Apply Now 
The Research Center for Islamic Legislation and Ethics (CILE), a member of Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies (QFIS) is set to hold its first public lecture of the new academic year. The lecture will discuss “Necessary Migrant Labor Reform: Islamic Ethics, Human Rights, or Market Economy” and will be held on Sunday, September 13, 2015 from 7pm until 9pm in the auditorium of the new QFIS building within Education City.
Three panelists will address issues concerning migrant labor in Gulf countries from the perspective of Islamic law, history and tradition. The criticism of some of the laws and practices governing foreign labor, particularly low-skilled workers, will be addressed in relation to whether they comply with Islamic principles of ethics and legislation. The question being posed asks what should take precedence – Islamic principles of ethics, United Nations principles of human rights, or secular profit-oriented economics. The topic asks what legislative and behavioral reforms are necessary to address those practices that do not comply with Islamic principles and human rights. It will cover not only how migrant workers may find reforms advantageous, but also highlight the benefit to Gulf States and their citizens.
The event will feature a number of world-renowned social scientists and academics who focus on labor rights within Islamic Studies, including Sheikh Dr. Ali Al Quradaghi, Secretary General of the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS), Dr. Jawad Syed, Professor of Organizational Behavior and Diversity Management at the University of Huddersfield in the United Kingdom, Jabir Al Howaiel, Director of the Legal Affairs in NHRC in Qatar, and Dr. Latife Reda, Research Consultant at the International Labor Organization in Lebanon. The panel will be moderated by Ray Rajai Jureidini, Professor of Migration Ethics and Human Rights at the Research Center for Islamic Legislation and Ethics.
The lecture will also draw upon the observations and discussions had during a closed workshop on "Migration: Islam and human rights". Attended by experts in the field of migration and human right, the workshop will uncover Islamic precepts relating to immigration, open conversation on the approaches of Arab countries in dealing with expatriates, and explore relevant fiqh. The events seek to illuminate the role Islamic legislation and ethics play in navigating contemporary issues, and aim to formulate a firm ethical methodology that may be utilized in tackling current global challenges.