A new Kiswahili language publication called “Utangulizi wa Sheria ya Kimataifa ya Kibinadamu ya Kiislamu” (“Introduction to International Humanitarian Law in Islam” / “muqaddimah fi ‘l-qanun ad-duwali al-insani fi ‘l-islam”), a reference work that was authored in Arabic by Professor Zaid Abdel Karim Al-Zaid, Al-Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh. This Kiswahili translation, also available in print, was prepared by the Dar es Salaam and Nairobi Delegations of the ICRC and provides an important reference resource to the many millions of Kiswahili speakers around the world.

The publication explores such important topics such as how to deal with victims of armed conflict in accordance with Islamic Shariah, looks at lessons learnt from the early Islamic battles like Badr, and lays out what Islamic law says about the treatment of Prisoners of War, women, children, dead bodies and the protection of property. It also talks about the protection of those who offer services on the battlefield but are not directly involved in fighting, such as medical personnel and reporters.