Policy Briefing – Engaging Across Religious Difference

How Islamic legal scholars shape the actions of armed groups and open space for negotiation?

On June 18, 2025 Cordoba Peace Institute – Geneva (CPI) and the Center for Security Studies, ETH Zurich (CSS) held a policy briefing to mark the culmination of a two-year research project on How Islamic legal scholars shape the actions of armed groups and open space for negotiation. The event was hosted by the Mission of Switzerland to the EU, in Brussels.

The research project, launched in February 2023 with co-funding from the Templeton Religion Trust (TRT) and the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), explored:

1) How various Islamic jurists interpret religious texts to influence the behavior of armed groups; and

2) What types of engagement with such jurists can enable the development or legitimization of practical solutions to conflict—whether in governance, wartime conduct, or negotiations.

Drawing on fieldwork in Iraq (PMF), Mozambique (Al-Shabaab), Mali/Burkina Faso/Niger (JNIM), Somalia (Al-Shabaab), and Yemen (Ansar Allah), the research teams, comprising locally embedded scholars and international academic mentors, examined how religious authority shapes decision-making among militant groups.

The day-long briefing included a presentation of research findings and a round-table discussion for policymakers and peace practitioners, reflecting on related international research and addressing broader questions of religious engagement in conflict transformation.

As many intrastate conflicts involve groups referencing Islamic frameworks, yet remain excluded from formal peace processes, this research highlights the need to better understand and constructively engage Islamic legal authority to strengthen peace efforts.

We thank all participants for their interest and contributions, and the Swiss Mission for hosting this important conversation.