Islamic Human Rights Commission
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The Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC), is a controversial non-profit organization that campaigns against violations of the human rights of Muslims. The group is based in London and was established in 1997. Since 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.[1]
The IHRC has organised joint statements with various Islamic groups about British terror legislation, on many occasions, and collaborated with prominent civil liberties lawyers like Gareth Peirce and Louise Christian.[2] The IHRC has been criticized as a front for radical Islamists by the Stephen Roth Institute, an organization studying anti-Semitism based in the University of Tel Aviv.[3] The commission organizes the annual Al-Quds Day demonstration in London, initiated by Ayatollah Khomeini.[4] It opposes the banning of the Islamist Hizb-ut-Tahrir party and feels that the adoption of sharia law is a legitimate religious idea.[2]
During the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, British Newspapers reported IHRC Chair Massoud Shadjareh to have asked "his followers" and "British Muslims" to provide financial assistance to Hezbollah, and having 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.[5][6][7] In response, the IHRC denied having advocated terrorism in a press release.[8] Shadjareh defended having worn the Hezbollah flag as "neither uncommon nor controversial among human rights activists.".[5] Besides, the IHRC pointed to pictures of Rabbis behaving likewise.[8] On August 3, 2006, the IHRC asked for judicial review of its allegations of the British government’s assistance with military shipments to Israel,[9] which was eventually denied.[10]
[edit] Notes
- ^ BNP Fascists Must be Banned, IHRC press release, July 15, 2004
- ^ a b United to protect our rights, IHRC appeal, September 8, 2005
- ^ Antisemitism And Racism, 2005 United Kingdom Report, Stephen Roth Institute
- ^ IHRC's Al Quds Poster 2005
- ^ a b Fanatic's cash aid call by Harry Macadam, The Sun August 24, 2006
- ^ Hezbollah cells await Iran’s orders, by Melanie Phillips, The Spectator
- ^ MI5 fears Hezbollah terror attacks in Britain by Jason Lewis, The Mail on Sunday July 22, 2006
- ^ a b Statement regarding libellous articles in The Mail on Sunday and The Sun, IHRC, 25 August, 2006
- ^ IHRC Commences Legal Proceedings against British Government over Military Shipments to Israel, press release, IHRC, August 3, 2006
- ^ Leave denied to judicially review British government’s assistance with military shipments to Israel, press release, IHRC, August 23, 2006
[edit] See also
- Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam
- Annual Islamophobia Awards -- A satirical 'awards ceremony' overseen by the IHRC.
