Retributive justice, based on the principle of lex talionis, has been an experiment dating back, at least to the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi, drafted around 1790 BC. Some 3,800 years later, we can conclude, with the highest possible degree of certainty, that despite its appeal to our desire for revenge, retributive justice has neither served the purpose of reducing acts of violence in societies, nor has it mitigated the severity of that violence. On the contrary, we know, and we have known for some time, that retributive justice inevitably has the opposite effect; it has proven to perpetuate violence, and thus not only does it fuel more crime, but it also amplifies the effect of that crime on innocent civilians. 

The word tajdid is Arabic and it means ‘renewal’. In Islamic theology, it is also a concept that refers to the struggle to move human society toward greater equality and justice. This site hosts a modest collection of ideas, tools, and practices that we have come across in our common experiences, and which, in very practical and direct ways serve the purpose of renewing our justice systems, by departing from notions of revenge and vengeance, in favour of more constructive approaches that seek to heal and restore, as opposed casuing yet more harm. The objective is to offer implementable solutions for such renewal and in so doing, to make a humble contribution to the application of Khalil Gibran bin Mikha’il bin Sa’ad's philosophy on justice, which continues to inspire and to lead us to a greater understanding of what justice really is and how it can be attained. While Gibran's work can be accessed and studied through links, it it worth recalling a critical passage that Gibran wrote on Crime and Punishment, and which encapsulates the fundamental reasons why we need a renaissance in our views and undertanding of justice.

'Oftentimes have I heard you speak of one who commits a wrong as though he were not one of you, but a stranger unto you and an intruder upon your world. But I say that even as the holy and the righteous cannot rise beyond the highest which is in each one of you, so the wicked and the weak cannot fall lower than the lowest which is in you also. And as a single leaf turns not yellow but with the silent knowledge of the whole tree, so the wrong-doer cannot do wrong without the hidden will of you all.’[1] And he continues; 'like a procession you walk together towards your god-self. You are the way and the wayfarers. And when one of you falls down he falls for those behind him, a caution against the stumbling stone. Ay, and he falls for those ahead of him, who though faster and surer of foot, yet removed not the stumbling stone.'[2] 

Are the perpetrators of crime truly the only perpetrators? Are they the cause of injustice? Or are they also victims, victims of a much greater injustice perpetrated against them? Is it really the crime that gives rise to the injustice; or is crime itself a product of injustice? Is crime not but one of many consequences of inequality, social fragmentation, and oppression? And if so, just like the desease cannot be cured by merely remedying the symptom, can crime be reduced by just penalising the perpetrators? And if the perpetrators are not fully responsible for the crimes committed, do we do justice by punishing them, or are we, by doing so, actually aggravating the injustice? 

We have documented four projects so far (in the menu bar on the left) and should you wish to contribute further projects to the site, or if you have other suggestions, please contact our community by email at project@tajdid.in The content of these pages are by no means exhaustive; there are significant gaps, and there might be factual errors. With time it is hoped that the quality of the information, and its links to other sources, will improve so as to provide anyone who believes in the notion that justice cannot be sought by means of revenge, with the contacts, tools, and resources needed to pave the way for justice policies that are, not only more equitable, but also more effective in reducing violent crime.