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The National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) is a
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries by area, fifth-largest country in Asia ...
n
human rights Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hu ...
organisation closely associated with and funded by the
Saudi government The politics of Saudi Arabia takes place in the context of a unitary absolute monarchy along Islamic lines, where the King is both the head of state and government. Decisions are, to a large extent, made on the basis of consultation among the K ...
. It was established on 10 March 2004 ;Founders
two years after the Human Rights First Society applied unsuccessfully for a licence. , the President of the NSHR was Mufleh bin Rabayan al-Qahtani.


History

In March 2004, several citizens of the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries by area, fifth-largest country in Asia ...
established the National Society for Human RightsThe
Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, D.C. The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, D.C. ( ar, سفارة المملكة العربية السعودية لدى الولايات المتحدة) is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's main and largest diplomatic mission to the United States. ...
described the NSHR as the "first independent human rights organization in Saudi Arabia". Human Rights First Society was created two years earlier, in 2002, and denied a licence to exist formally.


Work

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 Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...
. According to its resolution, the Society seeks to protect human rights and preserve human dignity as ordered by
Allah Allah (; ar, الله, translit=Allāh, ) is the common Arabic word for God. In the English language, the word generally refers to God in Islam. The word is thought to be derived by contraction from '' al- ilāh'', which means "the god", ...
, Most Powerful, in the
Qur’an The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , sin ...
: "And indeed We have honoured the Children of Adam". It seeks to support the rights of citizens, to monitor and pursue their rights as established and recognized by Islamic
Sharia Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and th ...
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.Resolution
/ref> The main office is in
Riyadh Riyadh (, ar, الرياض, 'ar-Riyāḍ, lit.: 'The Gardens' Najdi pronunciation: ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the ...
, but it also has four other branches in Saudi Arabia, located in
Jeddah Jeddah ( ), also spelled Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda ( ; ar, , Jidda, ), is a city in the Hejaz region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the country's commercial center. Established in the 6th century BC as a fishing village, Jeddah's promi ...
, Makkah, Jizan, and East Province, and it is working to open a fifth branch in Aljouf. The Society initially consisted of 41 founding members, six of whom are women. NHSR issues periodic reports on the progress of
human rights Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hu ...
in
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries by area, fifth-largest country in Asia ...
, including a monthly bulletin called ''Hogog'' ("Rights"). The Society's income is generated from publications, bulletins, and revenue generated from symposia 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.The Constitution of The National Society for Human Rights
/ref>


Support for Saudi government

The August 2018 diplomatic dispute with Canada started when Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs
Chrystia Freeland Christina Alexandra Freeland (born August 2, 1968) is a Canadian politician serving as the tenth and current deputy prime minister of Canada since 2019 and the minister of finance since 2020. A member of the Liberal Party, Freeland represen ...
's called on 2 August 2018 in a tweet for Saudi human rights activists
Samar Badawi Samar bint Muhammad Badawi ( ar, سمر بدوي; born 28 June 1981) is a Saudi Arabian human rights activist. She and her father filed court cases against each other. Badawi's father accused her of disobedience under the Saudi Arabian male gua ...
and Raif Badawi to be released from prison. The Saudi government responded with punitive actions against Canada. NSHR stated its support for the Saudi governmental response. The head of the NHSR, Mufleh bin Rabayan al-Qahtani, stated to the Saudi Press Agency that the tweet transgressed international norms and Saudi sovereignty.


See also

* Human rights in Saudi Arabia#Human rights organizations *
LGBT rights in Saudi Arabia Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) people in Saudi Arabia face severe repression and legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Both male and female same-sex sexual activity is illegal. LGBT rights are not recognized by the ...


References


External links


Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:National Society For Human Rights 2004 establishments in Saudi Arabia Organizations established in 2004 Human rights organisations based in Saudi Arabia