Should Israel Be Responsible for Immigrants?
We discuss why Israel is denying African immigrants their basic rights, as revealed in an annual US human rights report.

David Cameron: Human Rights Laws Stop Britain Protecting Against Terrorism
David Cameron has claimed human rights laws are stopping Britain from protecting its citizens from terrorists in a landmark speech to the Council of Europe.

Read article and comment here | Rowena Mason, Political Correspondent | Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Talk at Queen Mary Cancelled after Threats of Violence
BRITISH HUMANIST ASSOCIATION: A talk organised yesterday by the Queen Mary Atheism, Secularism and Humanism Society on ‘Sharia Law and Human Rights’ had to be cancelled after threats of violence.

The President of the Society, describes what happened:

‘Five minutes before the talk was due to start a man burst into the room holding a camera phone and for some seconds stood filming the faces of all those in the room. He shouted ‘listen up all of you, I am recording this, I have your faces on film now, and I know where some of you live’, at that moment he aggressively pushed the phone in someone’s face and then said ‘and if I hear that anything is said against the holy Prophet Mohammed, I will hunt you down.’ He then left the room.

‘The same man then began filming the faces of Society members in the foyer and threatening to hunt them down if anything was said about Mohammed, he added that he knew where they lived and would murder them and their families. On leaving the building, he joined a large group of men, seemingly there to support him. We were told by security to stay in the Lecture Theatre for our own safety. On arriving back in the room I became aware that the doors that opened to the outside were still open and that people were still coming in. Several eye witnesses reported that when I was in the foyer a group of men came through the open doors, causing a disruption and making it clear that the room could not be secured. Unfortunately, the lack of security in the lecture theatre meant we and the audience had to leave and a Union representative informed the security that as students’ lives had been threatened there was no way that the talk could go ahead.

» | Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Sharia Law Compatible with Human Rights, Argues Leading Barrister
THE GUARDIAN: Sadakat Kadri says religious courts, such as the Muslim Arbitration Tribunal, could benefit the community as a whole

A leading barrister has called for the UK to become more sharia-literate, while arguing that Islamic law can be compatible with the toughest human rights legislation.

Sadakat Kadri told the Guardian that so-called "sharia courts", such as the Muslim arbitration tribunal, were good for "the community as a whole" by putting Sharia on a transparent, public footing and should be more widely accessible to those who want to use them.

Kadri said they played a role in safeguarding human rights: "It's very important that they be acknowledged and allowed to exist. So long as they're voluntary, which is crucial, it's in everyone's interests these things be transparent and publicly accessible. If you don't have open tribunals, they're going to happen anyway, but behind closed doors."

In 2008, Rowan Williams, archbishop of Canterbury, sparked controversy when he appeared to suggest that sharia law should be more widely adopted.

In fact, under the Arbitration Act 1996, the rulings of religious bodies, including the Muslim arbitration tribunal, already have legal force in disputes involving matters such as inheritance and divorce.

Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society, has long opposed the use of sharia in the UK, and argued the rule of law "must not be compromised by the introduction of a theocratic legal system operating in parallel".

He said: "There can be no convincing case made for it to have even a toe-hold in western societies that have developed a mature and far superior legal system. I regard any legal system based on a theocratic model as being dangerous and innately unjust. There is no escaping the fact – whatever interpretation you put on it — that sharia treats women differently from men[.]" » | David Shariatmadari | Sunday, January 15, 2012

President Obama Addresses the 15th Annual Human Rights Campaign National Dinner
The Human Rights Campaign is proud to again welcome to its National Dinner President Obama, who last addressed the audience in 2009. The 15th Annual National Dinner drew over 3,000 people to the Washington Convention Center.

Read article here

House of Lords Debates – Saudi Arabia (May 20, 2010)
On human rights, freedom of speech, equality, and dignity: Is Saudi Arabia prepared to defend human rights, civil liberties and fight terrorism?



House of Lords Debates – Saudi Arabia







Robert Lacey's website »

WIKI: Robert Lacey »

Dr. Mai Yamani »

WIKI: Dr. Mai Yamani's website »

Gay Rights Are Human Rights

LOS ANGELES TIMES – EDITORIAL: Recent violence against gay people in South Africa is a reminder that the struggle for gay rights is a global one.

When it comes to gay rights, South Africa is something of a paradox. Legally progressive, the country allows gay marriage and, in its Constitution, prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Gay groups flourish — soccer clubs and church organizations included — and middle-class gay men and women live relatively openly.

But in some parts of the country, particularly in rural areas and townships, the progressive laws collide with deeply traditional views of homosexuality as un-African and as an import from the decadent West.

In the South African township of Kwa-Thema, on the outskirts of Johannesburg, a young lesbian woman who dressed like a man and played soccer as well as one was found dead in an alley on Easter morning, having been stabbed with broken glass, battered with bricks and apparently raped with a broken bottle. Two other openly gay women have been murdered in the township since 2008, and some gay men and women report having been raped by attackers who claimed to be teaching them a lesson.

The violence in South Africa is a reminder that the struggle for gay rights is a global one. A gay rights demonstration in Moscow was disrupted last month by counter-protesters, and Russian security forces detained people from both sides of the protest. In Jamaica, homophobic lyrics in dancehall music have been blamed for violent attacks on gay people. » | Monday, June 06, 2011

Al Jazeera Speaks to Arsalan Iftikhar
Italian foreign minister on Thursday said that the international criminal court will likely issue an arrest warrant for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Al Jazeera spoke to Arsalan Iftikhar, an international human rights lawyer, on the issue

Inside Story: US Pressure On China's Human Rights
Inside Story, discusses with John Feffer, from the Institute for Policy Studies; Richard Hu, associate professor of politics at the The University of Hong Kong; and Martin McCauley, Intenational Affairs analyst, University of London.

Bahrain Unrest: UN Rights Chief Criticises Crackdown
BBC: The UN human rights chief has condemned the "shocking" use of force by security forces against protesters in Bahrain.

Navi Pillay said reports of a military takeover of hospitals was a blatant violation of international law.

She urged the authorities to rein in their forces, citing reports of people being beaten and detained or killed.

At least six opposition figures have reportedly been detained in overnight raids in Bahrain, and soldiers are back on the streets of the capital, Manama.

A crackdown on anti-government protesters in the city's centre left at least three civilians and three police officers dead on Wednesday.

Riot police sealed off Manama's main hospital and some smaller health centres, and rights activists said medics were being beaten as they tried to help the wounded in the streets.

"There are reports of arbitrary arrests, killings, beatings of protesters and of medical personnel, and of the takeover of hospitals and medical centres by various security forces," Ms Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, wrote in a statement released on Thursday.

"This is shocking and illegal conduct."

Earlier, the government said it had taken over the hospital because it had become a stronghold of the opposition. (+ video) » | Thursday, March 17, 2011

George Bush Issued Travel Warning by Human Rights Organisations
THE GUARDIAN: Former president vulnerable to 'torture' prosecution, says US group after Swiss trip cancelled amid protest and arrest threats

Human rights groups have vowed to track George W Bush round the world after their success in forcing him to cancel a trip to Switzerland amid concerns over protests and a threatened arrest warrant.

Katherine Gallagher, a lawyer with the New York-based Centre for Constitutional Rights, said: "The reach of the convention against torture is wide. This case is prepared and will be waiting for him wherever he travels next.

"Torturers, even if they are former presidents of the United States, must be held to account and prosecuted."

Although Bush has travelled freely round the world since leaving the White House in January 2009, human rights groups believe he is vulnerable to prosecution after admitting in his autobiography last November that he authorised waterboarding and other interrogation techniques.

"Waterboarding is torture, and Bush has admitted, without any sign of remorse, that he approved its use," said Gallagher, who is also vice-president of the International Federation for Human Rights.

Bush's staff, as well as US embassies around the world, will have to factor into their planning of future trips whether a country is a signatory to the convention on torture, as most countries are, which should at least theoretically trigger near-automatic action by legal authorities, and negotiate with governments to ensure there will be no arrest warrants. They will also seek assurances that Bush has diplomatic immunity. >>> Ewen MacAskill in Washington | Monday, February 07, 2011

Related >>>

An All-American State Dinner for Chinese President
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: It was jazz on stage and a mix of Hollywood A-listers, big business types and prominent Chinese-Americans in the audience on Wednesday night as Michelle and Barack Obama threw a "quintessentially American" state dinner for Chinese President Hu Jintao.

What was for dinner at the hottest event in town? Meat and potatoes, washed down with apple pie and ice cream for dessert, of course.

Singer Barbra Streisand, her husband-actor James Brolin and action film star Jackie Chan were supplying some of the celebrity star power for the A-list guest list.

Big business turned out in force, too, including Microsoft's Steven Ballmer and JP Morgan Chase's Jamie Dimon, among others. Other big names: fashion's Vera Wang, Vogue's Anna Wintour, artist Maya Lin, Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan, and Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer to add some gravitas. Bill Clinton made the cut, too. >>> | Thursday, January 20, 2011

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama welcomes Hu Jintao with human rights rebuke: Barack Obama issued a challenge to the Chinese president over the country's human rights record as he made his welcoming address at the White House. >>> Toby Harnden, in Washington | Wednesday, January 19, 2011


AL JAZEERA ENGLISH: China's Hu admits rights failings: At meetings with US counterpart, Chinese leader says "a lot still needs to be done" on human rights in his country. >>> Source: Al Jazeera and agencies | Wednesday, January 19, 2011

China on Equal Footing with US as Hu Jintao Visits Washington
THE GUARDIAN: China's inferiority in 'hard power' has turned to Beijing's advantage, and signs of its growing 'soft power' abound

Hu Jintao, accompanied by the US vice-president, Joe Biden, receives a red-carpet reception at Andrews air force base in Maryland. Photograph: The Guardian
The last time Hu Jintao arrived in Washington, back in 2006, he was given a White House working lunch, and by all accounts never forgave George W Bush for the perceived insult.

In contrast, it is highly unlikely China's leader could find fault with the welcome laid out by the Obama administration: a private White House dinner tonight to be followed later in the week by a full state banquet, a 21-gun salute and all the pomp and circumstance of a review of the troops.

The message is absolutely clear – these are the world's two leading powers meeting together as equals. It is that sense of equal status that distinguishes this Washington summit from earlier such encounters. >>> Julian Borger, Ewen MacAskill and Phillip Inman | Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Ottawa dénonce les violations des droits de l'homme en Iran
CYBERPRESSE.CA: Le chef de la diplomatie canadienne a dénoncé samedi l'usage de la peine de mort et de lourdes peines de prison en Iran, appelant ce pays à améliorer la situation des droits de l'homme.

«Je suis particulièrement préoccupé par le sort incertain de deux Canadiens ayant la double nationalité qui sont toujours détenus en Iran», a écrit Lawrence Cannon dans un communiqué.

M. Cannon cite le cas de Saeed Malekpour, un résident permanent du Canada, qui a été condamné à mort et dont la peine «pourrait être exécutée à tout moment».

Le Canadien d'origine iranienne Hamid Ghassemi-Shall, qui s'est rendu en Iran en 2008 pour rendre visite à sa mère malade, a lui aussi été condamné à mort sous l'accusation de crimes contre l'État. >>> Agence France-Presse | Samedi 01 Janvier 2011

Banned Speech: Hillel Neuer Takes on U.N. Human Rights Council

Pat Condell: Human Rights Travesty

HT: Gates of Vienna >>>

Iranian Lawyer – Mohammad Mostafaei – “I Am Crazy About Human Rights” (Exclusive Interview)

Homophobia on the EU's Doorstep: Oppressed citizens in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus long for the political support given to their eastern EU counterparts
THE GUARDIAN– AN EXTRACT: All across eastern Europe, more and more LGBT people are standing up for their rights and joining the movement for queer freedom. This is not surprising. Within the LGBT communities of the former Soviet empire, this yearning for equality and human rights is strong and undiminished. Read the whole article here, and comment >>> Nikolai Alekseev | Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Amnesty: Libya Rights Reform Stalling, Migrants in Fear
BBC: African migrants in Libya are "living in constant fear", a report by UK-based Amnesty International says.

The campaign group said the North African country's record on human rights falls well short of efforts to repair its image in the world.

It documents indefinite detentions, flogging for adultery, the continued disappearance of dissidents, and the security forces' immunity from justice.

The report is partially based on a week-long visit to Libya in May 2009.

It was the first trip of its kind in five years, facilitated by the Gaddafi Foundation - run by one of the Libyan leader's sons, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi.

Analysts say he is keen to to liberalise the country, once a pariah state accused of promoting terrorism to threaten Western interests but now seen as a vital source of oil and gas resources and investment opportunities.

"If Libya is to have any international credibility, the authorities must ensure that no-one is above the law and that everyone, including the most vulnerable and marginalised, is protected by the law," Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa deputy director said in a statement.

"The repression of dissent must end," she said.

"Libya's international partners cannot ignore Libya's dire human rights record at the expense of their national interests." >>> | Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Malawi Frees Jailed Gay Couple
THE GUARDIAN: President pardons pair 'on humanitarian grounds' after meeting UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon

Steven Monjeza (l) and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, in court earlier this year. Photograph: The Guardian
A gay couple sentenced to serve 14 years in jail in Malawi have been pardoned after their country's president met Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general.

Steven Monjeza, 26, and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, 20, were tried and found guilty of sodomy and indecency earlier this month in a move that sparked international condemnation.

But after talking with Ban today, Malawi's president, Bingu wa Mutharika, announced the pair would be freed.

"These boys committed a crime against our culture, our religion and our laws," he said after the meeting, at the southern African country's State House. "However, as the head of state, I hereby pardon them and therefore ask for their immediate release with no conditions.

"I have done this on humanitarian grounds, but this does not mean that I support this."

He added: "We don't condone marriages of this nature. It's unheard of in Malawi and it's illegal."

Ban praised the decision, but said: "It is unfortunate that laws criminalise people based on sexuality. Laws that criminalise sexuality should be repealed."

He is due to address Malawi's national assembly later and is expected to ask legislators to look at this.

Although the order was immediate, a prison spokesman told The Associated Press they had not received notification to release the pair by Saturday afternoon.

Earlier this week, a cousin of Chimbalanga, Maxwell Manda, said that he wanted to leave Malawi upon his release.

Joseph Amon from Human Rights Watch said the president was responding to the international outcry following the couple's conviction and sentence.

"I hope that other leaders of African countries with anti-gay laws see that this is just not acceptable in the international community," he said. >>> Amy Fallon | Saturday, May 29, 2010

THE GUARDIAN: My friend, President Mutharika, show compassion: In the spirit of your fight against Aids, free Monjeza and Chimbalanga – an open letter to the president of Malawi >>> Elton John | Saturday, May 29, 2010

Malawi President Pardons Gay Couple After UN Pressure
THE TELEGRAPH: President Bingu wa Mutharika of Malawi has pardoned a homosexual couple who had been jailed for 14 years.

Mr wa Mutharika had been under international pressure to reconsider the convictions of Steven Monjeza, 26, and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, 20. They were arrested in December after they were united in a traditional wedding ceremony in the conservative southern African country, where homosexuality is illegal.

Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations Secretary General, met the Malawian president on Saturday in the capital Lilongwe.

Speaking shortly afterwards, Mr wa Mutharika said: "These boys committed a crime against our culture, our religion and our laws.

"However, as the head of state I hereby pardon them and therefore ask for their immediate release with no conditions." >>> | Saturday, May 29, 2010

Related articles and videos here

Al-Qaeda Operative Cannot Be Deported, Court Rules
THE TELEGRAPH: The leader of a terrorist cell planning an attack on Easter shoppers in Manchester cannot be deported back to Pakistan in case he is tortured, a tribunal has ruled.

Police did not find any explosives when they swooped on the cell in April last year, but MI5 has maintained that the men, all students from Pakistan, were “members of a UK based network linked to al-Qaeda involved in attack planning.”

The Special Immigration and Appeals Commission said it was satisfied Abid Naseer, the alleged ring-leader, was behind an “imminent” al-Qaeda backed plot but said he risked being tortured if he was returned to Pakistan. >>> Duncan Gardham, Security Correspondent | Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Al Qaeda Terrorist Cannot Be Deported: New Government, Same Old Human Rights Problem
TELEGRAPH BLOG – PHILIP JOHNSTON: We may have a new government but we have the same old problem with alleged foreign terrorists – we can’t deport them because of their human rights.

A tribunal has ruled that Abid Naseer, the alleged ring-leader of a plot to carry out terrorist attacks in the north-west of England last year, cannot be removed to his Pakistan homeland because he might be tortured.

The tribunal accepted that Naseer is an al-Qaeda operative and was behind an “imminent” plot to target a shopping centre in Manchester at Easter 2009.

Neither Naseer nor any of the others, who had come to Britain on student visas, was charged but the Home Office wanted to deport them on national security grounds. Eight of them have returned to Pakistan but Naseer and another man have stayed and have both won the right not to be deported. Read on and comment >>> Philip Johnston | Tuesday, May 18, 2010