Human Rights challengesin Arab countries discussed [Archives:2003/663/Local News]

Mohammed Al-Qadhi
The Human Rights Information and Training Center (HRITC) and Sisters Arabic Forum for Human Rights (SAF) organized last Sunday a round-table discussion on the challenges of human rights in the Arab countries. The two NGOs hosted Dr. Elobaid Ahmad Elobaid from McGill University in Canada to deliver a speech on such challenges. He figured out some these challenges like conception of national sovereignty, the type of governance in the Arab countries where the people are being robbed of their rights, freedom and rights of political participation. He said that human rights has become a means used by some powerful countries to manipulate and blackmail smaller countries, interfering with their internal affairs under the pretext of defending human rights. Mr. Elobaid pointed out that such a situation has put human rights activists in the Arab countries in a fix because of the image of human rights in Western countries which backslided. He pointed out that some Arab countries adopted such norms of human rights and even set up ministries for human rights just to decorate and market themselves outside.
On his part, Mr., Eiz Eddin al-Asbahi, General Manager of HRITC said that lack of finance is one of the main challenges of human rights NGOs in Arab countries and that they are suffering some kind of legitimacy crisis as well as institutionalized work. Miss Amal Basha, head of SAF said it is difficult to talk about human rights movement in these countries as these NGOs are working separately and that they are looked at as conflicting institutions.
Mohammed Kahtan, head of political department at Islah party, called for a differentiation between the political Islam and what is labeled as armed Islam, stressing that political Islam should be supported as it admits difference of opinion and views as well as dialogue with the other part. He said that the control of state on everything in Arab countries has not allowed human rights NGOs to operate well. He said that human rights activists are still coward unable to deal with major challenges and issues facing these countries. Other university professors and human rights activities took part in the event.
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