Human Rights Can Not Be Both Universal and Political - Term Paper Example

Human rights cannot be both universal and political." Discuss The human rights issues have been violated all these years and the devastating consequences of war every now and often have seemed to hit the country right in the face of it. Its people have been subjected to the most inhuman of conditions, where they have been massacred due to one reason or the other, women and children abducted from their homes, women raped and their heads eventually cut off to put up on the signboards near the city’s centers to demonstrate that the same act was done in the name of honor are just some of the aspects that need to be studied in the proper perspective. It is also common knowledge that for a number of years Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have worked endlessly to ensure that the human rights violations within Iraq stop and thus normalcy is restored at the earliest but somehow or the other, this thing has never actually materialized at the top level. The most important issue in balancing individual universal human rights with social responsibility in related with abortion. The law that was passed so that abortions would be legal was a good decision. The anti-abortions have very sound points, but it should be up to the women to make her choice. Abortion has been debated for decades and always will be. Ever since Roe vs. Wade, abortion has been a very hot topic. Apart from this, one should believe that these human rights, which are truly worldwide and enforceable, include a right to be called as a free individual and have complete freedom within the practice of one’s religion, living in a country which is democratic by nature and given the basic human rights that are so very important on the part of society to give to everyone. (Gibson, 1991) Human rights issues have brought to light the various roles which are played by the human rights agencies and their linkage with them on the top most levels of the government. Thus the question of whether or not there is some significance in the whole quagmire is pretty evident since the human rights situation the world over is quite appalling to say the least. Take the case of Iraq, Afghanistan, Cuba and one finds out what the meaning of this regime is all about. Furthermore, there seems to be no respite for any governing body since the violations of human rights seem to continue and the world’s top most bodies, who incidentally are also known as the governing councils are doing absolutely nothing. Human rights are particularly more important in the light of the deteriorating situations which are prevalent within Iraq and Afghanistan where suicide bombings, mass killings and the like are pretty rampant. Add to that, rape of women and molestation of children also form as the most significant of crimes that can only be remarked as heinous right from the onset. Then again a singular definition of human rights seems impossible for one to understand and more so with the changing global domains. Transparency and accountability form up as the significant aspects which come under the reform and reconstruction process of a society and it is for this reason that particular emphasis is laid on these aspects. Independent monitoring and reporting from an unbiased point of view can help in the correct picturing of events that unfold as well as demonstrate the exact basis of power which is being abused in a negative manner. Not only that but also the fact that credibility is ensured if the accountability aspect is kept in mind. This calls for a proper check and balance mechanism within the related scheme of things and due to the very theory we can understand the fact that credibility and legitimacy can only be guaranteed when there is no abuse of power as far as the reporting of events and situations is concerned and more so in the wake of the post 9/11 age. If fair and unbiased picture is sketched of the events that have been happening then this could also mean that there is a forum in place where grievances can be brought to the fore by all concerned within the United States and thus shared by all the parties. (International Council on Human Rights, 2002) This also ensures that proper care is given to the ones who are the affected souls and rest assured nothing of this sort ever happens again. However this is just a theoretical exercise that needs to be done, however the hard facts are a bit different and more so hard enough to swallow. The basic human rights issue thus rests on the shoulders of the American government which is functional within the regime. Iraq crisis has had a number of issues that come under the human rights perspective. Similarly, it is pretty much correct to state that human rights have been one of the biggest problems ever since the whole muddle started in the year 2003. The manner in which Bush’s and Blair’s armies destroyed the whole of the nation is way too much when we compare with what Saddam Hussein did with his own motherland. In a manner that can only be remarked as a counter measure, the American and the British forces justified their war on Iraq by having a number of crimes in the name of human rights so that in the end there could be some rationale for all the steps that had been taken by then by these allied armies. (Colberg, 2003) The battlefield successes of March and April 2003 were enough to suggest that there were no traces of weapons of mass destruction or WMD as we may call them for short. Thus in order to save face in the wake of increasing world conflict and pressure from the world’s governing body, the United Nations, the allied armies had to commit crimes that were in close relationship with human rights and domestic issues within Iraq. It is without a shadow of a doubt that the Iraq war has resulted in a number of casualties on the part of the nation. Not only this but the endless saga of wars had been designed for it, no wonder the same could continue in the years to come as well. This has been made possible due to the repressive role of the Iraqi government under the tyrannical regime of Saddam Hussein for years. Add to that the corruption which was rampant within the society also speaks volumes of the charges that could be raised against the government and indeed the whole of the society of the time. Since the US thought that it was in the best interest of the Iraqi nation to capture it and remove Saddam Hussein from power, it should have made efforts to ensure that doing so would mean that a commoner’s life would improve and not deteriorate as a result of the conquer. US had the responsibility to maintain law and order within the country as well as guarantee that the power was shifted to a regime which was better equipped at dealing with the issues of the common man as well as be the ‘yes man’ for the United States under all circumstances. Thus restoring and maintaining public order as well as security remained as the top most propositions for the US. But the most important of these was the fact that the US and its allied armies had to ensure that they would not bargain on the fundamental and most basic of human rights within the country. After all, this is Iraqi people’s country and they are the first rate citizens so it is a matter of shame for them if forces from other nations come into their motherland and start talking their own language. It is undoubtedly true that human rights regimes are not politically correct for all the nations of the world. These could vary from region to region, area to area and country to country. A universal manifestation of human rights stems from the fact that nearly all the regions within the world are being meted with the same kind of treatment at the hands of the tyrannical rulers. (Wright, 2001) However this is seldom the case and the peculiarities remain as far as the human rights issues and its different manifestations are concerned. In the end, it would be correct to understand the point that human rights do really have a significant basis to it and these issues need to be studied in the proper perspectives before we can move further ahead. As discussed in the paper, human rights issues have to be addressed in the most proper and adequate manners possible and for that to happen, the agencies and the governments need to play their active role. All said and done, it is up to the people who are at the helm to exercise their authority and ensure at the end that there are no issues related with human rights in every nook and corner of the world. The proposition related with peace and sanctity in this world is only possible when there is absolute respect for human rights and for that to happen, real commitment and devotion is required. Bibliography International Council on Human Rights. (2002). Human Rights after September 11. Versoix COLBERG, Joerg. (2003). The Iraq War and Human Rights. Conscientious GIBSON, John S. (1991). International Organizations, Constitution Law and Human Rights. Praeger Publishers WRIGHT, Shelly. (2001). International Human Rights, Decolonization and Globalization: Becoming Human. Routledge Word Count: 1,546 Read More