Islamic Member State justification for the use of the death penalty within the Universal Periodic Review

The aim of the project is to analyse the legitimacy of justifications for the continued use of the death penalty which are grounded in Islamic law. The context for the study is the UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The UPR is a mechanism of the Human Rights Council and was created through the UN General Assembly on 15 March 2006. It is a unique process that reviews the human rights records of all UN member states. Each UPR cycle runs for a period of four and a half years. Under the UPR, countries that apply the death penalty justify its application by claiming that the punishment does not violate ICCPR Articles 6, 7 and 14. These arguments are generally aimed at demonstrating either that the punishment is a legitimate expression of state sovereignty, and/or that it is an effective administration of penology. Article 6 states that “in countries which have not abolished the death penalty, sentence of death may be imposed only for the most serious crimes.” It is within this framework that the use of the punishment specifically by Islamic states will be studied. Ultimately, the research will engage and contribute to the exegesis of punishment under Islamic Law, based on human rights principles. It will aim to influence government policy of Islamic states and result in a reduction of the death penalty

The Universal Periodic Review and Muslim States' Engagement

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) has been hailed as an innovative mechanism of the United Nations Human Rights Council. The peer review mechanism evaluates the human rights record of all 193 Member States and provides recommendations to further the global promotion and protection of human rights. This paper assesses the mechanism, currently in its third cycle, in the context of Muslim states. It considers the extent of these states’ commitment to the process and argues for a need to move away from mere lip-service to the mechanism and engage in meaningful discourse to achieve the objectives of the UPR

The Universal Periodic Review and the Death Penalty: A Case Study of Pakistan

Acclaimed as an innovative mechanism of the UN Human Rights Council, the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) was introduced by General Assembly Resolution 60/251 in 2006. It appraises the human rights record of each UN Member State, every four and a half years, in an attempt to further the global promotion and protection of human rights. The third cycle of the UPR has been underway since April 2017 and will conclude in November 2021. Using Pakistan’s latest review, held in 2017, as a case study, this article assesses the mechanism’s engagement with the question of the death penalty. In doing so, it evaluates each stage of the process and considers the extent to which this violation of the right to life is challenged and issues recommendations to strengthen the integrity of the UPR

Expert Submission to the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief: Report to the United Nations General Assembly on Eliminating Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief and the Achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG 16)

General Remarks 1. This submission provides observations and recommendations for an enlightened interpretation of apostasy in Islamic law that deconstructs the notion that it is a capital crime and demonstrates the legitimacy of freedom of religion or belief in Islam. 2. Part II of this submission will present (a) an overview of Islamic law; (b) the religious basis for the criminalization of apostasy as a capital crime; and (c) an alternative interpretation in light of Muslim jurists’ views on the issue. 3. This interpretation can be used to remove apostasy as a capital crime in Muslim jurisdictions and promote the fundamental right of freedom of religion or belief. 4. Part III of this submission will consider the apostasy laws in Sudan with a specific focus on the case of Meriam Ibrahim. This will be placed in the context of Islamic law, with reference to Part II, and the relevant international law namely Articles 6 and 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). 5. Part IV offers concluding remarks and recommendations

Frequency and Severity of Perineal tears among women during vaginal delivery

Objective: to arbitrate the frequency and severity of perineal tears among the patients of Vaginal delivery. Study Design: A Cross-sectional Study.Place and Duration of study: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Nishtar Hospital Multan and Allied Hospital, Faisalabad from 29 December 2016 to 28 June 2017.  Methodology: the study was conducted after obtaining the approval of ethical committee for collecting data from patients. The patients aged 20-40 years were included in the study, both multipara and  primipara. An examination was performed on the perineum, vulva, vagina, and cervix at the third stage of labor in order to discover any tears or injuries. All the informations were collected on per designed Performa. Collected data was entered and analyzed by using SPSS software. Results: the incidence of perineal tears was calculated to be 79.89%. The most commonly observed injury was the first-degree perineal tear. it accounted for 101(68.70%) cases. while the second-degree perineal tear was found to be 39(26.53%) cases. third and fourth degree perineal tear remained the least in observed frequency as in 2.72% and 2.04% of cases respectively. Conclusion: The observations of our study concluded that majority of patients delivered vaginally experienced perineal tear, among those first degree perineal tear was more prevalent. KEY WORDS: Perineal tear, perineal trauma, severity of perineal tears

IS BEVACIZUMAB EFFECTVE IN MANAGING CENTRAL SEROUS CHORIORETINOPATHY MANAGEMENT

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of Bevacizumab in central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) Methodology: It is a randomized control trail. The study was conducted in Ophthalmology department of Allied Hospital, Faisalabad and Nishtar Hospital, Multan. From September 2016 to October 2017. Ethical approval was obtained from Hospital Ethics committee. Forty six patients took part in this study. Sample was collected using probability consecutive sampling technique. Computer software SPSS version 23 was used to analyze the data. Frequency and percentage was calculated for the qualitative variables like gender and Chi square test was applied to check the significance and association among variables. P value less than and equal to 0.05 was taken significant. Results: Forty six patients took part in the study belonging to both genders. There were 58.7% male (n=27) and 41.3% females (n=19) when gender distribution was analyzed. Mean and standard deviation for age came out to be 47.17±2.13. The baseline value for visual acuity had mean and standard deviation of 42.82±7.91, while Mean±S.D of visual acuity after treatment was 57.78±4.33. The difference between the means of visual acuity at baseline and after treatment was statistically significant (p=0.001). Similarly mean and standard deviation of central macular thickness before and after treatment was 357.89±96.17 and 149.76±30.19 µm respectively. There was reduction in the mean of central macular thickness after treatment and the difference between the two results was also statistically significant (p=0.001). Conclusion: This study concludes that bevacizumab is significantly effectual in the management of CSC. But more research work in the form of randomized controlled trails is required to evaluate the effectiveness of intravitreal bevacizumab in this condition. Keywords: Bevacizumab, Chorioretinopathy, Visual acuity, Central macular

Islamic member state and the scrutiny of the death penalty in the Universal Periodic Review

Many Islamic countries propose legitimising the death penalty using theological and secular political reasoning. They argue that the punishment is privileged within a conception of theocracy expressed through state sovereignty and/or it is an efficacious criminal justice policy for punishing those who commit the ‘most serious crimes’. This study argues that such justifications are misguided, and that the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) provides a cogent mechanism to provide a clearer perspective on the legitimacy of the death penalty within Islam. To investigate the claims of the erroneous theological reasoning for the death penalty, the present study uses the UPR as a methodological lens from which to scrutinise Islamic Member State reasons for the use of the punishment. The UPR is an innovative mechanism for the peer-review of the human rights record of all 193 UN Member States, and this includes the human rights implications for implementing the death penalty within Islam. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Sudan are presented as two case studies, and the work considers whether the sovereign state discourses for maintaining the death penalty are compatible with international human rights standards. The foundational assessment of this UN mechanism for assessing the Islamic use of the death penalty is then followed by an exegesis of Islamic law and presents findings on the legitimacy of Islamic state propositions for maintaining the death penalty, based on theological interpretations. It identifies a more enlightened reading of Islamic jurisprudence to provide cogent reasons for the prominence of the right to life over the Islamic Member State claims to legitimise the death penalty

The Contours of New Regional Alignments in South Asia

South Asia is an important but complex region. Its manifold complexity is largely ascribed through historical, economic, political and strategic manifestations. The region has witnessed instability in all the given premises and interactions. The entirety happens to be the fact that the structure of alignments is motivated by security complexes which involve cohesion of foreign powers and regional states. The US, Russia, Iran and China now make out to be contemporary stakeholders in South Asian security equation. Their involvement has been seen as a major reorientation in the regional dynamics in terms of political, economic and security characteristics. The manifold possibilities of re-alignments are what the future of the region will look like. The chance of full-fledged strategic alliance in the face of US-India on the basis of similar political, economic and security interests is on the horizon. As a corollary to this alliance pattern, there is China-Russia-Pakistan alliance which is similar in force but opposite in direction. These two systems are one set of opposition forces to each other, which are also natural in form. Another structure which occurs out of the regional dynamics happens to be of India-Iran-Afghanistan which is a trifecta aiming at Pakistan. On the other hand, Russia-China-Pakistan which could turn into a politically motivated and economically driven alliance and can also cover certain aspects of security. Therefore, due to various changes in order there will stem out various patterns of relationships, which could set the order of the region as one marked by various fluctuating alignment patterns

UPR Project at BCU South Sudan Stakeholder Report

Birmingham City University's Centre for Human Rights was created in 2014 to promote human rights, ensure access to justice, and enhance the rule of law around the world.We seek to achieve thisthrough leading research, education, and consultancy.We submit expert reports to international human rights regions, provideadvisory services to governments and nongovernmental organisations, and draft legal opinions and file legal briefs in domestic courts and international human rights courts.The Centre for Human Rights established the UPR Project in 2018 as part of our consultancy service. Weengage with the Human Rights Council's review process in offering support to theUPR Pre-sessions, providing capacity building for UPR stakeholders and National Human Rights Institutions, and the filing ofstakeholder reports in selected sessions. The UPR Projectis designed to help meet the challenges facing the safeguarding of human rights around the world, and to helpensure that UPR recommendations are translated into domestic legal change in member state parliaments. We fully support the UPR ethos of encouraging the sharing of best practice globally to protect everyone's human rights.The UPR Project at BCU engageswith the UPRregularly as a stakeholder,having submitted seven reports and beencited by the OHCHR

UPR Project at BCU Namibia Stakeholder Report

This Stakeholder Report focuses on two key issues for women and girls living with HIV in Namibia: (1) the effect of HIV-related stigmatisation on women and girls, and (2) prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. We make recommendations to the Government of the Republic of Namibia on these two key issues, implementation of which would also see Namibia moving towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5 which aims for gender equality