As warfare moves away from the battlefield and armed forces of nation-states and is often conducted in densely populated cities and regions by organized armed groups, including terrorist organizations, the line between combatants and civilians has become increasingly blurred. To address the pertinent distinction, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) released Interpretive Guidance on June 2, 2009 that clarifies the meaning of "direct participation in hostilities."  

President Obama's June 4 speech in Cairo had encouraging words for nonprofit organizations in the U.S. and around the world, as he recognized that U.S. charitable giving rules have made charitable donations difficult for Muslims and committed himself to working with American Muslims to resolve the problem. The Charity Security Network and Muslim Advocates each responded with statements pledging cooperation in developing new rules that protect and promote legitimate charitable programs and their donors, both Muslim and non-Muslim.