Human Rights and the Golden Rule - Essay Example

Human rights are a western concept that does not apply to Asian countries." Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Please state your reasons. HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE GOLDEN RULE The concept of human rights is defined as the fundamental rights which humans have by the fact of being human, and which are neither created nor can be abrogated by any government (business dictionary.com). The most basic of rights can best be exemplified by the Golden Rule, which states, “Do unto others what as you would have them do unto you.” It is the principle of mutual interaction and relation among people where each person acts in specific ways toward the other so that the other person will behave in the same way towards him or her. The Golden Rule can be traced in a number of ancient cultures, both in Western and Eastern societies. It is prevalent in the philosophies of Greece, China, Judea and India. The Holy Bible, the Koran, the Hindu Vedas, the Analects of Confucius, and the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi are just a few of the oldest proofs that human rights were practiced in ancient times and in different parts of the world. Throughout much of history, humans have attained rights by virtue of being part of a group, whether that group is a family, religion, community, nation or state. All societies have traditions, oral or written, that are similar to the above-mentioned Golden Rule and care for the benefit and welfare of their members. Until today, the Golden Rule is the foundation of the modern concept of human rights. MODERN DAY CONCEPT OF HUMAN RIGHTS “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” It is clearly stated in the above-mentioned article of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), that human rights is not only applicable to Western culture but to all human beings; hence, all societies and cultures in the world, including Asia. According to the Vienna Declaration, which was passed during the World Conference on Human Rights held in Vienna in June of 1993 and attended by different countries and states, human rights are considered universal and indivisible. Furthermore, all ancient and modern societies have had some mode of political and socio-cultural governance where a certain set of legal and moral values was applied that regulated the interaction and relationships of the people. The concept of human rights is simply a modern groundwork for monitoring the ways of the people. It is based on the notion of absolute equality of all human beings, men or women, no matter their race, nationality and religious group. As said by Edip Yuksel, former member of United Submitters International, there are a number of people from different religious thinking, areas and cultures who have accepted the objectives of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights without much difficulty. Its appeal, in general, exceeds cultures and religions. In the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights of the Islamic community, Article 1A states that “All human beings form one family whose members are united by their subordination to Allah and descent from Adam. All men are equal in terms of basic human dignity and basic obligations and responsibilities, without any discrimination on the basis of race, color, language, belief, sex, religion, political affiliation, social status or other considerations. The true religion is the guarantee for enhancing such dignity along the path to human integrity.” Furthermore, Article 2A asserts that “Life is a God-given gift and the right to life is guaranteed to every human being. It is the duty of individuals, societies and states to safeguard this right against any violation, and it is prohibited to take away life except for a shari'ah prescribed reason.” These policies only add to the fact that human rights are the same with Western philosophy as that of the Islamic community or any other culture for that matter. In another article of the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights, men and women being equal is clearly defined. It says that women have their own rights and duties to carry out. They also have their own civil entity and economic independence. In addition, women are entitled to preserve her name and ancestry. Moreover, Muslims believe that people are naturally free and nobody can enslave, disgrace, oppress or take advantage of them. According to Aryeh Neier, President of the Open Society Institute and founder of the Human Rights Watch, nearly all countries and states, by virtue of being members of the United Nations, have devoted themselves to observe and encourage the promotion of human rights worldwide. Shaista Shameem, director of the Fiji Human Rights Commission, further stresses that “justice and fairness are not western concepts.” She cites the Panchayat concept, a South Asian political system mainly used in India, Nepal and Pakistan, as a prime example of human rights in Asian culture. The Panchayats are responsible in making just and fair decisions about issues as diverse as social conflicts and criminal activity. The Gram Panchayats, meanwhile, are primarily involved in promoting and protecting the rights of children in their country. Shameem is firm in saying that “there is no society, even with the most despotic regimes, where the following rights are not realized in some form or other: 1) the right to know the case against you; 2) the right to a defense; 3) the right to personal property; 4) the inherent right to life, unless this has an occupational limitation such as priesthood, and; 5) the right to marry and found a family.” In much the same way as the previous declarations of human rights, the African (Banjul) Charter on Human and People’s Rights promotes the equality of every individual. Everyone, whatever their lineage, color, ethnic group, vernacular, gender, belief, political or any other opinion, national and social basis, fortune, birth or other status, is free to benefit from their rights as acknowledged and assured in their Charter. THE RIGHT TO LIFE The concept of a right to life states that a human being has a fundamental right to live, specifically a right not to be killed by another person. In almost all, if not all, societies in the world, murdering a fellow human being is regarded as a sin. It is sinful to take the life of another person. There are laws within the different societies that punish those who disregard this belief. However, the means of punishment have long been debated and scrutinized. What is integral in this issue is that human rights, particularly the right to live, is observed in all forms of social order. In addition, Edip Yuksel, considered one of the prime figures in the modern Islamic reform and Qur'an alone movements, expresses that a society that is against “torture, child sacrifice, and genocide, has universal appeal” because it “appeals to our reasoning and self-interest in all humans.” He further states that this fact “is supported by painful experiences from history that destroyed both parties: the torturers and the tortured ones.” According to Yuksel, for torture and racism to be considered wrong, one need not become Hindu, Muslim, Atheist, Western or Eastern. He concludes that “your own reasoning will make you know this fact.” HUMAN RIGHTS AND RELIGION Religious beliefs have long been considered a major factor in shaping the concept of human rights. The differences of the Western concept of human rights and the so-called Asian values, which are based mainly on religion, have been repeatedly discussed and debated by scholars and non-scholars alike. It should be considered that there are a number of notions from the Western concept that also applies to Asian societies. Religion plays a major part in shaping the values of its people. Both the Eastern and Western philosophies believe that there exists a supreme being. This supreme deity is known in different religious philosophies as God, Allah, Waheguru, Shiva, and Krishna among others. The overbearing entity whose will is for human beings to live a virtuous, ethical and moral life which in turn will bring us closer to God and attain salvation, is present in most belief systems. This is what advocates would call absolute universalism. To put it mildly, God’s message is similar in all places and at all times. In summary, I disagree with the notion that human rights are a Western concept that does not apply to Asian countries. The concept of human rights is not entirely bound by geography and religion as evidenced by the similar foundations that all religions and philosophies in different parts of the world are built. It is applicable to everyone regardless of nationality, race, gender and belief. The fact that the proponents of human rights are members of United Nations (UN), the governing body of all countries and states in the world, only justifies that human rights are not just applicable to the Western societies. Human rights are a universal phenomenon that should be accepted and followed by all human beings. WORKS CITED: Yuksel, Edip. “Are Human Rights a Western Concept?” Yuksel.org. 1998. Web. 1 Feb. 2010. Bhaskar, Ranjit. “A Convergence of Ideas.” Human Rights and the UN, 2008. Aljazeera.net. 15 Dec. 2008. Web. 1 Feb. 2010. Flowers, Nancy. “Human Rights Here and Now.” University of Minnesota Human Rights Resource Center. 1998. Web. 2 Feb. 2010. Shameem, Shaista. “Defending the Universality and Timelessness of the Universal Declaration Of Human Rights: A View from the ‘Developing’ World”. Center on Rights Development. Du.edu. 2002. Web. 2 Feb. 2010. Sen, Amartya. “Human Rights and Asian Values.” The New Republic, 14-21 Jul. 1997. Web. 2 Feb. 2010. Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam. 5 Aug. 1990. Web. 2 Feb. 2010. African (Banjul) Charter on Human and People’s Rights (Adopted 27 June 1981 (1982), entered into force 21 October 1986). Web. 2 Feb. 2010. Neier, Aryeh. “Asian Values vs. Human Rights.” FDL-AP Quarterly. 2007. Print. Read More