Gender Discrimination: From Salafism to Crimes Against Humanity with Emphasis on the Al-Hassan Case in the International Criminal Court

Maldar, Mohammad Hasan; Poorbafrani, Hassan; Hassanzadeh Khabbaz, Seyyedeh Negin

doi:10.22096/hr.2024.2016031.1636

Gender Discrimination: From Salafism to Crimes Against Humanity with Emphasis on the Al-Hassan Case in the International Criminal Court

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

Mohammad hasan Maldar ¹

hassan poorbafrani ²

seyyedeh negin hassanzadeh khabbaz ³

¹ Ph.D in criminal law and criminology, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

² Associate Professor of Criminal Law and Criminology, Faculty of Administrative Sciences and Economics, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.

³ Ph.D Student in Criminal Law and Criminology, Faculty of Law, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.

10.22096/hr.2024.2016031.1636

Abstract

Nowadays, gender discrimination is not tolerated in any form as it goes against human rights. A testament to this is the conviction of “Al-Hassan” at the International Criminal Court.. He was accused of committing crimes against humanity for committing gender-based discrimination against women, including rape, forced marriage, and persecution of women and girls through the imposition of laws and directives that violated their fundamental freedoms. This study indicates that Al-Hassan’s actions in his position as the head of the Islamic police in Ansar al-Din meet the criteria for crimes against humanity. Reexamining this case raises the question of whether the enforcement of Islamic laws can involve the elements of crimes against humanity to cooccur. It appears that the actions of some Muslim militia groups, such as Ansar al-Din, could constitute a crime against humanity due to the presence of causation, actus reus, and mens rea elements. These behaviors are mere manifestations of a harsh and extremist interpretation of religion that contradicts its true purposes. While this cannot be attributed to all Muslim countries, reexamining this case can provide valuable insights for all Islamic governments.

Keywords

Gender discrimination

Crimes against humanity

Al-Hassan case

Salafism

violence against women

International Criminal Court

Subjects

Human Rights

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