Fatwa Alert: Immigration and Immigrant Rights

The Rose Crescent (R.C.) House of Peace enjoins all peoples and governments everywhere to protect the rights of immigrants (with or without proper documentation), to ensure their safety, to ensure that all immigrants have basic housing, nutrition, free access to education and that their health requirements are met. Moreover, the R.C. House of Peace declares that the causes of so called “illegal” immigration cannot be solved by border enforcement, police, detention centers, higher walls and the criminalization of migrants. Instead, the roots are most often found in push-pull economic factors, lack or scarcity of resources and violent conflicts.

Among other items, we encourage "receiving states" (viz. Europe and North America) to assist "sending states" (viz. the so-called "Third World" or "Developing World") by providing the necessary funds (at zero interest rates) to develop infrastructures and import new technologies (e.g. solar energy, desalinization, etc.) in “sending” states. We encourage receiving states to modify existing import rules (particularly on agricultural products) to benefit sending states. We implore international financial bodies to provide zero interest microloans to individuals and small communities. We encourage sending states to provide land titles to micro plots (even as small as one cubit meter) to individuals.

We declare that the R.C. House of Peace supports the free right of individuals and their families to cross national boundaries. We declare that the principles so stated are in accordance with the Torah, Gospel and Qur'an. So mote it be.