Is Islamic Law an Answer for Humanitarians?...
DUBAI, 24 April 2014 (IRIN) – Humanitarian action today is largely taking place in Muslim-majority countries where some combatants turn to Islamic law, among other sources, to guide their military behaviour. As a result, in the last decade, aid and advocacy agencies have increasingly tried to understand Islamic law in order to use its humanitarian provisions as tools of negotiation with armed groups in the Muslim world. This is particularly helpful in engaging Islamist armed groups, some of whom reject international humanitarian law (IHL). Some aid agencies try to situate their arguments for access or protection of civilians within a religious context, sometimes using scholars, mullahs or other religious figures as liaison with Islamist armed groups. Others, like...
Muslim women take a lead in their community with Texas tornado relief...
On Easter Sunday morning, several teams of volunteers headed to tornado-hit sites in Arlington and Lancaster, answering the call of several disaster relief organizations. Locally, Irving based Muslim non-profit humanitarian relief organization OneNation Relief and Charity, an operating arm of Baitulmaal USA for local US-based relief work, started mobilizing their volunteers after the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex was hit by devastating tornadoes last Tuesday. Last night, Baitulmaal and One Nation pulled a crew of volunteers to help clear tornado debris in an Arlington neighborhood on Hidden Oaks Lane this morning. More than twenty five volunteers with work gloves started picking up debris and loading them onto trailers and pick-up beds. When rain started pouring down around 2:00 pm, the volunteers continued working till 3:00...