Inspired by the great South African leader Field-Marshall Smuts, leaders of the world's nations met in San Francisco in late 1945 to form the United Nations in which they included in the preamble to the Charter of the UN an important reference to human rights.
In 1984 Saudi Arabia voted for the UN General Council's decision supporting the official Declaration of Human Rights. And as a result of non-government organizations, Article 68 was included which required the Economic and Social Council to set up commissions in human rights and also in economic and social fields. The Commission on Human Rights was established as one of the very few bodies to draw its authority directly from the Charter of the United Nations.
The Kingdom signed four of the seven UN human rights treaties: Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, Prevention of Torture, and the Rights of Children. The Kingdom also signed International Labor Organization treaties concerned with human rights, the Elimination of All Forms of Forced and Compulsory Labor, Discrimination in Respect of Employment and Occupation and the Effective Abolition of Child Labor.
Meanwhile, in its steps toward reform, the Kingdom established in 2006 the Human Rights Commission (HRC), a government entity to promote and emphasize human rights issues. In addition, there is the officially established National Society for Human Rights (NSHR). Both organizations practice transparency in tackling human rights issues, violations and breaches, and exposing them in the media. As a part of the government’s credibility to reform and face issues and find solutions, cooperation developed between the media and human rights bodies.
Many stories have been exposed, written about and thus brought to the attention of the public through newspapers. Arab News is one newspaper that has focused on human rights issues from the very beginning of the establishment of both bodies.
Issues that are of concern to society have been investigated and reported with much objectivity, such as the case of Fatima Al-Azzaz and her husband, Mansour Al-Timani. A Saudi judge nullified their marriage on July 20, 2005 after the woman’s family alleged that the husband had lied about his tribal background. Arab News followed the story for four years, including the national and international reactions, and finally the conclusion when the Supreme Judiciary Council in Riyadh overruled the decision and ordered that the couple be reunited in matrimony.
Many other cases of concern to society, such as abuse of women and children and child marriages, were also exposed in the newspaper; these can only be seen as a contribution to reform in the Kingdom. Abuse of women was brought to public attention when Arab News shocked society with its front-page picture of Rania Al-Baz, a TV announcer who had been badly battered by her husband. Her story was followed closely by Arab News, and in the end, her husband was sentenced to 6 months imprisonment and 300 lashes. One of the most admired reforms in the Saudi judicial system has been the directions of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah’s to form family courts to deal with problems head-on and tackle cases of family violence.
Cases of child marriage were also written about with the stories stressing the violation of a child’s rights to a normal life. When a judge in Onyizah region refused to annul the marriage of an eight- year-old girl to a 47 year-old man, the case received extensive attention.
Media coverage and the concerns of the HRC have been pivotal in stopping several such marriages. For example, HRC became involved in other cases of child marriage such as the case of 80 year-old man in Buraidah who married a 12 year-old after giving the girl’s father a dowry of SR85,000. The HRC intervened by forming a committee to investigate the case. Although it cannot interfere in people’s personal lives, the organization continues to lobby for a minimum marriage age.
Later, the Human Rights Commission took an active role against marriages involving children; it was able to get the annulment of a marriage between a 60-year-old man and a 10-year-old girl in Hail. Reports from medical centers showed that the girl and the man had failed a prenuptial compatibility blood test.
A spokesman for the HRC and a board member, Zuhair Al-Harithi, said that the HRC had been trying for some time to put an end to child marriage, pointing out that it sees child marriages as “violating international agreements the Kingdom has signed.” A draft law on banning child marriages is being studied by a government committee.
Meanwhile, following wide media coverage of such cases, Justice Minister Mohammed Al-Eissa has said that the Kingdom plans to regulate the marriage of young girls.
Dealing with human rights issues with transparency and objectivity has made Arab News one of the main sources for articles and pieces on the issue. Many top media sites and prominent online newspapers rely on Arab News’ credibility in revealing facts and bringing to attention cases of human rights violations. The Human Rights Commission president has described Arab News as “professional and reliable.”
