The feasibility of investment in the religious heritage in anti-corruption efforts in Palestinian public organizations
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JMLC-06-2020-0071 |
| Date | 29 March 2021 |
| Published date | 29 March 2021 |
| Pages | 29-48 |
| Subject Matter | Accounting & finance,Financial risk/company failure,Financial compliance/regulation,Financial crime |
| Author | Mohammad W. Hanini |
The feasibility of investment in
the religious heritage in anti-
corruption efforts in Palestinian
public organizations
Mohammad W. Hanini
Faculty of Law and Public Administration, Birzeit University,
Birzeit, Palestinian Authority
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of the study is to investigate the feasibility of investing the religious heritage in anti-
corruption efforts in public organizations in Palestine. The study sought to measure th e current status of public
organizations, if they are investing the religious heritage in the efforts of encountering corruption. Further, the study
sought to measure the attitudes and future expectations if there is an integration of the religious heritage in the
current anti-corruption efforts.
Design/methodology/approach –This study combines two folds: First, theoretical and qualitative,
through research in previous studies, texts and religious attitude of corruption, historical models and international
experiences that have tried to invest in it and incorporate it in anti-corru ption efforts, which are generalizable
generic models; and the second: a field empirical part, through the researcher use of a questionnaire tool and
analyzing it statistically, in addition to ensuring the possib ility of using religion in anti-corruption efforts within the
Palestinian public institutions which will eventually enable us to answer the study questions.
Findings –The study found that the reality of investment in the religious heritage in anti-corruption effort s in the
Palestinian public sector is present in a moderate degree (56.8%) , both in rules and regulations, in strategic plans or
policies, or in the internal systems and the organizational culture of the public institutions. With regard to the
attitudes of the employees toward corruption and the way of their formulation to these attitudes either if they are
influenced by the religious heritage or the law or by the eight reasons mentioned previously in this study, it is
obvious that the employees attitudes toward corruption are formulated first from a religious perspectives and
second from a legal perspective. Regarding their attitudes and their agreement level toward the invest ment of the
religious heritage in anti-corruption in the Palestinian public sector was high (75.9%), as well as their future
expectations in case the religious heritage is invested in anti-corruption efforts was in a high degree (74.1%).
Therefore, the authors conclude that there is a feasibility of religious heritage investment in anti-corruptio n efforts in
the Palestinian public sector in case it is accredited and integrated in anti-corruption st rategies as a supportive
factor but not as a substitute of other efforts.The study recommended that decision makers should adopt new anti-
corruption policies and strategies compatible with these striking results through the rules, regulations and
administrative decisions, or in the internal institutional system and the cultur al organization, in the publications and
declarations of the public institution, in special code of conduct based on the religious heritage, in the training of the
employees and designing new proposals to integrate the religious heritage in anti-corruption eff orts in parallel with
the permanent evaluation of these efforts after its application.
Originality/value –This study, The feasibility of investing in religious heritage in anti-corruption efforts, is
different from the previously reviewed studies, as the previous studies were either philosophical or theoretical in nature,
looking at the relationship between religion and corruption or empirical, but in a different environment and society
than the society of this study. The general purpose of this research is to identify the impact of religious perceptions on
corruption in the behavior of public officials in the Palestinian public sector as it is on the ground, and whether their
attitudes were affected by corruption with their religious beliefs? Do they welcome the investment of religion in the
fightagainst corruption and what are their expectations if this is done in institutional, strategic or policycontext.
Keywords Investment, Anti-corruption, The religious heritage
Paper type Research paper
Feasibility of
investment
29
Journalof Money Laundering
Control
Vol.24 No. 1, 2021
pp. 29-48
© Emerald Publishing Limited
1368-5201
DOI 10.1108/JMLC-06-2020-0071
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
https://www.emerald.com/insight/1368-5201.htm
Introduction
Religion has generally declined since the 16th century (Cunningham, 2005) and modernity
ages, whereit remained on the margins oroutside the text as a variable thatcan be integrated
and invested in improving the patterns of governance and administration. In contrast,
governmental corruption has been one of the biggest drawbacks for public institutions and
efforts of governanceand development, especially in developing countries.It may be argued
that anti-corruption is a matter based primarily on the circulation of power, the principle of
separation ofpowers, the existence of effectiveinstitutions and mechanismsof control under
a comprehensive constitution, as well as the institutions of civil society. However, some
researchers haverecently criticized this approachfor not considering the moral and cultural
dimensions of corruption and considering religion as a starting point for these dimensions,
suggesting that religion affects corrupt actions by shaping cultural attitudes (Ko and Moon,
2014). Today, the leaders of many religions are united in their opposition to corruption and
the leadersof religious organizationsare more clearly condemned,as truth and justice are the
universalvalues of many religions (Beets,2007).
It is historically understood in the European context that democracy has been created
because of the corruption of religion,and it is generally understood that there are those who
demand the exclusion of religion from the state, at least it is important for them to protect
religion from corruption by the state to be consistent (Stevens, 2012). Some may argue that
the combination of religion and law is impossible, but a study found that there are subtle
shifts between them and even argues that some religions are compatible with secularism
and public religions that might protect secular society (Brandtstädter, 2013). A study that
was carried out in 129 countries in 12years found that the correlation between religion and
the reduction of corruption is conditional on the extent of democratic political institutions
(Sommer et al.,2013).
The relationship between religion and corruption is understandable because the latter is
an immoral variable. This is directly related to the religious teachings that call for ethical
commitment. The heavenlyreligions (Islamic, Christian and others) consider corruptionas a
wrong act based mainly on the employee’s lack ofintegrity, which is what all religions have
done for self-reform and the promotion of higher supervision instead of employers’control.
Some may discuss the relativeperspective of ethics, but this debate ends withthe agreement
of reason and religion on the immorality and non-legitimacy of corruption. The study does
not investigate non-believers or those who saw religions as a form of insanity and even in
some cases they find it useful (Hood, 1997). We will not argue whether conservative or
conservative societies are more involved in corruption on the ground than those of non-
believer communities because that is what (Ko and Moon, 2014) explain. But what we are
trying to put forward here is a reference supplementto strategies within the traditional anti-
corruption system and not a substitutefor it.
Corruption is a hindrance to human progress, as systematic corruption undermines
democracy and carries the risk of non-legitimacy of power, and generates a crisis of
legitimacy (Souza et al., 2017), which is not a new phenomenon, there is almost devoid of
which a society and has become a noticeable phenomenon with a remarkable impact when
the state institutions were found “(Shabbir and Anwar,2007), and in parallel, interest in the
fight against corruptionhad adopted increased efforts after the WorldBank President James
Wolfensohn spoke about the “cancer of corruption”in 1996 and national and international
non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and governmental censor bodies are all involved
in the organized effortsof anti-corruption, donor organizations havespent millions of dollars
on anti-corruption programs and introduced the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) of
International Transparency organization, and the index of global governance of the World
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