The Faculty of Sharia and Law at the Islamic University organized a seminar entitled “Crimes Harmful to Public Health Affecting Human Health and Environmental Safety in Palestinian Legislation, International Law, and Islamic Jurisprudence”. The seminar was attended by Professor Dr. Taysir Ibrahim, Dean of the Faculty of Sharia and Law; Dr. Afif Abu Kaloub, Head of the Department of Sharia and Law; a number of legal researchers; representatives of ministries; academics; and students of the Faculty of Sharia and Law.
The purpose of the seminar was to highlight the importance of environmental conservation and identify the dimensions of the challenges facing the world in general and developing countries in particular in planning for comprehensive development, finding solutions to complex environmental problems, and clarifying their legal nature and legislative status in international and Palestinian law.
Opening session
During the opening session, Professor Dr. Ibrahim emphasized that preserving the environment and its resources is primarily an educational issue, given the role of education in developing individuals’ behavior in line with the value of the environment in human life. He added that environmental education plays an important role in preparing individuals to adopt responsible behavior towards the environment, and this education should start with students to deepen their understanding of environmental concepts in detail and to provide an analytical and realistic approach, enabling the student to contribute to solving the environmental problems he or she faces in life.
Dr. Abu Kaloub noted that among the challenges facing humans environmentally are epidemics and diseases, as humans interact with the climate and the surrounding environment and are affected by them. He stressed the need to promote health through community efforts and by providing conditions that enable individuals to maintain their health or prevent its deterioration.
He added that the idea of this seminar came to clarify how the legislator has sought locally and internationally to protect public health and achieve the ultimate goal, which is the right of every human being to live without being exposed to diseases and epidemics.
Seminar sessions
The seminar included three scientific sessions, of which the first was chaired by Dr. Afif Abu Kaloob and entitled “The Nature of Crimes Harmful to Public Health”. Dr. Mohammed Al-Holi presented a research paper to define crimes harmful to public health and their legal basis, while Mr. Moath Al-Jaabari presented a scientific paper on the legal nature of crimes harmful to public health. Dr. Khalil Qannan presented the last research paper in this session on crimes harmful to public health in Islamic jurisprudence.
As for the second session of the seminar, it was entitled “Crimes Harmful to Public Health Affecting Human Health and Environmental Safety and the Penalty Prescribed in Palestinian Legislation and International Law” and was chaired by Dr. Anwar Al-Shaer. Dr. Imran Abu Mosameh spoke about commercial fraud crimes and the spread of infectious diseases in Palestinian legislation, and Dr. Taha Saad also talked about environmental crimes harmful to public health in Palestinian legislation. Dr. Othman Abu Mosameh then spoke about environmental crimes harmful to public health in international law, and Mr. Ahmad Abu Rahma presented a research paper discussing civil liability for damages to public health and the environment.
Regarding the third scientific session, it was titled “The Role of Government Institutions in Reducing Crimes Harmful to Public Health, Human Health, and Environmental Safety”, chaired by Dr. Salem Abu Makhada. Representatives from the Ministry of National Economy spoke about the role of the Ministry in reducing crimes harmful to public health, and a representative from the Ministry of Water and Environmental Quality spoke about the Ministry’s role in reducing environmental crimes. Also, a representative from the Public Prosecution participated in the meeting to discuss the role of the Public Prosecution in reducing crimes.
The seminar aimed to shed light on the legal and legislative aspects of crimes harmful to public health and the environment and encourage community efforts to reduce their occurrence.
