Legal protection of holy religious places in times of armed conflict

Abstract

This study deals with an important and sensitive issue relating to the legal protection of holy religious places in times of armed conflicts, where there are frequent violations in various parts of the world. Our study of the above-mentioned topic will be within the international humanitarian law that governs and regulates armed conflicts. The purpose of this study is to explain the various provisions for the protection of such places as well as international responsibility for attacks against them. In studying the above, we have relied on two main approaches, namely, the descriptive and analytical. Finally, we have reached a set of results, centered on the point that, despite the various forms of protection established for holy religious places, they remain inadequate. They spoke only of places of worship in general, without giving particular attention to places of worship of special importance to the divine religions, that is, the Holy Ones. Nor do they include practical legal means that require States to respect the provisions of international conventions, as well as the absence of international legal sanctions to ensure that violations perpetrators against these holy places are held accountable.