From an Islamic-philosophical perspective, what does peace mean, and what insights can religious traditions offer for reflecting on peace during times of global crises, social polarization, and ongoing violence? On June 24, 2026, Asmaa El Maaroufi, an assistant professor of Islamic philosophy focusing on ethics at the Center for Islamic Theology at the University of Münster, addressed these questions. Moderated by Susanne Buckley-Zistel, El Maaroufi’s lecture examined peace as an ethical and socially transformative practice.
Drawing on an Islamic philosophical perspective, El Maaroufi examined traditional and contemporary Muslim discourses and theological concepts. She defined peace as more than the absence of violence; rather, she saw it as an ethical and transformative practice realized at various levels of social interaction and self-relationship. Therefore, her lecture focused on questions of justice, responsibility, and the prerequisites for peaceful social coexistence.
El Maaroufi delivered this lecture for the first time in late April as part of the “Conflicts in the Present and Future” lecture series, which was organized by the Center for Conflict Research at Philipps University of Marburg. This summer semester, the lecture series focused on the theme of peace and was organized in cooperation with TraCe. With this additional lecture at PRIF, TraCe offered the opportunity to continue the discussion on the ethics of peace.