year-old tradition of generosity toward people fleeing persecution has had more influence on modern-day international refugee law than any other historical source, finds a new study published by UNHCR in cooperation with Riyadh-based Naif Arab University and the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC). The comparative study, commissioned by UN High Commissioner for Refugees Ant?nio Guterres and contained in a book by Cairo University Law Professor and Dean of the Law Faculty, Ahmed Abu Al-Wafa, was released at Prince Naif Arab University here, Tuesday. Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Premier, Minister of Interior and head of Naif Arab University's Supreme Council, presided over the launch. In his foreword to “The Right to Asylum Between Islamic Shariah and International Refugee Law: A Comparative Study,” Guterres said the book shows that more than any other historical source, Islamic law and tradition underpin the modern-day legal framework upon which UNHCR bases its global activities on behalf of tens of millions of uprooted people. This includes the right of everyone to seek and enjoy asylum from persecution as well as prohibitions against sending those in need of protection back into danger. “Even though many of those values were a part of Arab tradition and culture even before Islam, this fact is not always acknowledged today,” Guterres wrote. “The international community should value this 14-century-old tradition of generosity and hospitality and recognize its contributions to modern law.” In his study, Professor Abu Al-Wafa describes how Islamic law and tradition respect refugees, including non-Muslims; forbids forcing them to change their beliefs; avoids compromising their rights; seeks to reunite families; and guarantees the protection of their lives and property. The book also reflects UNHCR's close association with the member states of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, which itself adopted in 1990 a Declaration on Human Rights in Islam stipulating that every human being fleeing persecution has the right to seek asylum and receive protection in another country. In his foreword to the book, OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu noteed that the book “demonstrates the equitable and tolerant rules Islamic Shari'ah applies to refugees and how it is keenly concerned with their welfare and interests, while confirming human integrity and man's right to a free, decent life.” __
