The Protection Project fully supports the enhancement of civil society, encouraging academic institutions, corporations, media, nongovernmental organizations, and religious institutions to serve as agents for promoting human rights standards. Constructive religious dialogue  is an essential element of the promotion of human rights in the Arab world. As such, the Protection Project has been working for many years on the study and teaching of comparative legal systems, including the Islamic Legal System (Shari’a), and on promoting, through conferences, seminars and publications of articles and brochures, the interpretation of Shari’a in light on international human rights. The Protection Project is also active in promoting religious freedom and the respect of the rights of religious minorities in the United States and abroad.

About our Promotion of Religious Dialogue Work

Through field programs, teaching, research and publications, The Protection Project supports the respect of religious freedom and promotes constructive religious dialogue all around the work.

    Field Programs: In 2010-2012, The Protection Project implemented a program in Jordan and Lebanon aimed at raising public awareness on trafficking in persons by working with religious leaders of Muslim Sunni and Shia sects and with Christian Maronites on the identification in the Sacred Texts of the passages and Surahs condemning the exploitation of the vulnerable and encouraging the respect of the rights of women and children.
  • Teaching Islamic Legal System: For the past 8 year, Dr. Mohamed Mattar, Executive Director of The Protection Project, has been teaching a class on the Islamic Legal System to graduate level students at the Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies. The course explores several substantive areas of Islamic law, including: constitutional law; banking law and insurance; international law; crimes and punishments; marriage, divorce, and child custody; and succession and wills.
  • Conferences: The Protection Project regularly organizes meetings and conferences on religious freedom and the rights of religious minorities. For example, on November 7, 2011,The Protection Project held its Annual Symposium on trafficking in persons and invited Christian, Muslim and Jewish experts to discuss the role of religious institutions in combating trafficking in persons.