HUQUQ Bookreview

Review of books

Business and Human Rights: Ethical, Legal, and Managerial Perspectives

Research Assistants HUQUQ Bookreview Business, Ethics 0

Florian Wettstein’s Business and Human Rights: Ethical, Legal, and Managerial Perspectives is a timely and ambitious intervention in a field that is still solidifying its contours. Business and Human Rights (BHR) has emerged in recent decades as both a scholarly discipline and a policy arena, spurred by the rise of globalization, corporate power, and mounting evidence of corporate involvement in human rights abuses. This text arrives at a moment when universities are rapidly institutionalizing BHR courses, often at the intersection of law, management, and ethics. Wettstein’s book therefore not only fills a pedagogical gap but also seeks to shape the intellectual and normative foundations of the field. One of the book’s greatest strengths is its breadth and structure. The work includes an impressive arc that begins with foundational philosophical debates (Part I), moves through corporate involvement in rights violations (Part II), develops normative justifications for business responsibilities (Part III), explores accountability and governance mechanisms (Part IV), and finally considers industry-specific case studies and emerging challenges (Part V). Such sequencing mirrors the way students might themselves encounter the field: from history and theory, to problems, to solutions and applications. The introductory chapter, pointedly titled “Learning and Unlearning Business and Human Rights”, sets the tone by destabilizing assumptions about both “human rights” and “business,” situating BHR as more than an extension of corporate social responsibility (CSR). This signals an intellectual seriousness that elevates the book above being a mere manual of compliance or best practices. Wettstein’s interdisciplinary lens is perhaps the defining […]

Book Review: “Beyond the Usual Beating”

Review Editors HUQUQ Bookreview Torture 0

Andrew S. Baer’s Beyond the Usual Beating: The Jon Burge Police Torture Scandal and Social Movements for Police Accountability in Chicago is a beautifully crafted and deeply disturbing account that offers raw insight into the covert activities of the notorious Areas 2 and 3 of the Chicago Police Department. Baer documents how white detectives, led by Jon Burge, routinely used inhumane and militarized torture strategies such as electrocution, suffocation, and beatings to extract confessions from Black suspects. The scandal’s horror lies not just in the brutality itself, but in how the entire criminal justice system sustained and protected it. Supervisors, prosecutors, public defenders, and judges were aware of the torture yet remained silent because coerced confessions helped close cases. Baer roots these acts in a long history of racial bias, showing how detectives’ upbringing, experiences, and prejudices shaped a system that treated Black suspects as disposable. Baer structures the book into six chapters, grouped into two parts. Part I traces the roots of the torture regime, both biographically and institutionally. The first chapter details Jon Burge’s (Burge) childhood in Chicago, his deployment to Vietnam, and how both his personal history and a generational backlash against deindustrialization, racial transition, and crime shaped his worldview. By the time Burge returned from Vietnam, where he likely witnessed or participated in prisoner abuse, the lines between military and policing tactics were already blurred. Chapter two shows how Burge’s personal biases were institutionalized. Joining the Chicago Police Department in 1970 and promoted to detective by […]

Human Acts: An Unflinching Meditation on Violence, Memory, and the Fragility of Humanity

Research Assistants HUQUQ Bookreview Resistance 0

In Human Acts, Nobel Laureate Han Kang offers a searing, poetic, and harrowing exploration of state violence and its brutal legacy. Drawing on the tragic events of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising in South Korea, Han constructs a deeply humane narrative that confronts the trauma and devastation inflicted by authoritarian regimes—and the emotional, moral, and existential cost borne by those who resist them. At its heart, Human Acts is not merely a historical novel. It is a lament, an elegy, a philosophical inquiry into what it means to be human in the face of unthinkable cruelty. Told through six interwoven narratives that span from the uprising itself to decades later, the novel resists linear storytelling in favor of a fragmented, polyphonic chorus. Each chapter gives voice to a different character—victims, survivors, witnesses—whose stories form a collective tapestry of grief, resilience, and brokenness. The novel opens with Dong-ho, a fifteen-year-old boy searching for the body of a friend among the mutilated dead in a makeshift gymnasium morgue. His voice is tender, innocent, and tragic—an embodiment of a moral clarity that stands in stark contrast to the monstrousness around him. But Han doesn’t linger long on any one character. As we move from Dong-ho to his grieving mother, a tortured editor, a former prisoner, and even a ghostly voice from beyond the grave, the reader is plunged into a visceral, haunting immersion in suffering—one that does not let go. In a style that is both restrained and lyrical, Han Kang conveys the horrors […]

Righting Wrongs: Three Decades on the Front Lines Battling Abusive Governments

HUQUQ Editors HUQUQ Bookreview NGOs 0

In “Righting Wrongs: Three Decades on the Front Lines Battling Abusive Governments,” Kenneth Roth, the former Executive Director of Human Rights Watch (HRW), provides an introspective account of his nearly thirty-year tenure with the organization. Roth’s memoir not only serves as a chronicle of HRW’s evolution into a prominent force in the human rights arena but also as a defense of his strategies and choices amid widespread criticism. In addition to the book content, this review draws upon other materials that critique the book’s narrative, depth, and implications, presenting a balanced view of Roth’s ambitious endeavor. Roth’s leadership transformed HRW from a modest organization into a powerful entity, capable of influencing international discourse on human rights. He recounts a series of significant events, from the Kurdish genocide to the abuses in Syria, highlighting the impactful role of HRW’s researchers and advocates. This portrayal aligns with some observers’ assertion that Roth approached human rights violations with an unwavering commitment to exposing the truth, relying heavily on empirical evidence and rigorous analysis. His forensic style—developed during his time as a prosecutor—shapes the narrative, allowing Roth to dissect complex situations with precision. However, this narrative is juxtaposed with a critique of Roth’s selective focus, particularly regarding Israel. For isntance, the absence of chapters detailing human rights abuses in Iran, raising concerns about a perceived bias that favors certain narratives while sidelining others. Roth’s tendency to frame issues in black-and-white terms—good versus evil—risks oversimplifying the multifaceted nature of global human rights advocacy. By neglecting […]

Review of “Muslims and the Western Conception of Rights”: Human Rights Beyond the Ideals

HUQUQ Research Team HUQUQ Bookreview Atrocities, Dignity, Human Rights, Jāhiliyya, Supremacism 0

It has been 1,415 years since the end of the Jāhiliyya — a concept often referenced by Muslim thinkers as a pivotal turning point in human history. This moment was expected to usher in an era of justice. But has it? The promise of that age — justice, dignity, and knowledge — remains an unfinished project. It is a goal toward which many, Muslim and non-Muslim alike, continue to strive. The end of Jāhiliyya was not merely a historical event; it marked the beginning of an enduring challenge — to continually struggle for a more just world. As contemporary Muslim scholars like Abdulaziz Sachedina argue, the Prophet Muhammad’s message represented more than a religious break with Arabia’s pagan past. It was a profound moral and civilizational transformation. For Sachedina, the Qur’an introduced a new ethical consciousness centered on human dignity, justice, and moral agency — values that strongly resonate with modern human rights principles. Sachedina contends that the Qur’an is not limited to theological or metaphysical concerns; it speaks directly to the conditions of human life. It addresses the disenfranchised and the oppressed, offering not only spiritual guidance but also a moral vision for society. The Qur’anic declaration that God has honored all the children of Adam (Qur’an 17:70), in Sachedina’s interpretation, affirms the inherent worth and dignity of every human being — regardless of religion, ethnicity, or gender. Thus, the Islamic break from Jāhiliyya marked not only the embrace of monotheism but also a radical ethical reordering of human […]

Book Reviews: Civilian Suffering in Armed Conflict

HUQUQ Research Team HUQUQ Bookreview Civilian Immunity 0

In recent decades, the persistent tragedy of civilian suffering in war has inspired a growing body of scholarship seeking to understand not only how but why civilians continue to be targeted despite longstanding legal and moral prohibitions. Two important contributions to this field—Alexander B. Downes’s Targeting Civilians in War and Hugo Slim’s Killing Civilians: Method, Madness and Morality in War—offer distinct yet complementary perspectives on the roots of civilian victimization. Drawing from empirical political science and philosophical humanitarianism respectively, these books together advance a multidimensional understanding of the intentional and systematic targeting of civilians in armed conflict. Both works challenge comfortable assumptions about the moral progress of warfare and compel readers to confront uncomfortable truths about strategic necessity, ideological justification, and the ambiguity of civilian identity. Downes’s Targeting Civilians in War is a methodologically rigorous and provocatively argued book that blends statistical analysis with historical case studies. Contrary to much of the prevailing literature, Downes disputes the notion that democracies are inherently more restrained in their use of force against civilians. Instead, he identifies two primary drivers of civilian targeting: (1) the desperation to win a protracted, costly conflict while minimizing one’s own casualties and material losses; and (2) the ambition of territorial conquest, often requiring ethnic cleansing or mass displacement. Downes marshals an original dataset covering interstate conflicts from 1816 to 2003 and supplements his quantitative findings with compelling case studies, including the Anglo-Boer War, the blockades of World War I, strategic bombing in World War II, and the […]

Ideology and Mass Killing: The Radicalized Security Policies Behind Genocide and Deadly Atrocities

HUQUQ Editors HUQUQ Bookreview Atrocities, Genocide, Mass Killings 0

In his thought-provoking work, “Ideology and Mass Killing: The Radicalized Security Policies Behind Genocide and Deadly Atrocities,” Dr. Jonathan Maynard, a senior lecturer and associate professor in international politics at King’s College London, delves into the disturbing phenomenon of mass murder and its ideological underpinnings. This book offers a comprehensive analysis of why ordinary individuals can become perpetrators of horrific acts, and how ideology plays a critical role in justifying these crimes. Dr. Maynard is not new to the discourse on political violence; prior to his tenure at King’s College, he was associated with the University of Oxford. His academic focus encompasses international relations, political theory, and the intersection of ideology with armed conflict and geopolitical competition. His extensive research on the mechanisms of political violence, particularly against civilians, positions him uniquely to tackle the complex issues presented in this book. Spanning 560 pages, the book is structured into nine insightful chapters, each meticulously dissecting the layers of ideology that contribute to mass violence. The introduction sets the stage, presenting the enigma of mass murder and the ideological critiques surrounding it. From there, Maynard systematically explores various dimensions of ideology, its impact on human behavior, and its capacity to incite violence. The book’s structure is as follows: Chapter One: The introduction lays out the framework for understanding the interplay between ideology and mass murder. Maynard presents a compelling argument regarding the necessity of analyzing the ideological motivations that drive individuals to commit such acts. Chapter Two: Here, Maynard engages in […]

Civil Disobedience in Islam–a Contemporary Debate

HUQUQ Editors HUQUQ Bookreview Dissent 0

Civil Disobedience in Islam, written by Muhammad Haniff Hassan (2018) provides an analysis of opposing arguments that either support or condemn political dissent. Hassan defines civil disobedience as a pacifist movement against an authority that breaks the law and that is orchestrated for the purpose of producing a change within the governing institution that has been judged corrupt or unjust. The primary debates are centered around khurūj, maslahah-mafsadah, and claims of ijmā`. In this essay, we summarize Hassan’s findings and provide a brief comment about the scope and limits of his work. Khurūj is the act of rejection or malalignment with an authority figure or ruler. Maslahah-mafsadah is the societal balance between benefits (maslahah) and harm (mafsadah). The claim of ijmā` is the concept that if an idea, law, or norm is agreed upon by everyone or reaches consensus, then it is considered of similar importance to scripture and tradition. Arguments against civil disobedience have a significant amount of scriptural evidence drawn to support this perspective. However, many scholars have concluded that a large majority of scripture within the Qur’ān and Hadīths cannot be argued as definitive evidence and taken for what it says, rather most tend to be nondefinitive scripture and reliant on the interpretations of the words and context of the situation. The issue of khurūj emphasizes this stance, as the act of khurūj, is completely reliant on the context and perspectives of the individual/society. Khurūj against a just and fair leader is never permissible, however khurūj against […]

Border and Rule: Global Migration, Capitalism, and the Rise of Racist Nationalism

Prof. Souaiaia HUQUQ Bookreview Capitalism, Migration 0

While working on my recent work, Muslims and the Western Conception of Rights, I struggled with the application of the systems thinking framework to the topic of human rights. I wanted the framework to yield practical recommendations that promote and foster fundamental rights. By the end of the project, I realized that such expectations are a limiting burden, not indicative of the utility and usefulness of the approach. The utility of the framework should not be judged by one’s ability to successfully apply it, but by its capacity to explain. Reading Border and Rule underscored the importance of nuanced understanding of the analysis framework over its application to critical human rights issues, such as migration, labor, and economic rights. Among the fundamental features of systems thinking framework are its capacity to exploit the properties of dynamicity and interconnectedness of systems to identify determinant forces that shape human rights as lived experience and as a conceptual discourse. Harsha Walia, perhaps without explicitly identifying these properties, masterfully identifies the structures, instruments, and actors involved in the displacement of persons and peoples and exposes the systems that produced them. For instance, Walia disputes the qualification of migration as a crisis in and of itself in favor of presenting it as “the outcome of the actual crises of capitalism, conquest, and climate change.” She explains migration, as a global event by linking it to national issues such as labor, prisons, and domestic policies. She traces the cause of mass migration to settlers’ and colonizers’ […]