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Muslim World Journal of Human Rights

Editor-in-Chief: Turan Kayaoglu
Edited by: Mashood A. Baderin , Mahmood Monshipouri and Lynn Welchman

Language: English

First published: January 1, 2004

Publication Frequency: 1 issue per year

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About this journal

Objective
Muslim World Journal of Human Rights promises to serve as a forum in which barriers are bridged (or at least, addressed), and human rights are finally discussed with an eye on the Muslim world, in an open and creative manner. The choice to name the journal, Muslim World Journal of Human Rights reflects a desire to examine human rights issues related not only to Islam and Islamic law, but equally those human rights issues found in Muslim societies that stem from various other sources such as socio-economic and political factors, as well the interaction and intersections of the two areas. MWJHR welcomes submissions that apply the traditional human right framework in their analysis as well as those that transcend the boundaries of contemporary scholarship in this regard. Further, the journal also welcomes inter-disciplinary and/or comparative approaches to the study of human rights in the Muslim world in an effort to encourage the emergence of new methodologies in the field.
Muslim World Journal of Human Rights recognizes that several highly contested debates in the field of human rights have been reflected in the Muslim world but have frequently taken on their own particular manifestation in accordance with the varying contexts of contemporary Muslim societies.

Topics

universalism / relativism
individualism / collectivism
positivism / pluralism
deontology / instrumentalism
internationalism / sovereignty

In addition to the theoretical debates noted above, a sampling of the substantive areas to be addressed by the journal’s articles can be seen in the following:

Civil and political rights (e.g., capital punishment, freedom of expression, unlawful detentions, etc.)
Social, economic and cultural rights (e.g., the right to education, health care, labor rights, etc).
Women’s rights and their sociological, political and cultural contexts (e.g., discrimination in family and criminal law, political participation, domestic violence, etc.)
Religious freedom and the rights of religious minorities living in Muslim states (e.g., dhimmah system, apostasy etc.)
The rule of law, constitutionalism and notions of Islamic constitutionalism
The influence of both political Islam and reformist theological and jurisprudential thought on "Islam and human rights" debates
Refugee rights

Article formats
Research articles, Reviews, Book reviews

> Information for authors

Your Benefits

Your benefits:

The only peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the pressing question of human rights in the Muslim world
Scholarly debate on various aspects of the question of human rights as it relates to the Muslim world
International board of leading Islamic studies, Middle Eastern studies and human rights scholars from around the world
Interdisciplinary approach
Novel methods in the field
Rigorous peer-review

History

Content available since 2004 (Volume 1, Issue 1)

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Children’s Rights to Participate in Decision-Making: Insights from Islamic Teachings

October 31, 2025

Siew Pien Lee, Kamila Alias, Siti Hazariah Abdul Hamid, Siti Roshaidai Mohd Arifin, Ashikin Atan, Nur Ainsyafinaz Shamsuddin, Umi Solikhah

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This systematic review explores how Islamic principles interpret and support children’s participation in decision-making processes across various contexts. Although Islamic teachings particularly through values such as shūrā (mutual consultation), ʿadl (justice), tarbiyah (nurturing), ʿaql (intellect), and maṣlaḥah (public interest) strongly advocate for children’s involvement, practical application remains limited. A systematic search was conducted following PRISMA guidelines across major databases, resulting in the inclusion of 19 relevant studies. Findings highlight a growing recognition of children’s evolving autonomy in Islamic scholarship but also reveal significant barriers, including cultural misconceptions, adult-centered authority, lack of awareness, and limited resources. Facilitators such as trust-building, age-appropriate information, and supportive environments were identified as critical to empowering children’s participation. Interventions grounded in Islamic values are recommended to bridge the gap between principle and practice. This review underscores the need for policies, training, and research that center children’s voices while aligning with Islamic ethical frameworks, ultimately fostering a more inclusive and just approach to child decision-making in Muslim communities.
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Beyond Reactionary Politics: Islamism, Democracy, and Authoritarianism in Turkey and the Muslim World

November 6, 2025

Ramazan Kılınç

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This article examines the relationship between Islamism, democracy, and human rights, focusing on the ideological and historical challenges that hinder the democratic trajectories of Islamist movements. Rooted in opposition to Western colonialism and secular authoritarianism, Islamism has historically emphasized resistance over governance, often sidelining pluralism, justice, and civil liberties. Two key ideological barriers – anti-Westernism and anti-secularism – have shaped Islamist approaches to power, fostering authoritarian tendencies and impeding the development of democratic norms and human rights practices. Using Turkey as a central case study, the article traces the rise of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) as a model of democratic progress in the early 2000s. During this period, the AKP implemented significant reforms, such as enhancing minority rights and reducing military influence, bolstering Turkey’s democratic credentials. However, the subsequent authoritarian turn of the AKP, marked by crackdowns on press freedom, suppression of opposition, and widespread human rights violations, reveals the persistent influence of ideological constraints on Islamist governance. The study underscores how anti-Western rhetoric has been used to deflect criticism, consolidate power, and justify the erosion of human rights, while anti-secularism has deepened societal polarization and restricted political inclusivity. The article situates Turkish Islamism within the broader political and historical context of the Muslim world, where colonial and authoritarian legacies have shaped Islamist ideologies. It explores how these experiences have created a reactionary political culture that undermines the values of democracy, human rights, and pluralism. The study also addresses broader trends, drawing on empirical data from sources such as Freedom House and press freedom indices, which highlight significant deficits in political freedoms and human rights across many Muslim-majority countries. By analyzing these dynamics, the article emphasizes the importance of transcending historical grievances and ideological barriers to foster governance that prioritizes justice, inclusivity, and civil liberties. This analysis contributes to ongoing discussions about the potential for Islamist movements to engage meaningfully with democratic principles and sustain human rights frameworks in complex political environments.
Open Access
Islam and Copyright: Discussions from the Arab World

October 28, 2025

Amr Osman

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This article presents and discusses views of some contemporary Arab scholars who have examined the validity of the notion of copyright from the point of view of Islamic law as they understand it. Whereas a few of these scholars have rejected the notion altogether, most of them have argued for its compatibility with Islamic law. To argue for or against the validity of copyright from the point of view of Islamic law, these scholars have employed an impressive host of arguments, rules, principles, and views from Islamic scriptural texts and legal history, making references to Qur’anic verses, Prophetic traditions, historical incidences and practices. These discussions, however, have focused on specific technical questions relating to Islamic law, such as whether authorship (knowledge) can be monetarized, the kind of right that copyright is, the contractual aspects of the relationship between the producers, distributors, and consumers of knowledge, and who should regulate the application of copyright and on what basis. The article concludes that these discussions – which may have influenced current policies on copyright in Arab countries – are mostly uncritical and failed to question problematic aspects of copyright and use the rich normative tradition to which Arab scholars belong to provide valuable input to present debates on the validity, usefulness, and future of copyright.
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The Basic Intention of Human Rights Moderating the Clash of Worldviews in Islam-West Debates of Human Rights

October 23, 2025

Fransisco Budi Hardiman

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The idea and institutionalization of human rights is meant to protect people from negative experiences, such as discrimination, marginalization and oppression. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaimed on December 10, 1948 reflects this basic intention, but to this day there is no unanimity in Islamic circles to accept the universality of the values listed there. Conservative Muslims even reject them as products of Western secularism and liberalism alien to Islamic doctrine and declare their own human rights. The debate between the West and Islam on the universality of human rights has triggered a clash of worldviews between the two. This article will transcend the clash by recalling the basic intention of human rights to protect human beings from negative experience. The author recommends an anamnestic way of moderation that brings the two sides closer together.

The Transnational Muslim World, Human Rights, and the Rights of Women and Sexual Minorities

Issue 1

Special Issue: Post-September 11th Developments in Human Rights in the Muslim World

Issue 1

Special "From the Field" Issue: Islam and Human Rights Advocacy For Social Change In Local Contexts

Issue 1

CiteScore	1.8	2024, Scopus (Elsevier B.V., 2025)
SCImago Journal Rank	0.188	2024, SJR (Scimago Lab, 2025; Data Source: Scopus)
Source Normalized Impact per Paper	0.896	2024, CWTS Journal Indicators (CWTS B.V., 2025; Data Source: Scopus)

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Editor in Chief
Turan Kayaoglu, University of Colorado Denver

Editors
Mashood Baderin, School of Oriental and African Studies
Mahmood Monshipouri, San Francisco State University
Lynn Welchman, School of Oriental and African Studies

Book Review Editor
Chrystie Flournoy Swiney, Georgetown University

Development Editor
Elizabeth Marsch, American University

Advisory Board
Abdullahi An-Na'Im, Emory Law School
Cherif Bassiouni, DePaul Law School
John L. Esposito, Georgetown University
Abdulaziz A. Sachedina, University of Virginia

Associate Editors
Anthony Chase, Occidental College
Jack Donnelly, University of Denver
Nader Hashemi, University of Denver
Ziba Mir-Hosseini, University of London
Tamara Sonn, The College of William and Mary
Anicée Van Engeland-Nourai, University of Exeter

Former Associate Editors
Tony Anghie, University of Utah Law School
Patrice Brodeur, University of Montreal
Annie Bunting, York University
Peter Danchin, University of Maryland Law School
Fawaz Gerges, Sarah Lawrence College
Marc Gopin, Tufts University
Wael Hallaq, McGill University
Maimul Khan, UC Davis Law School
Charles Kurzman, University of North Carolina
Bruce Lawrence, Duke University
Qudsia Mirza, University of East London
Naz Modirzadeh, Harvard University
Balakrishnan Rajagopal, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Carrie Rosefsky Wickham, Emory University
Diane Singerman, American University
Madhavi Sunder, UC Davis Law School

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Journal information

Additional information

eISSN:

1554-4419

ISSN:

2194-6558

Language:

English

Publisher:

De Gruyter

Additional information

First published:

January 1, 2004

Publication Frequency:

1 issue per year

eISSN: 1554-4419

ISSN: 2194-6558

Audience(s) for this journal

researchers in the field of law, lawyers

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Muslim World Journal of Human Rights

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