in the history of Islam, during which Muslims and the polytheists of Mecca abstained from war for ten years.
- Korean War: After the 1950 AD Korean War, an armistice agreement was signed in 1953 AD, but legally the two Koreas are still in a state of war, and no peace treaty has been signed between them.
Comparative Table of Concepts
| Feature | Ceasefire | Armistice | Peace Treaty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nature | Temporary and limited | Formal and legal (suspension of war) | Permanent and final |
| War Status | Continues | Continues (suspension of operations) | Ends |
| Dispute Resolution | Not done | Not done | Root settlement |
| Possibility of Return to War | Very high | Possible in case of violation of obligations | Impossible (unless treaty is annulled) |
| Historical Example | Resolution 598 (Iran and Iraq) | Treaty of Versailles / Treaty of Kalio |
Peace in Islam
The divine religion of Islam invites humans to peace and reconciliation and peaceful living more than anything else, and with the slogan "Al-Sulhu Khayr" (Peace is Better), it raises peace as one of its most important supreme goals. The foreign and domestic policy of Islam is arranged based on peaceful living and always seeks to establish peace and tranquility in the world. According to this principle, whenever peace and tranquility are proposed by the enemy, the Islamic ruler (under conditions that will be stated) is obliged to welcome peace and cease war. Now that we are familiar with this general policy of Islam, let us see whether peace is accepted by Islam everywhere and in all circumstances and without conditions, or whether accepting peace is subject to specific conditions? According to the consensus of all Shia jurists, the fundamental condition for accepting peace is that the reconciliation be in the interest of Islam and to the benefit of Muslims. If peace is detrimental to Islam and causes weakness for Muslims, accepting such peace is not permissible or lawful.
Conditions and Benefits of Peace
Based on this, Imam Ali (Peace Be Upon Him) says: «وَ لا تَدْفَعَنَّ صُلْحاً دَعَاکَ إِلَیْهِ عَدُوُّکَ و لِلَّهِ فِیهِ رِضًا فَإِنَّ فِی الصُّلْحِ دَعَةً لِجُنُودِکَ وَ رَاحَةً مِنْ هُمُومِکَ وَ أَمْناً لِبِلادِکَ وَ لَکِنِ الْحَذَرَ کُلَّ الْحَذَرِ مِنْ عَدُوِّکَ بَعْدَ صُلْحِهِ فَإِنَّ الْعَدُوَّ رُبَّمَا قَارَبَ لِیَتَغَفَّلَ فَخُذْ بِالْحَزْمِ وَ اتَّهِمْ فِی ذَلِکَ حُسْنَ الظَّنِّ»; Do not reject a peace that your enemy offers you, if it is in accordance with God's pleasure; for peace brings rest to your troops, relief from your worries, and security for your lands. But after reconciliation, be very cautious and alert; perhaps peace offers are to deceive the other party. Therefore, it is better not to lose caution and to suspect optimism in this reconciliation. By carefully considering the statements of the Imam, the fundamental benefits of peace also become clear: With the establishment and dominance of peaceful living, the army and armed forces enjoy welfare and comfort. The Islamic ruler also benefits from the necessary peace of mind and security, and under the shade of this tranquility, can organize the disorders of the country, and more important than all of this, the individuals of society, whose best hope is security, achieve it[1].
See Also
Footnotes
References
- What is the Difference Between Ceasefire, Armistice, and Peace Treaty?, Khabar Foori Website, Date of publication: 18 Tir 1404 SH, Date of access: 7 Ordibehesht 1405 SH.