Crisis Studies of the Islamic World

Crisis Studies of the Islamic World

Saudi Political System and Human Rights Challenge

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Morteza Heydarzade 1
Seyed Kazem Seyed Bagheri 2
1 Fiqh and Public Law, Qom Seminary
2 Associate Professor and member of the academic faculty of the Research Institute of Islamic Culture and Thought, Tehran, Iran
10.27834999/CSIW.2405.1402.3.34.7
Abstract
One of the most important functions of political systems is to support and ensure human rights. However, the structure of some systems is such that it cannot realize this important goal. One example is Saudi Arabia, where, for several decades, one of the most significant its political challenges in both domestic and international arenas has been human rights issues. Therefore, examining the relationship between this political system and the state of human rights in the country seems essential. The main question of the research is: What is the role of the political system and structure of Saudi Arabia in violating the human rights of its citizens, particularly the right to self-determination? Through a descriptive-analytical method and by examining multiple documents related to Islamic human rights, global human rights, and other relevant documents, the hypothesis emphasizes that the Wahhabi ideological current, as the dominant thought framework of the political system, alongside the hereditary monarchy, an unjust judicial structure, and the absence of civil institutions in Saudi Arabia, deprives citizens of their most fundamental human rights, namely the right to self-determination and political freedoms. This situation leads to citizens' inability to access many other rights, such as the right to vote, the right to choose, the right to be elected, and the right to critique .
Keywords
human rights
Islamic human rights
political system
Saudi Arabia
right to self-determination
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Crisis Studies of the Islamic World
Volume 11, Issue 3 - Serial Number 34
Autumn Quarterly
Autumn 2024
Pages 146-168

  • Receive Date 25 May 2024
  • Revise Date 16 June 2024
  • Accept Date 22 June 2024