Supremacism

Supremacism, Racism, Sectarianism…

The Perils of Individualism

HUQUQ Research Team Comments on Rights Individualism, Supremacism 0

How Rooting Human Rights in Individualism Fuels Supremacism and Atrocity by Demhas The modern conception of human rights is often rooted in individualism—placing the individual at the center of moral, political, and legal consideration. While individualism has undeniably contributed to personal freedoms and autonomy, an extreme focus on the individual can lead to dangerous distortions. Among these distortions, supremacism emerges as a byproduct of unchecked individual entitlement, and history has shown that supremacism is a powerful driver of human rights atrocities. At its core, individualism champions self-interest, autonomy, and personal achievement. While these values can encourage creativity and progress, they also risk fostering an exaggerated sense of self-importance and entitlement. When individuals or groups internalize the idea that their rights and desires take precedence over those of others, a supremacist mindset can take root. Supremacism—whether based on race, nationality, religion, or ideology—relies on the belief that certain individuals or groups are inherently superior and therefore justified in exerting control over others. History provides numerous examples where supremacist ideologies, deeply intertwined with extreme individualist thinking, have led to some of the worst human rights violations. Colonialism, for instance, was largely driven by the belief that European individuals had a superior right to land, resources, and governance over indigenous populations. Similarly, racial segregation, apartheid, and ethnic cleansing have often been justified by supremacist narratives that elevate certain groups above others, leading to systematic oppression and violence. The 20th century bore witness to extreme individualist and supremacist ideologies culminating in mass atrocities. The […]

The Instrumentalization of Human Rights is the Most Serious Threat to Human Rights

Prof. Souaiaia Journal Colonialism, Supremacism, Woman Rights 0

Abstract: Generally, human rights are claims made by disempowered social groups that those with power over them must do for them or must not do to them. As such, these rights can be universal. But so is the abuse of such rights because of the universality of power systems—all human societies, throughout history and across culture, have been under some form of governing entities that enjoyed and exerted power over those under their rule. Subsequently, no government can be beyond reproach when it comes to human rights abuse. Yet, when human rights abuses take place in Muslim-majority countries, Western governments impose sanctions and Western media provide extensive coverage of instances of abuse. But when similar or even more egregious or persistent human rights abuses take place in a Western country, Western governments and media outlets ignore the event or treated it like an isolated secondary event. What is behind the difference in reactions and what is the effect of ignoring human rights abuses when they happen in Western societies on human rights?

What is in the “Sacheen Littlefeather with ‘Long Overdue’ Apology After Mistreatment at 1973 Oscars” News?

Research Assistants Arts, In The News Colonialism, Exploitation, Indigenous peoples Rights, Remedial Justice, Supremacism 0

Reports of the “Academy” attempting to right a wrong are circulating widely. Headlines like this, Academy Honors Sacheen Littlefeather with ‘Long Overdue’ Apology After Mistreatment at 1973 Oscars, cover all mainstream media. A sample of the coverage can be sampled here:

Study: Britain used one of its medical schools as a colonial institution

Research Assistants Medicine, Public Health, Reports Colonialism, Eugenics, Exploitation, Supremacism 0

A recent study confirms that Britain used the London School of Tropical Medicine as an institution serving its colonial goals between 1899 and 1960; essentially confirming the use of science and medicine to further the system of colonialism, recognized by many scholars now as a crime. According to the study by Leuba Hirsch, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, “The London School of Tropical Medicine was established as a colonial institution that benefited and contributed to British colonialism in a variety of ways between 1899 and 1960.” He pointed out that the school was established by the colonial office of the British Empire, which ran the British colonies, as the funds needed to establish and operate it came from colonial contributions, which were derived from the exploitation of resources and labor in the colonies. He pointed out that the school played an active role during the two world wars, in protecting British forces from tropical diseases and protecting imperial property. He added that students and members of the school team traveled and did research on colonial populations throughout the empire. In at least one case, a British doctor deliberately infected Chinese “Hen Lu” with malaria, to test his theory about the role of mosquitoes in transmitting the disease. He explained that some of the school’s lecturers and staff were also dedicated to ethnic sciences such as eugenics, which promote the improvement of a nation’s genetic quality through selective procreation. It is noteworthy that the London School of […]

UN: “Stop denying racism, start dismantling it”

Editorial Team Reports, Comments on Rights Supremacism 0

UN Human Rights Chief urges immediate, transformative action to uproot systemic racism GENEVA (28 June 2021) – UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Monday issued an urgent call for States to adopt a “transformative agenda” to uproot systemic racism, as she published a report casting a spotlight on the litany of violations of economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights suffered by people of African descent – on a daily basis and across different States and jurisdictions. The report states that the worldwide mobilization of people calling for racial justice has forced a long-delayed reckoning with racism and shifted debates towards a focus on the systemic nature of racism and the institutions that perpetrate it.