Editorial
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52282/icr.v9i3.100Abstract
This latest issue of IAIS Malaysia’s flagship journal, Islam and Civilisational Renewal (ICR), includes six substantive articles, all with actionable policy recommendations, in addition to five viewpoints, several event reports and a book review. I am confident that our readers will benefit from this expert body of work, characterised by honest scholarship, depth of learning and originality of thought.
Our lead article, a focus piece, has been contributed by Joel Hayward of the UAEs National Defense College. Entitled Justice, Jihad and Duty: The Quranic Concept of Armed Conflict, it explores Islam’s stance on the validity of military force. Hayward focuses on the ethical directives contained within the Quran, interpreting them as an attempt to emphasise the sanctity of human life. Hayward concludes that Islam forbids all military conflict save in instances of self-defence. Even under such circumstances, all acts of war must be set within strict ethical boundaries akin to those characteristic of the Wests Just War philosophy.