The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) recently published issue no. 64 of Rowaq Arabi, which presents a number of the human rights-related problems seen the Arab and Muslim world over the past two years.
This issue includes a profile of the late Islamic thinker Gamal Al-Banna entitled “Gamal Al Banna… The Path and Fate of an Islamic Innovator” and written by Dr. Ammar Ali Hassan, a novelist and political sociology researcher.
In an article entitled “Human Rights and Islamic Law… Compatible or Contradictory?” Mr. Moataz Al-Fegiery, a Ph.D. candidate at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, presents a critical review of Professor Mashood Baderin’s book “International Human Rights and Islamic Law”. Fegiery attempts to provide an answer to a central question about the possibility of reconciling between Islamic Shari’a as the legal reference for countries of the Muslim world and obligations of states under international human rights law.
In the same vein, the issue includes a study entitled “A Rights Agenda in the Islamic World? Developing the Framework of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on Human Rights”. The study was prepared by Kia Oglu, assistant professor of International Relations within the Policies, Philosophy and Economics department at Washington University – Tacoma. He offers an assessment of tools used by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, mechanisms of action of the Standing Independent Committee of Human Rights within the OIC, and its decision-making process.
The issue includes a report entitled “Human Rights in Egypt: Between the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces and the Muslim Brotherhood”, prepared by Mr. Essam El Din Hassan, CIHRS’ research director. The report analyzes the human rights situation and its development in Egypt in the post-Mubarak era, including both the rule of SCAF and the rule of now-deposed President Mohamed Morsi. This report focuses on a series of grave violations committed during these periods, including the clampdown on rallies and peaceful protests, attacks on the freedom of opinion and expression and on media freedoms, pressures brought to bear on religious freedom, sectarian violence, restrictions on the work of civil society, attacks on human rights organizations, military trials of civilians, and torture and other violations by the police.
In addition, the issue includes a study entitled “The Right to Democracy: A Study of the Legal and Institutional Dimensions” by Islam Hegazy, assistant lecturer at the Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University. The study focuses on the role of international and regional organizations in promoting democracy. The issue also includes another study by Sohair Riyad, a researcher with CIHRS, entitled “The Role of Non-Governmental Organizations at the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights“, in which she addresses the ability of NGO’s to communicate and work with the African Commission.
Finally, the issue includes in its documentation section statements related to human rights issues in the countries of the “Arab Spring” as well as a number of statements on the situation of human rights in the Arab region which were presented by various human rights organizations to the UN Human Rights Council.
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