The Paradox of Rights-Claiming: The Case of Mazlumder in Turkey

Abstract:

This paper investigates the dynamics of making group rights claims using individual human rights discourse in the Turkish public sphere. Group claims that invoke universalist discourses are paradoxical. While some groups demand group rights, they frame these demands in terms of universal human rights claims. This paper highlights this paradox by looking at the dynamics of making group rights claims using individual human rights discourse with an empirical case study from Turkey. The study looks at the case of Mazlumder which is an Islamist human rights association in Turkey. The paper uses the qualitative case study method based on in-depth interviews with members of the group. Three themes that highlight the paradox emerge from the research: the emphasis on the rights-based discourse, their anti-state rhetoric and their interpretation of democracy.