When a war breaks out between two countries, prisoners and hostages, civilians/servicemen, are often taken by one or both warring parties. They are held in what each party considers as a legitimate conflict and right, especially when a favourable circumstances comes forth.
Despite the fact that some people criticise Muslims for taking prisoners and hostages, especially when taking civilians and young children by force, the way the Muslim forces bear themselves towards prisoners and hostages sets a luminous, resplendent and shining example on how Islamic values apply during wars. Islam exhorts and urges strongly its worshippers to act and behave at war in a particular and especially in a controlled manner.
Muslims as per the Islamic doctrine should be free from harshness, definite hardness and severity of nature and manner towards their enemy personnel, especially those deprived of liberty and kept under involuntary restraint, confinement, and custody. In particular, Muslim forces and troops entering enemy territories, religious or irreligious, are instructed by Islam not to cause harm to, restrain or dominate by force women, children and elderly.
Islam is also very special in the treatment of women during the times of war. Mistreating women is condemned and forbidden as harmful and unlawful. Women should not be subjected to physical abuse nor should they be verbally condemned or vilified. The way women are treated is often marked by an absence and avoidance of extravagance, violence and extreme partisanship.
True Muslims should in such circumstances show strong and blind adherence to Islamic teachings in this regard as they should not also utter slanderous and abusive statements against women.
Children are also another category protected by Islam at war. Young people are not considered combatants, who are engaged in or ready to engage in combat. Muslim fighters entering hostile dwellings should act or be in conformity with what is morally upright and good. The way children are treated at war should be marked by strong moral rectitude and integrity. This is part of Islamic doctrine and system of moral conduct.
Finally, elderly occupy a unique status in relation to others in Islam. Islamic doctrine and system of moral conduct revolves around certain fundamental bases, one of which is respect for elderly. Islam always emphasises respect, kindness and patience towards one's parents, especially in their old age, as well as towards old people within the society or at war.
Muslims should treat elderly during the times of war with high and special regard. The way that elderly are treated in armed hostiles conflict when a Muslim state is involved arises from and is characterised by the feeling and mental state brought about by sympathy and forbearance.
When you see an army treating women, children and elderly badly, it is actually arising from actual and imputed bad character and conduct. It is an evil impulse, that is morally reprehensible. Highly injurious and destructive manners always go hand in hand with nations that do not respect humanity, nor do they have a sound doctrine and system of moral conduct.
Dr Musallam Al Maani
The writer is Dean of Al Zahra College for Women, Sultanate of Oman
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