The Role of Education in Implementing Social Justice

Washington DC- First Ever Shia Rights Conference Was a Success

Shia Rights Watch would like to thank speakers, guests, panelists and all who supported the first formal human rights seminar that analyzed the violations toward Shia Muslims worldwide in Washington DC. This one of a kind seminar received many attentions from university professors, activists and policy makers as the event was broadcasted live on internet. The organization specially thanks following speakers,

Dr. Said, the professor and the founder of Center for Global Peace at the American University,
Dr. Sachedina, experienced human rights activist and researcher, professor and IIIT Chair in Islamic Studies at George Mason University,
Mr. Kugelman, foreign policy scholar at Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars,
Mr. T. Kumar, Director of International Advocacy for Amnesty International USA,
Mrs. Curtis, Pakistan specialist at Heritage Foundation,
And Dr. Diwan, professor and Bahrain specialist at American University,

The audiences were touched by important remarks, reports and suggestions of mentioned well known human rights activists and policy makers.

Watch Panel ONE

Watch Panel TWO

Q & A

The seminar, Role of Education in Implementing Social Justice: The Case of Shia Muslims addressed the following points:

The ongoing violations in Bahrain,
Massive Shia killings in Pakistan and how change in educational system is needed to increase human rights awareness, respect and acceptance in this country,
Role of Saudi Arabia in founding the terrorist activities,
Situation of Shia minority in Malaysia and Indonesia,

Importance of educating women, as mothers, and their role in rising generations of non-violent activists,
Importance of including respect to diversity in educational text books in different countries.
Role of empathy and financial stability in preventing youth from joining terrorists’ groups,
Role of Muslim communities in making peace within Islamic countries.
And Value of human dignity.

This timely seminar that honored the World Day of Social Justice aimed to increase awareness about Shia targeted killings and encourage policy makers, educators, activists, and victims to take upon themselves to stand up for the rights of Shia community. As Mr. Kumar, Director of International Advocacy for Amnesty International USA, stated this even was the very first time that a Shia Muslim human rights NGO invited influential activists to address the much needed human rights violations toward Shia Muslims.

As all speaker noted, this conference brought up a crucial issue that needs to be addressed to reach peace in the world, especially countries with increasing Shia rights violations.

Shia Rights Watch is delighted to be the first to give voice to voiceless Shia Muslims and hopes to have more of such informative seminars in order to end Shia rights violations worldwide.

An article about the seminar will be published in the America Journal of Islamic Social Science special issue soon.

Journalists and human rights activists can contact our organization to take part in future seminars and campaigns.

Human Rights Activists Under Continues Attacks

A 22 year old man, Ali al-Faraj, was shot 11 times by Saudi forces as he was running away from them. His brother, Hussein, was also killed as he was documenting the attack. The killings happened as officers raided the home of the Shia rights activist during a crackdown on human rights activists who document Shia rights violations in that country. Hussein was a photographer who had documented many human rights violations in Saudi Arabia.

The Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia is home to a Shia Muslim minority that has always been under attack by the kingdom. 950 people, mostly human rights activists and journalists, have been arrested since 2011 with under different accusations and pretexts, 217 are still being held, according to BBC news.

Shia have been considered second class citizens and have no right to employment, higher education, freedom of speech or religion in Saudi Arabia.

The government spends billions of dollars feeding anti-Shia terrorist groups as part of its ant-Shi’ism ideology.

11 Explosions in Two Days

11 cars have exploded in Iraq since yesterday. The explosions resulted in the death of 25 people yesterday and another 50 today.

Most explosions target Shia populated locations and Shia Muslim civilians. According to New York Times, 1,000 people were killed in the month of January in Iraq.

Shia killings and the government’s failure to cleanse the country from terrorist groups has created a fearful life for a majority Shia of the country.

Iraq is a resourceful country with a bright history. The government must take advantage of Iraq’s historical, Islamic, and georaphical significance and protect it from terror, says SRW.

I Would Hope So

February 14th, marked the third anniversary of the pro-democracy protests in Bahrain: A powerful movement that resulted in the death of many and put hundreds behind the bars, only because they demanded freedom and equal treatment. Some Bahrainis lost citizenship to their own country, many children have lost parents, minors have been detained, detainees have been tortured, women have been abused, people lost hope to freedom and government lost credibility.

So, such process must create thousands of news articles right? WRONG……

I happen to check telegraph.co.uk/ often……

Today, I checked their Bahrain page…….

It was heart breaking that their last article on Bahrain goes back to December 8^th, 2013!!!!!

Does that mean, according to this news outlet, Bahrainis have been living in peace since then? So nothing to report? Nothing worth sharing with a public who turn to news agencies to learn about their human fellows? Is Telegraph saying the 3^rd anniversary of the Arab Spring was a very peaceful day?

I would hope so….

By Hawraa Zakery, a Shia Rights Activist on February 19, 2014

Picture by RT.com

Bahraini Mother Killed

A Bahraini mother was killed on February 11^th while trying to protect her son from being arrested by the governmental forces. According to sources Asmaa Hussain was bitten to death when she tried to stop forces from raiding her home in Jad AlHaj neighborhood.

The Bahraini kingdom has been killing, arresting and torturing Shia Muslims since 2011 when they demanded their basic human rights. This country has the most minor detainees and the government increases the conflict be evoking Shia Muslims citizenships and pressuring them.

Tuz Khormato Under Attack

Residences of Tuz Khormato are under targeted attacks by Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham, the terrorist group supported by Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups. Many Shia Muslims homes and Islamic centers have been bombed in the city. In January 2013 an Islamic center was bombed that killed 23 Shia Muslims. The killings continue in public areas such as coffee shops, restaurants and markets.

Tuz Khurmatu is a town in Saladin Province, Iraq, located 55 miles south of Kirkuk. Majority of the town is ethnic Turkmens, with smaller Arab and Kurdish minorities. Most, if not all, the population of the city is Shia Muslims.

Thousands of Shia Muslims have been killed by Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham in Iraq and Syria.

Shia High School Burned Out

Students and staff of a high school in Shia populated area pf eastern prevalence are shocked to find their school burning.

The residences of the area have always complained of lack of resources in this area. Local activists believe this fire is a mysterious act and was done to limit the Shia’s access to education and basic rights furthermore.

The government has always treated Shia Muslims as second class citizen and recent unrest in the area is a result of this treatment, say activists.

Shia Muslims demand their basic rights and the government pays no attention to their need. After the recent unrest the authorities increased their pressure on the population. Although this Shia area is one of the most important areas in Saudi Arabia, this area lacks proper hospital, educational settings and even tourist access. The Saudi government oppresses this minority by violating their basic rights.

Then….All Terrorists Deserve Honorary Doctorate

Some news are funny and sad at the same time. Recently King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia was awarded honorary doctorateof philosophy in Politics and International Studies by International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI).

As far as I remember King Abdullah is the king of the country with THE MOST human right violations!

He is the employer of the clerics who are known to be human right violation enablers, such as heikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah al-Sheikh, Nasser Al Omar, Oraifi and many more,

He is paying terrorist groups to bombard, slaughter, and rape in Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, Egypt, Bahrain and even countries in South Asia!

And the list can go on and on……

Clearly the philosophy that King Abdullah acts upon is not the very peaceful one, yet he receives such award!

If such a king deserves honorary doctorate of philosophy, then what type of honorary degrees should peacekeepers of the world such as Gandhi, Mandela, Shirazi and others receive?

I think there are two scenarios here:

Either the king actually deserves the award,

or

The IIUI believes in the actions and philosophy of the king.

In the second scenario, this university is training and graduating very dangerous students who are taught to not just have act in violence but to believe in it.

No wonder every year thousands of Shia Muslims are killed in Pakistan. The university, which should be a heart of education, tolerance and respect to diversity, is honoring one of the most human rights violators of the world.

Based on this scenario, we should start awarding s to Hitler, Sadam Hussain, Bin laden and many others who made our world a very dangerous place to live in!!!!

Wake up people, Saudi money and oil should not have more value than human dignity and blood!!!!

By Hawraa Zakery, A Huamn Rights Researcher and Activist on February 5, 2014

The Role of Education in Implementing Social Justice: The Case of Shia Muslims

In honor of World Day of Social Justice, SRW presents

The Role of Education in Implementing

Social Justice: The case of Shia Muslims

American University WASHINGTON,D.C. February 24th

Abramson Family Founders Room in the School of International Service

(4400 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20016)

Panel 1

Panel 2

Q & A 3

Minority in Social Science is defined as a culturally, ethnically, religiously, or racially distinct group that coexists with but is subordinate to a more dominant group. This subordinancy is the chief defining characteristic of a minority group. As such, minority status does not necessarily correlate to population. In some cases one or more so-called minority groups may have a population many times the size of the dominating group, as was the case in South Africa under apartheid (c. 1950–91). The aim of this conference is to explore the ways in which the rights of minorities, in this instance the case of Shia Muslims can be protected and their status raised from one of subordination, injustice, violence, discrimination and marginalization. We believe that is only through the promotion of the principle of tolerance, which is neither indulgence nor indifference, that we can promote respect and appreciation of the rich variety of our world’s cultures and religions. Education is considered central to the development of a tolerant society. Education for tolerance should aim at countering influences that lead to fear and exclusion of others, and should help young people develop capacities for independent judgment, critical thinking and ethical reasoning. The diversity of our world’s many religions, languages, cultures and ethnicities is not a pretext for conflict, but is a treasure that enriches us all.

Minorities in all regions of the world suffer disproportionately from misrepresentation and stereotyping, and Shia Muslims are no exception. Much of the injustice and violence towards the Shia arises out of ignorance, misinformation and deliberate misrepresentation. Shia Rights Watch calls for an effective education strategy based on the principles of equality and non-discrimination; we hope to achieve this goal through advocacy, education and raising awareness. Our goal is to give a voice to the oppressed and hold oppressors accountable. Shia Rights Watch firmly believes that we need to educate others about the Shia community on a global scale and the violations they face on a daily basis. We therefore urge people take notice of the injustice and violence that Shia Muslims are faced with and use all in their power to put a stop to it. We acknowledge that is not enough to call for education and tolerance, to protest discrimination and injustice we need to create the political environment to promote these changes. To achieve this aim we need to engage both policy makers and academics, in order to provide policy solutions that are based on research and culturally sensitive and far reaching. This summarizes the aims and aspirations of this conference.

Speakers:

Abdul Aziz Said

Professor at American University School of International Service

Dr. Said is the senior ranking professor at American University and the first occupant of the endowed Mohammed Said Farsi Chair of Islamic Peace. Founding Director, International Peace and Conflict Resolution Division. He founded the university-wide Center for Global Peace, which undertakes a range of activities, both on and off campus, aimed at advancing our understanding of world peace.

Abdulaziz Sachedina

IIIT Chair in Islamic Studies at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

Dr. Sachedina is Professor and IIIT Chair in Islamic Studies at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.He has been conducting research and writing in the field of Islamic Law, Ethics, and Theology. In the last ten years he has concentrated on social and political ethics, including Interfaith and Interfaith Relations, Islamic Biomedical Ethics and Islam and Human Rights. His recent work was; Islam and the Challenge of Human Rights(Oxford University Press, September 2009)

Allida Black

Research Professor of History and International Affairs at The George Washington University

Dr. Allida Black is a Research Professor of History and International Affairs. Black was founding editor of The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers , a project designed to preserve, teach and apply Eleanor Roosevelt’s writings and discussions of human rights and democratic politics.

Scott Flipse

Deputy Director of Policy and Research US Commission on International Religious Freedom.

Dr. Flipse is a specialist in American foreign policy, particularly toward Southeast and East Asia. He served as a legislative assistant and committee staffer for Congressman Frank R. Wolf, specializing in human rights, religious freedom, and foreign operation’s appropriations. Dr. Flipse has a B.A. in government from Calvin College, an M.A. in Social Ethics and Religion from the University of Southern California and Fuller Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in History from the University of Notre Dame.

Michael Kugelman

Michael Kugelman is senior program associate for South and Southeast Asia at the Woodrow Wilson Center, where he is responsible for research, programming, and publications on South and Southeast Asia. His most recent work has focused on Pakistan’s 2013 elections, India-Pakistan relations, U.S.-Pakistan relations, and security challenges in India. He has published op-eds, commentaries, and blog posts in the New York Times, Foreign Policy, Bloomberg View,Politico, CNN.com, The National Interest, The Diplomat, Huffington Post, International Herald Tribune, World Politics Review, Dawn, Express Tribune, Times of India, Indian Express, and Asia Times Online.

Kristin Diwan

Kristin Smith Diwan is Assistant Professor of Comparative and Regional Studies at the American University School of International Service. She holds regional expertise in the politics and policies of the Arab Gulf, and functional expertise in Islamic finance and the politics surrounding it.

Lisa Curtis

Lisa Curtis analyzes America’s economic, security and political relationships with India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and other nations of South Asia as a senior research fellow at The Heritage Foundation.

Lawmakers and journalists alike turn to Curtis for her clear-eyed research and perspective on U.S. interests in some of the most desperate, dangerous and fast-developing parts of the world.

T. Kumar

International Advocacy Director at Amnesty International USA

Another Bus Hit

More than 20 Shia Muslims killed as they bus was attacked by bomb today. A bus full of Shia pilgrims who were returning from Iran to Quetta was attacked. About 22 people are killed and many are wounded.

Anti-Shia groups of Pakistan have repeatedly targeted Shia professionals or buses of pilgrims killing tens of thousands of people. More than5000 people were killed in the year 2013 and more than 50 since the start of the year 2014.

Pakistan is a country in which tens of thousands of Shia Muslims are killed every year and officials fail to protect this population which make more than one fourth of the country’s populations.

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