On 26 and 27 September 2018, the Faculty of Islamic Studies of the University of Sarajevo and the ICRC in cooperation with the Military Muftiship of the Islamic community in Bosnia-Herzegovina jointly organized an academic conference on Islamic law and IHL. 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.
The exploration of similarities and differences between Islamic Law and IHL resulted in a publication titled “Islamic Law and International Humanitarian Law”, where the authors answer questions that have emerged as crucial in the discussions.
On the occasion of presenting the book, the Dean of the Faculty of Islamic Studies, Dr. Zuhdija Hasanović, emphasized the importance of discussion on the war and religion in Bosnia-Herzegovina, as religious feelings were often severely abused: “True religion transcends misunderstandings and all cultural and social prejudices of the limited human mind. Moreover, it seeks to establish lasting good relations among people by strengthening feelings of equality, equality, brotherhood, and unity in diversity. True faith in God is an effort to love His creatures, not committing crimes against them”, said Hasanović.
The ICRC maintains a regular dialogue with Islamic intellectuals and academics around the world. “Since 2016, we have been intensifying this dialogue in Bosnia-Herzegovina, considering the historical significance and reputation the Islamic Community and the Faculty of Islamic Studies in Sarajevo are enjoying even beyond this country and region. Our fruitful discussions have not been only of an abstract nature, but we also deal with very concrete humanitarian topics such as missing persons. We are convinced that the collection of corresponding articles can contribute to further promoting universal humanitarian principles but also improving humanitarian action worldwide”, said Elmir Camić, head of the ICRC’s delegation in Sarajevo.