HUQUQ, which means, among other things, rights, is more than human rights. The Arabic word, HUQUQ, is derived from the root from which the words for “fact”, “truth”, “reality”, are derived. The connection is remarkable.
The HUQUQ Project, in its digital and print forms, is the culmination of decades of research and teaching on the subject of human rights. Building on the vast body of knowledge covering human rights since the Enlightenment that shone on the Western world, examining the rights legacy of the Islamic civilization since the 7th century, and reflecting on historical and current events that touch on rights, we aim to remove the word “Human” from “Human Rights” to be able to advance a holistic vision for rights that can be claimed by everything by virtue of their existence. The expansion of the notion of rights is not an accommodation, it is a remedial measure stemming from the idea that the privileging of humans, especially, “certain humans” is the root cause of abuse and degradation of a universe that is shared by all–living and non-living beings.
This holistic vision is the outcome of applying the principles of Systems Thinking Framework to “human rights” as a concept and as lived experience across cultures and over time.
— Prof. Ahmed Souaiaia; PI, HUQUQ Research and Mentoring Project
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