This paper reports on a piece of research which brought together eight Islamic scholars, four child protection academics and two international development agencies to identify mechanisms and processes which safeguard children from harm that are congruent with Islamic scholarship and practices. Roundtable methodology was used to share knowledge, build networks and increase engagement with child protection by bringing together different stakeholders to share experiences and encourage collaboration in a relatively cost‐effective manner. Four key themes were identified following initial qualitative data analysis of the roundtable discussion: (1) The convergence and divergence in Islamic thought on issues of child protection; (2) knowledge sharing and partnership working; (3) individual and collective wellbeing; and (4) mechanisms and tools for intervention. Findings from the roundtable indicate that a reliance on solely Western‐based models does not allow for the trust and credibility that enable intervention at a deeper level in Islamic communities. Critically, the roundtable highlighted a significant gap in how Islamic knowledge and principles are practically applied to child protection policy and practice in international development contexts. Next steps are identified for building a knowledge base that can be practised in Islamic communities. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Messages Religious communities are invaluable partners for protecting children and enhancing wellbeing. Despite clear guidance from the Quran and the Sunna about the principles of child protection in Muslim communities, local customs and socio‐political contexts can challenge their application. Mutual learning and shared knowledge between child protection actors and religious actors is key. Community harmony needs to be considered alongside individual experiences within families. Mistrust of ‘outsiders’ is a significant barrier to engaging with organic child protection mechanisms in Islamic contexts.

Engendering hope with refugee children is an important role of those working in child protection. This article reports on one part of an evaluation of a community-based child protection project working with Palestinian refugees in southern Lebanon. Validated tools were used to measure levels of hope in 222 children and young people before and after social work intervention. Results were compared to a smaller group of similar children who received no intervention. Children who received social work intervention were shown to have significant improvement in hope. Results highlight the need for early intervention and in some cases intensive contact.

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Abstract The care and protection of children are a concern that crosses ethnic, religious and national boundaries. How communities act on these concerns are informed by cultural and religious understandings of childhood and protection. Islam has specific teachings that relate to the care and guardianship of children and are interpreted in diverse ways across the Muslim world. Islamic teachings on child-care mostly overlap with Western understandings of child protection, but there can be some contested positions. This creates complexities for social workers intervening in Muslim communities where the basis of their intervention is primarily informed by a non-Muslim paradigm or occurs in secular legal contexts. The purpose of this article is to address at a broad level the issue of how overarching concepts of child protection and Islam influence social work practice with Muslim communities. It addresses a gap in practical applications of the synergy of Islamic thinking with core social work practice in the field of child protection. For effective practice, it is argued that social work practitioners need to consider common ground in Islamic thinking on child protection rather than rely on Western frameworks. This requires further research to build evidence-based practice with Muslim families.