The Status of Relief Staff in Armed Conflict from the Point of View of Islam and International Humanitarian Law

Abstract

Contemplating the recent 100-year history of wars and conflicts suggests that warlords sometimes have used tools and tactics that are opposed to legal principles, including the use of deception in the use, cover and logo of the relief quarters for combatants to attack the enemy or targeting the relief and medical aid centers and forces. However, through various principles of humanitarian law including the principle of separation and, of course, by explicit Islamic instructions in the Qur'an and the prophetic tradition, the parties involved are restricted in choosing methods and means of warfare and the use of weapons and methods of warfare that will inevitably cause unnecessary suffering is considered forbidden. The issue of the present study is that what is the scope of involved parties' obligation to separate regarding civilian targets, especially the places of deployment, structures and medical and relief medical teams? Accordingly, through a descriptive-analytic method and by using the library method of collecting information, it will be tried to prove the priority hypothesis and, of course, respect and immunity of relief personnel in Islam. Text of the Holy Qur'an, narrations and, of course, the tradition of the Prophet in Islamic law and custom, the general principles of law and numerous international treaties, including the four Geneva Conventions and its annexed protocols, have emphasized the respect and immunity of the relief staff.

Keywords

• humanitarian law
• medical personnel
• relief staff
• armed conflict