Refugee Survey Quarterly Advance Access originally published online on July 4, 2008
Refugee Survey Quarterly 2008 27(2):30-40; doi:10.1093/rsq/hdn031
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This article appears in the following Refugee Survey Quarterly issue: ASYLUM AND ISLAM [View the issue table of contents]
The Ethics of Asylum in Early Muslim Society
* The author is currently a Senior Protection Assistant with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Kuala Lumpur. The views expressed are the personal views of the author and may not necessarily be shared by the United Nations or UNHCR. The author is most grateful to Prof. Dr Ahmed Ibrahim AbuShouk of the International Islamic University and Prof. Dr Ibrahim Mohd Zein, Dean of the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization in Kuala Lumpur, for their invaluable guidance and support on the topic.
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Abstract |
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This article examines the historical events related to asylum for Muslim refugees in the formative years of Islam and its impact upon the development of the first Muslim community in Medina. This article is also part of an ongoing historical study to identify socio-political and humanitarian responses to refugee populations in Muslim civilizations. The research aims to analyse the standards of treatment meted out to refugees in Muslim history and to draw parallels between identified historical examples and the modern refugee protection regime. A historical demonstration of Islamic approaches to refugee protection would be an invaluable guide for present-day policy makers, particularly Muslim governments, to craft responses to contemporary refugee issues which are in keeping with established Islamic principles and practices.