EFFECTS OF VIOLENT-CONFLICTS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN: AN ISLAMIC PANACEA

Conflict among human beings is natural and it turns devastating only when it is mismanaged of when violence is introduced for its resolution. The contemporary world is replete with violent conflicts. These are caused by injustice, ravenousness and vain personal or group interests on one hand and by the necessity to resist oppression and aggression in struggle against enemies who repress the truth on the other. Women and children are the most vulnerable to the devastating effects of these conflicts which include murder, rape, (sexual) slavery, trafficking, child labour, force marriage, prostitution, displacement, poverty among other social deprivations. The effects markedly inhibit their development in the society. Islam being a comprehensive system of life provides preventive and curative measures to curb and or eradicate the escalation and effects of violent-conflicts in human society. Using descriptive and analytical methods, this paper interprets these Islamic teachings as enshrined in the Qur'an and Sunnah and explains how best they could be applied to address the effects of violent-conflicts on women and children in modem societies. It has found that peaceful coexistence, peaceful management of conflict resolution, reconciliation, pardon, protection of the ethics of war and relations with war captives, justice to all including enemies, tenderness to women and children, equality of mankind and superiority of moral values, etc., represent the Islamic tools in this regard. It concludes that these Islamic practicable tools are relevant and re- applicable to the modem situation. They should therefore be adopted and implemented without further ado. This is imperative for peaceful coexistence, unity and universal brotherhood of mankind.