The New World Order of Islam — Page 69
New World Order 69 provided for by the State, reparations are also a matter of settlement between the belligerent States, and arrangements for the maintenance and custody of prisoners of war are also a state responsibility. On the conclusion of peace all questions of reparations, penalties, exchange and release of prisoners have to be settled between the belligerent States. Reverting, however, to the Islamic teachings in this connection, what I desire to stress is that a prisoner of war could always secure his release by the payment of ransom. This payment could be made by himself or by his relatives or by the tribe of which he was a member or by the State of which he was a subject. There is nothing in these regulations which imported perpetual loss of liberty. It may be argued that a prisoner may himself be poor and unable to pay his ransom. His tribe or state may be indifferent. His relatives may be hostile to him and may desire the prolongation of his captivity and his captor may be poor and so burdened with the expense which he had been compelled to incur on account of war, that he may not be able to afford his release without ransom. Then what chance is left for the prisoner to obtain his release? Even this contingency is provided for in Islam. The Holy Quran says: