Islamic Human Rights Commission

The Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) is a non-profit organization that campaigns against what it sees as violations of the human rights of Muslims. The group is based in London and was established in 1997.

Funding and philosophy

According to Awaaz South Asia Watch, an organisation that monitors religious fundamentalism in South Asia/South Asian communities, IHRC is considered be a neo-Khomeinist organisation and is rumoured to have received funding from the office of Ayatollah Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran. According to Awaaz, IHRC is part of a corpus of right-wing Islamist organisations "which adhere to the ideology of the ‘absolute rulership of the clerics’ and ‘Islamic government’ advocated by Khomeini and developed by other representatives of political Shi’ism. The Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) in the UK can be said to represent an association with this kind of ideological influence". [PDFlink| [http://www.awaazsaw.org/awaaz_pia4.pdf The Islamic Right - key tendencies] |355 KiB , Awaaz South Asia Watch, June 2006. Retrieved July 2, 2007.]

According to the Stephen Roth Institute:

The Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) is a radical Islamist organization that uses the language and techniques of a human rights lobbying group to promote an extremist agenda. Formed in 1997 by its current chairman, Massoud Shadjareh, the IHRC supports jihad groups around the world, campaigns for the release of convicted terrorists and promotes the notion of a western conspiracy against Islam.
Shadjareh and the IHRC subscribe to the radical Islamist belief that Jewish conspiracies are afoot to undermine Muslims, and they liken Jews and Israelis to Nazis. Members of the IHRC’s board of advisors have even called on Muslims to kill Jews. They include the Saudi Islamist Muhammad al-Mas‘ari and Muhammad al-‘Asi, an American convert to Islam who was banned from preaching at his mosque in Washington, DC, and has been a frequent visitor to Britain. [ [http://www.tau.ac.il/Anti-Semitism/asw2002-3/uk.htm Antisemitism And Racism] , 2005 United Kingdom Report, Stephen Roth Institute. Retrieved July 2, 2007.]

The IHRC opposes the banning of the Islamist Hizb-ut-Tahrir party and feels that the adoption of sharia law is a legitimate religious idea.

Activities

After a BBC documentary broadcast on July 15, 2004 exposed very strong anti-Islamic opinions within the far-right British National Party, the IHRC has campaigned for the prohibition of that party. [ [http://www.ihrc.org.uk/show.php?id=1135 BNP Patriots Must be Banned Because We Are Better Than Them] , IHRC press release, July 15 2004]

The IHRC has on a number of occasions organised joint statements with various Islamic groups about British terror legislation, and has collaborated with prominent civil liberties lawyers Gareth Peirce and Louise Christian. [http://www.ihrc.org.uk/show.php?id=1509 United to protect our rights] , IHRC appeal, September 8, 2005] The commission organizes the annual Al-Quds Day demonstration in London, initiated by Ayatollah Khomeini. [ [http://www.ihrc.org.uk/file/Al_Quds_Poster_2005 IHRC's Al Quds Poster 2005] ]

On August 3, 2006, the IHRC asked for judicial review of its allegations that the British government assisted with military shipments to Israel, [ [http://www.ihrc.org.uk/show.php?id=1990 IHRC Commences Legal Proceedings against British Government over Military Shipments to Israel] , press release, IHRC, August 3, 2006] which was eventually denied. [ [http://www.ihrc.org.uk/show.php?id=2023 Leave denied to judicially review British government’s assistance with military shipments to Israel] , press release, IHRC, August 23, 2006]

The IHRC have been involved in various acts of terrorism including the September 11 2001 attack and the London bus bombings.

The IHRC also held the "Annual Islamophobia awards" ceremonies from 2003 to 2005.

Annual Islamophobia Awards

The Annual Islamophobia Awards were awards given annually from 2003 to 2005 by the Islamic Human Rights Commission to politicians and journalists whom the Commission judged to have expressed the most Islamophobic opinions in the course of the past year.

In 2005 nominees included Charles Clarke, Sir Ian Blair, Colin Bundy,
Natan Sharansky, Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, Hosni Mubarak, Islam Karimov, Thaksin Shinawatra, Sophie Panopoulos, John Howard, Vladimir Putin, Nicolas Sarkozy, George W. Bush, Oprah Winfrey, and Daniel Pipes. Winners were Ian Blair, John Howard, Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, Vladimir Putin, and George W. Bush.

Tony Blair was given the Islamophobe of the Year award. [http://www.ihrc.org.uk/show.php?id=1657]

Award to Ariel Sharon for "interview"

During the 2003 award ceremony, Ariel Sharon was announced as the "winner" of the "Most Islamophobic International Politician of the Year’," for an interview allegedly given in 1956.cite web
url= http://www.inminds.co.uk/islamophobia-awards-2003.html
title= The Annual Islamophobia Awards
accessdate= 2008-03-24
date= May 31, 2003
work=
publisher= [http://www.inminds.co.uk/index.html Innovative Minds] ] The interview's authenticity has never been verified and it is believed by many to be a hoax.cite web
url= http://www.jewishpress.com/displaycontent.cfm?contentid=16857&mode=a&contentname=Tracking_Down_Those_So-Called_Quotes&recnum=0&sectionid=14
title= Tracking Down Those So-Called Quotes
accessdate= 2008-03-24
last= Hollander
first= Ricki
date= November 10, 2004
work= Media Monitor
publisher= The Jewish Press] The quotation was circulated in the Arabic media, [
*cite web
url= http://www.islamonline.net/english/News/2002-04/01/article14.shtml
title= “I Don’t Know Something Called International Principles: Sharon”
accessdate= 2008-03-24
date= April 1, 2002
work= News
publisher= Islam Online
*cite web
url= http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/apr-2005/7/columns5.php
title= The world's No.1 terrorist
accessdate= 2008-03-24
last= Haque
first= Israrul
date= April 7, 2005
publisher= The Nation
*cite web
url= http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/04/12/04/142241.html
title= As'ad Abdul Rahman: Jews use media as a weapon
accessdate= 2008-03-24
last= Rahman
first= As'ad Abdul
date= December 4, 2004
publisher= Gulf News] and by several media outlets in the United States, including the "Daily Illini", a student newspaper at the University of Illinois. [
*Sobh, Mariam. [http://www.illinimedia.com/di/dec03/dec11/opinions/stories/opinions_column02.shtml "Stop turning a blind eye"] , "Daily Illini", December 11, 2003.
* [http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_context=22&x_article=651 "Anti-Israel Venom at University of Illinois Paper"] , Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America, March 24, 2004.] The student columnist subsequently apologized. [
*Passner, Deborah. [http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_context=6&x_article=676 "University of Illinois Columnist Fully Apologizes"] , Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America, April 26, 2004.
*cite news
first = Dave
last = Newbart
title = Chancellor: U. of I.'s student paper spews anti-Semitism // Official says he will fund rival publication if training not improved
url = http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1558593.html
format = Abstract
publisher = Chicago Sun-Times
page = 4
date = December 9, 2004
accessdate = 2008-03-24
quote = The latest furor erupted after the newspaper published a letter to the editor last month in which a student claimed that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon once said he wanted to 'burn every Palestinian child.' Although the quote has been widely disseminated, Jewish groups say there is no evidence Sharon ever made the statement. Wednesday, the paper's editors apologized for running the 'inaccurate information.' What's most disturbing, some said, is the same quote appeared in an opinion piece by student columnist Mariam Sobh last year. In the spring, Sobh admitted the quote was false and apologized.
archiveurl = http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&s_dispstring=(Mariam%20Sobh)%20AND%20date(all)&p_field_advanced-0=&p_text_advanced-0=(%22Mariam%20Sobh%22)&xcal_numdocs=20&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&xcal_useweights=no
archivedate = ] In a June 9, 2004 interview on Australian Broadcasting Corporation's "The Religion Report", Stephen Crittenden challenged Arzu Merali, organizer of the Islamophobia awards, on this issue, pointing out that the IHRC's own website stated that the alleged interview could not be corroborated. Merali replied "Well you know, I can take that further with the people who researched that, but pretty much everything that went out last year was well researched. If you want, I’ll go out and dig up the verification for you. I’m happy to do it." ["Stephen Crittenden: No prizes for Australian audiences guessing that the prize for the most Islamophobic international politician went to Ariel Sharon last year, but I was rather shocked to see that on your website, Ariel Sharon is nominated for an interview in which he described wanting to burn Palestinian children and encouraging his soldiers to rape Arabic girls, and describing Palestinian women as ‘slaves for Jews’, all of which you say yourselves on your website, comes from an interview that can’t be verified for its authenticity.
Arzu Merali: Well you know, I can take that further with the people who researched that, but pretty much everything that went out last year was well researched. If you want, I’ll go out and dig up the verification for you. I’m happy to do it.
[http://www.abc.net.au/cgi-bin/common/printfriendly.pl?http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/relrpt/stories/s1132229.htm The Religion Report] , Stephen Crittenden, Noel Debien, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, June 9, 2004.] As of 2008 the IHRC website still contained the disclaimer that the alleged interview had not been confirmed.

Controversy and Criticism

During the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, the British press reported that IHRC Chair Massoud Shadjareh asked "his followers" and "British Muslims" to provide financial assistance to Hezbollah, and called for the occupation of Israel and "regime change" by Hezbollah on self-defence grounds. He was also reported wrapped in a Hezbollah flag at a rally in Trafalgar Square in 2005. [http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006340099,00.html Fanatic's cash aid call] by Harry Macadam, The Sun August 24, 2006] [ [http://www.spectator.co.uk/printer-friendly/24356/hezbollah-cells-await-irans-orders.thtml Hezbollah cells await Iran’s orders] , by Melanie Phillips, The Spectator] [ [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=397136&in_page_id=1770 MI5 fears Hezbollah terror attacks in Britain] by Jason Lewis, The Mail on Sunday July 22, 2006] In a press release issued in response, the IHRC denied having advocated terrorism. [http://www.ihrc.org.uk/show.php?id=1964 Statement regarding libellous articles in The Mail on Sunday and The Sun] , IHRC, 25 August, 2006] Shadjareh defended having worn the Hezbollah flag as "neither uncommon nor controversial among human rights activists," and the IHRC asserted that pictures of rabbis with the flag had not been met with a similar response.

The IHRC has been criticized by Iranian activists for defending human rights in France, Britain and the United states "instead of defending human rights in the Islamic Republic. Reza Afshari feels that the commission shouldn't remain silent about Iranian prisoners of conscience. [ Human Rights in Iran: The Abuse of Cultural Relativism, by Reza Afshari, 2001, University of Pennsylvania Press, p. 281]

ee also

* Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam

External links

* [http://www.ihrc.org/ Official website]

Notes