FOREWORD
Dear Readers, I am greatly pleased that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Faculty of Islamic Studies of the University of Sarajevo are able to offer you these proceedings dedicated to Islamic law of armed conflict and international humanitarian law (IHL). The proceedings are a result of the scientific conference jointly organized by the Faculty of Islamic Studies and the ICRC in cooperation with the Military Muftiship of the Islamic community in Bosnia-Herzegovina on 26 and 27 September 2018, in Sarajevo. The conference was an opportunity to discuss numerous issues related to armed conflict from two perspectives, that of secular humanitarian law and of the Islamic law of armed conflict.
I see the participation of teachers, associates and doctoral students at the Faculty of Islamic Studies (University of Sarajevo) as an expression of awareness of our obligation as those who are aware of God, one of whose beautiful names is Selam (peace), to constantly seek and persistently try to establish peace, primarily in us, in our souls, and then in our communities and society around us.
To achieve this goal, the University of Sarajevo, as an institution of higher education of the Islamic community, launched a joint study programme in 201718 with the other two theological faculties, the Faculty of Catholic Theology in Sarajevo and the Faculty of Orthodox Theology of St Vasilije Ostroski in Foča. The programme was entitled Inter-Religious Studies and Peacebuilding.
Due to their unprecedented powers, religious feelings and beliefs are often abused in our region. Some of the cruellest crimes have been committed in the name of religion and under religious symbols. We considered it a social responsibility that the study programme point out a legitimate, authentic and meritorious understanding of the issues of peace and armed conflict in basic religious sources and emphasize that one cannot truly love God while hating His creation.
True religion goes beyond all the misunderstandings and cultural or social prejudices of a limited human mind. We want to build lasting peace in this region through authentic spirituality, a correct understanding of faith and its consistent living, changing both man and the world for the better.
Although there are animal instincts in man that cause him to subjugate others, seize someone else’s property, shed blood and indulge in many other evils, what makes him human are his spirit, morality and intellect. These develop in him a consciousness of God, human dignity and the necessity of equal rights for every human being across the globe.
A healthy spirit, strong morals and an indomitable intellect open a person to other people, to other living beings, to the world around him. They create in him the need to establish connections and bridges, which imply the desire of people to be together and connected, because then they can do anything.
If they are separated and move away from each other, the obstacles will overcome them and they will be defeated. So, bridges, wherever they are, whether material, cultural, scientific or ideological, remain to express a human desire for community and union and to fight conflict and separation. It is extremely important to talk about armed conflicts from an Islamic perspective, especially today, because of the overbearing, offensive and completely unfounded linking of militancy and violent extremism with Islam.
It is necessary to emphasize constantly and persistently that Islam advocates love and obedience to God above all, followed by love, understanding and appreciation of His creatures, especially His most well-chosen creation, man. Through the Quran, Allah condemns not only the unlawful taking of life by another human being, but also the excessive use of force in response to violence. “If you [believers] have to respond to an attack, make your response proportionate, but it is best to stand fast.” (Al-Nahl 126).
How much wisdom this verse holds! Much later, this principle of reciprocal force was applied in humanitarian law as the principle of proportional use of force in defence. For even when one defends himself against an attack his defence can only be commensurate with the attack, never so much as to develop into a new attack.
I am glad that the papers of meritorious authors such as Dr Ahmed al-Dawoody, Prof. (Dr) Mustafa Hasani, Associate Professor (Dr) Nedim Begović, Associate Professor (Dr) Zehra Alispahić, Dr Senad Ćeman and Amir Mahić (MSc) are included in this volume. It is a privilege that you, dear readers, will be able to read about armed conflicts from the perspective of secular humanitarian law and Islamic law of armed conflict, seeing the similarities between the two approaches, but also the clear differences between them.
Finally, I once again thank the representatives of the ICRC in Bosnia-Herzegovina and all the participants of the two-day scientific conference in Sarajevo. My special thanks also to the authors, who have conveyed to us the very strong message that a Muslim is conscious of God during war and armed conflict and strictly adheres to the norms of warfare, respecting human dignity. And if he has this consciousness during war, how can he not have so during peace?
Dr Zuhdija Hasanović,
Dean, Faculty of Islamic Studies, University of Sarajevo
INTRODUCTION
Even wars have limits. They are defined by International Humanitarian Law which obliges protection of all people not taking part in the conflict, as well as limiting the means and methods of warfare. These boundaries must be known and respected to ensure human dignity and alleviate human suffering in armed conflict.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a neutral and independent organization operating for over 150 years, and our main humanitarian mission is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of armed conflict around the world. The ICRC is also the initiator of the idea of the Geneva Conventions, which are the basis of today’s International Humanitarian Law. For this reason, the ICRC is often called its guardian. By advocating the respect of IHL and strengthening universal humanitarian principles, we seek to prevent human suffering.
The rules and laws of war undoubtedly have deeper historical roots. They are derived from elementary human values that are an integral part of all the world’s philosophies and religions. Islamic law guarantees victims of armed conflict (for example, the wounded, the sick, prisoners of war, and civilians) the right to protection, respect, and dignified humane treatment. It also calls for the protection of civilian facilities and property. Islamic law limits the methods and means of warfare to the limits of military necessity. All this is in full compliance with the provisions of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Conventions. Thus, the similarities between IHL and Islamic law are not coincidental, but evidence that there are values that are universal and an important part of most religious and other worldviews.
The ICRC maintains a regular dialogue with Islamic intellectuals and academics around the world, as we carry out most of our humanitarian activities in Muslimmajority countries. This ongoing dialogue is not only of a theoretical and abstract nature, but it also has concrete results. Its main goal is to emphasize the common principles and values that apply to all humankind. We must emphasize these values in all communities to ensure that they are respected by new generations.
The dialogue also aims to overcome particular prejudices that, unfortunately, we all face at times. It is crucial for the ICRC to be accepted as a neutral and independent humanitarian organization by all parties to armed conflicts, no matter where they are taking place. Only in this way can we ensure secure access to all victims and vulnerable populations and provide them with assistance. In other words, the success of our humanitarian action, but also the security of our workers in the field, is entirely based on the question of whether we are accepted by all parties in our true form: as neutral, impartial and independent humanitarian organization.
The ICRC proved this role and our sincere commitment to these values during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, when the center of our global activities was in this region. Given the values represented by the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Faculty of Islamic Studies in Sarajevo, their historical significance and reputation enjoyed throughout the Islamic world and beyond, we are convinced that we have found a strong and lasting partner in this global dialogue.
For this reason, in the past two years we have organized several joint events, workshops and seminars on the common values of Islamic, and International Humanitarian Law, but also some specific humanitarian issues related to this topic, such as the issue of missing persons. Representatives of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Faculty of Islamic Studies of the University of Sarajevo regularly attend similar events in Tunisia and Geneva.
This collection contains papers that arose from jointly organized meetings, primarily form the scientific conference held in September 2018 in Sarajevo. We are convinced that the collection will serve as a basis for raising awareness and further exchange on the importance of respecting the universal humanitarian principles that have guided us all so far.
We would like to thank the Faculty of Islamic Studies in Sarajevo for the excellent cooperation, not only in publishing this collection of papers, but also for the sincere will and interest to continue this dialogue.
We are convinced that, by emphasizing the common values of Islamic, and International Humanitarian Law in Bosnia and Herzegovina, we can contribute to our mutual understanding and to improving humanitarian action throughout the world.
Delegation of the International Committee
of Red Cross in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Dr Ahmed Al-Dawoody al-Azhar University Legal Adviser for Islamic Law and Jurisprudence at the International Committee of the Red Cross
Islamic law and international humanitarian law: An introduction to the main principles1
Abstract: This article gives an overview of the principles regulating the use of force under the Islamic law of war in the four Sunni schools of Islamic law. By way of introducing the topic, it briefly discusses the origins, sources and characteristics of the Islamic law of war. The discussion reveals the degree of compatibility between these Islamic principles and the modern principles of international humanitarian law, and offers insights into how these Islamic principles can help in limiting the devastation and suffering caused by contemporary armed conflicts in Muslim contexts, particularly those conflicts in which Islamic law is invoked as the source of reference.
Keywords: Islam, Islamic law, Islamic law and IHL, jihad, Islamic law of armed conflict, protection of civilians, PoWs in Islam, human shield, war in Islamic law.
Introduction
The effects of armed conflicts such as those currently raging in Syria and Yemen have been shown to spread beyond the Middle East region and reach over to the West. Moreover, their impact can in fact be greater on countries outside the region where the conflict is taking place than on those within it. What this shows, first of all, is that the impact of armed conflicts, including noninternational armed conflicts (NIACs), is no longer local or regional, but global. Moreover, NIACs, especially those in the Middle East, can signal the outbreak of war on a regional or global scale, or at the very least cause severe damage to the world economy. In that regard, a reported 80% of the humanitarian crises currently afflicting mankind are attributable to armed conflicts.2 On that basis, greater efforts are needed not only to enforce the provisions of international humanitarian law (IHL) but also to do everything possible to prevent the occurrence of armed conflicts in the first place,
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