National Society for Human Rights

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National Society for Human Rights Logo

The National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) is a non-governmental organization based in Saudi Arabia, and was established on the 10th March 2004^[1]. It is the first independent human rights organization in Saudi Arabia, and cooperates with other international human rights organizations^[2]. The President of the Society is Bandr Hajjar.

1 Profile
2 Society Resources
3 Publications
4 Achievements
5 NSHW and Human Rights Watch
6 Other Human Rights Bodies
7 Criticism
8 See also
9 References
10 External Link

[edit] Profile

The National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) implements the international human rights charters signed by Saudi Arabia, and it also includes a special panel to monitor violations of women's rights. According to its resolution, the Society seeks to protect human rights and preserve human dignity as ordered by Allah, Most Powerful, in the Holy Qur’an: “And indeed We have honoured the Children of Adam”^[3]. It seeks to support the rights of citizens, to monitor and pursue their rights as established and recognized by Islamic Sharia law and applicable regulations, and seeks to protect citizens from possible violations, abuses, and breaches of those rights. It also seeks to contribute to international efforts and worldwide cooperation aimed at preserving human rights^[4]. The main office is in Riyadh, but it also has four other branches in Saudi Arabia, located in Jeddah, Makkah, Jizan, and East Province, and it is working to open a fifth branch in Aljouf. The Society consists of 41 founding members, six of whom are women^[5].

[edit] The Idea of Establishing NSHR

Several citizens of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia sought to establish the National Society for Human Rights based on the following:

The importance of human rights in social life.
The great challenges that face the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, both locally and internationally.
The desire for patriotic participation in facing challenges, arriving at the truth, identifying the weaknesses, and aiding in handling them.
Aiding the State in achieving justice and fighting oppression.
Defending the application of the Islamic Laws (Shariah)^[6].

[edit] The Bodies of the Society

The bodies of the Society includes:

a. The General Assembly.

b. The Executive Council.

c. President of the Society.

d. Two Vice Presidents of the Society.

e. Secretary General of the Society^[7].

[edit] Objectives of NSHR

The objectives of the Society are as follows:

a. To endeavor to protect the human rights according to the Constitution of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which is based on the Holy Quran and the teachings of Prophet Mohammad (Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon him) and in accordance with applied regulations, along with the Declarations and Covenants of Human Rights issued by the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Conference, and the United Nations and its agencies and specialized committees, so long as they do not contradict with Islamic Shariah (Islamic Laws).

b. To cooperate with the international organizations working in the same field.

c. To stand against injustice, abuse, violence, torture, and intolerance^[8].

[edit] Functions of the Society

The functions of the Society are as follows

To ensure the enforcement of rules of the Constitution and the internal regulations of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia pertaining to human rights.
To ensure the fulfillment of the obligation of the Kingdom concerning issues of human rights, according to the contents of the Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam, the charter of the United Nations, and international covenants and documents of human rights.
To receive complaints and grievances, follow them up with competent entities, and to verify claims regarding violations and abuses of human rights.
To present views and proposals to governmental and non-governmental bodies for teaching and dissemination of information in the field of human rights.
To handle human rights issues dealt with by international bodies, in general, and by non-governmental international organizations, in particular.
To study international covenants and documents of international human rights and their applications.
To conduct international, regional, and local conferences, symposiums, and courses pertaining to human rights.
To encourage regional and international cooperation for the promotion and protection of human rights.
To publish specialized publications and releases on human rights^[9].

[edit] Functions of the General Assembly

The General Assembly performs and undertakes the following duties and tasks: a. To adopt the Constitution of the Society and any amendments thereof, along with the internal regulations.

b. To elect the members of the Executive Council.

c. To elect the President of the Society and the Vice Presidents four years subject to renewal.

d. To adopt the annual report.

e. To appoint the Comptroller and determine his remuneration.

f. To adopt the report of the Comptroller.

g. To adopt the annual budget.

h. To dissolve the Society.

[edit] The Executive Council

The Executive Council consists of nine members including the President and the Vice Presidents. The membership period of the Council is four years subject to renewal. In case a vacancy occurs for any reason, a replacement shall be assigned by a decision of the General Assembly to fill such vacancy, in order to complete the period of his predecessor. The Executive Council manages the work of the Society in a manner that achieves the goals for which the Society was established as provided for in the Constitution. In particular, the Executive Council may carry out the following:

a. To suggest amending the Constitution of the Society.

b. To propose internal regulations.

c. To suggest the approval of the final accounts in view of the report of the Comptroller.

d. To study the annual budget, the income and expenditure accounts, and any other statements pertaining to the financial status of the Society.

e. To set up permanent and interim committees.

f. To use the help of experts and advisors at its own discretion.

g. To study the annual reports prepared by the President of the Society.

h. Any other tasks entrusted to it by the General Assembly^[10].

[edit] The Committees of the Society

The Monitor and Follow Up Committee;

a. To monitor and follow up work pertaining to the achievement of the Society goals, to receive grievances and complaints, and to verify claims of violations and abuse of regulations.

b. Studies and Consultations Committee; to undertake studies and provide consultations regarding documents, regulations, and procedures in the field of human rights.

c. Culture and Publication Committee; to raise awareness, conduct symposiums and conferences, and disseminate information regarding human rights.

d. Family Committee, for family affairs^[11].

[edit] Functions of the President of the Society

The president of the Society can do the following;

To manage the affairs of the Society.

To preside over the meetings of the General Assembly and the Executive Council.

To represent the Society before judicial authorities, international organizations, and other parties.

To sign the decisions and contracts of the Society.
To pursue the implementation of the decisions of the General Assembly and the Executive Council^[12].

[edit] Society Resources

The Society’s income is generated from publications, bulletins, and revenue generated from symposiums and fairs. Moreover, revenues are generated from property investments. In addition, the Society accepts gifts, testaments, Awqaf (endowments), grants, and other resources that do not contradict with the objectives of the Society^[13].

[edit] Publications

NHSR issues periodic reports on the progress of human rights in Saudi Arabia. It publishes a monthly bulletin called Hogog, which means Rights. So far NSHR has published five reports. The first report was on human rights in Saudi Arabia in 2006 and is a 60-page publication. This report addresses many issues including women's rights, security and civil liberties, educational rights, children's rights, prisoners’ rights, and the rights of foreign labourers^[14]. The next publication was a collection of essays written about that first report. Two other publications are studies on how compatible Saudi regulations are with basic human rights agreements. The fifth publication was a report on the violations of human rights in Guantanamo Bay such as torture and the general mistreatment of Saudi prisoners. These include being left with no food for more than 18 hours, and insulting religious symbols such as by urinating on the Qur’an. It mentions the killing of a couple of Saudis, whom the American government claimed to have committed suicide but the inspection group who examined the corpses said that the cause of death had not been suicide^[15].

[edit] Achievements

The Society has dealt with more than 6,500 issues so far. Of these, 434 were about family violations where 205 issues came from the Makkah branch, 109 from Jizan, 68 from Riyadh, and 43 from East Province. In 2006 the total number of issues was 1,111, of which family issues count for 24%; the other issues include labour, finance, asking for citizenship, and other unclassified issues. Moreover, the Society has visited 22 prisons all around the Kingdom and is following prisoner matters through the judicial and executive institutions. NSHR has undertaken unannounced visits to care homes in order to ensure that the elderly residents are receiving good treatment and that the level of hygiene is high. The Society is also cooperating with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in regard to human rights generally and to family violations in particular. The Society has also delivered several lectures on human rights. Furthermore, there is a website where the public can view the issues that the Society deals with, or where they can present their own issues. NSHR has instituted a commission with regard to the Saudi prisoners in Guantanamo Bay and presses for the accused to be either released or put on trial. The total number of Saudi prisoners in Guantanamo used to be 130 but 117 were released on the 10th of November 2007, and currently 23 remain imprisoned. NSHR also communicates with other international human rights organization to put pressure on the American government to close the prison^[16].

[edit] NSHW and Human Rights Watch

Major human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have repeatedly expressed concerns about the state of human rights in Saudi Arabia. Since the establishment of the NSHW, Human Rights Watch, at the instigation of its executive director Kenneth Roth, wrote to the Vice president of the Society suggesting that he and his colleagues be invited to the Kingdom. Unfortunately, the Society was unable to arrange an invitation for more than three years but HRW did receive an invitation in early 2008, and on 8/2/2008 a delegation from HRW visited the Society where human rights issues, in particular children's and women's rights, were discussed^[17].

[edit] Other Human Rights Bodies

NSHR is not the only organization that addresses the issue of human rights in Saudi Arabia; there is a governmental union for human rights that is a part of the Cabinet and was established in 2005^[18]. It has the right to pursue those government institutions that enact regulations that impact upon human rights issues, and it seeks to address any trespass against the law that it considers a violation of human rights. It also has the right to pursue government institutions when applying the international human rights charters that the Kingdom has signed, and has the right to receive claims from any citizen in regard to human rights^[19].

[edit] Criticism

From a western point of view, NSHR is not concerned with all the issues that other international organizations, such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, focus upon. For example, Amnesty International is asking the government to take urgent action to abolish the death penalty^[20], but as all the employees of the Society are Muslim and their objective is to protect human rights and preserve human dignity according to Sharia law, the Society does not intend to ask the government to abandon corporal punishment or hand amputations for stealing, and ask for LGBT rights.

It seems that the government has some influence over the Society. Most of the people who established and work for the Society either had or still hold government positions. This raises fears that the close relationship between the government establishment and the members of the Society may adversely affect the work of the Society. Furthermore, the Society’s work permit was issued by the King himself by royal decree (No. 24/2) on the 10th of March 2004, while other human rights organizations, such as the Saudi Centre for Human Rights based in London, could not get a work permit in Saudi Arabia; they do not even get assistance from the government in accessing certain places^[21].

In addition, NSHR seems to have limitations imposed upon it, and thus they have to turn a blind eye on several subjects that are considered beyond the red line in Saudi Arabia. The following are some of the issues that the Society ignores:

Imprisoned dissidents and political prisoners and their rights to a fair trial.
Asking the govermment for the right to have political parties.
Freedom of expression, as writers and journalists who call for reform are subject to short-term arrests, travel bans or censorship.
The right to protest.
Shia'a rights, such as asking for their jurisprudence books to be made available.

NSHR is not asking the Government to apply more democracy in the country. They never mention the right to hold elections for members of the Shura Council, or the right to hold elections for the governance of cities and provinces.

[edit] See also

Human rights in Saudi Arabia

LGBT rights in Saudi Arabia

[edit] References

[edit] External Link

http://www.nshrsa.org