Abrar M. S. Materially Motivated Crimes Affecting Religious Sentiment"

Abstract

This research examines the topic of materialistic crimes that affect religious sentiment within a comparative legal study of the criminal legislations of Iraq, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates. The significance of the study lies in its focus on tangible material acts that constitute direct assaults on sacred places, as opposed to purely verbal or ideological offenses. The study concentrates exclusively on analyzing the legal elements and prescribed penalties for two of the most serious material crimes: the offense of attacking and damaging places of worship, and the offense of violating the sanctity of graves and desecrating them. The research concludes that the legislators in the examined jurisdictions have criminalized these acts to protect public order, safeguard social peace, and preserve the sanctity of the dead and sacred sites. A clear divergence in punitive policy was identified: the UAE legislator adopts a notably stricter approach, followed by the Iraqi legislator, while penalties under Jordanian legislation are comparatively lighter.