Between 29 and 30 November, the ICRC and Islamic scholars and experts gathered in the holy city of Qom to start discussions and establish common ground on the protection of war victims. The ICRC's Jean-François Berger reports from the conference.

In accordance with the mandate conferred on it by the international community, the ICRC strives to protect and assist victims of armed conflict and other forms of violence, regardless of nationality, ethnic origin, religious beliefs or political opinions.

If war does take place, it is subject to clear regulations under Islamic Shari’a. Religious teachings had an evident effect on the emergence of the rules of war, which attained the status of legal rules based on three fundamental requirements: necessity, humanity and chivalry.

The roots of humanitarianism can be traced back to ancient India, where respect for the laws of war was deeply rooted in the armed forces. Those ancient laws established rules for the conduct of rulers towards their peoples, including, for example, the obligation to treat the vanquished humanely and the prohibition of poisoned weapons.

To get some idea of how Judaism handles the ethics of war, the author reviews a selection of sources from the earliest scriptures to rabbinic discussion in contemporary Israel, thus over a period of three thousand years.

On the occasion of the conference on Islam and international humanitarian law, which takes place on the 29th and 30th of November 2006 in Qom, Iran, the ICRC's deputy director of operations, Andreas Wigger, talks about what this forum hopes to accomplish.

What is the relationship between Islamic law and international humanitarian law? The question has assumed even greater pertinence since the attacks of 11 September 2001, giving rise to a fruitful dialogue involving experts in both disciplines, as was the case recently in the Iranian city of Qom - Article published in the Red Cross Red Crescent Magazine, No 1, 2007

An introduction to the rights and obligations of business enterprises under international humanitarian law