{UAH} Do human rights depend on culture?
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1:44 PM |
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Do human rights depend on culture?
International human rights are universally recognized regardless of cultural differences, but their practical implementation does demand sensitivity to culture.
International human rights standards enjoy a strong claim to universality, with considerable adaptability to different cultural contexts. Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of human rights states: "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights." Human rights are inherent and inalienable in human beings, simply by the fact of their being human. The human person in whom they inhere cannot voluntarily give them up. Nor can others take them away. All countries have ratified at least one of the seven core United Nations human rights treaties and 80 per cent of States have ratified four or more, giving concrete expression to this Universal recognition.
The international human rights framework itself acknowledges cultural diversity by limiting the ambit of international human rights to a range of standards on which international consensus is possible. However, "culture" is neither static nor sacrosanct, but rather evolves according to external and internal stimuli. There is much in every culture that societies quite naturally outgrow and reject. In any case, culture is no excuse not to ensure the enjoyment of human rights. For instance, harmful traditional practices, such as female genital mutilation, even if embedded in long-standing cultural customs, need to change if they are in conflict with international human rights standards. United Nations-supported development efforts should assist the full realization of international human rights standards whatever the country concerned.
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-- International human rights are universally recognized regardless of cultural differences, but their practical implementation does demand sensitivity to culture.
International human rights standards enjoy a strong claim to universality, with considerable adaptability to different cultural contexts. Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of human rights states: "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights." Human rights are inherent and inalienable in human beings, simply by the fact of their being human. The human person in whom they inhere cannot voluntarily give them up. Nor can others take them away. All countries have ratified at least one of the seven core United Nations human rights treaties and 80 per cent of States have ratified four or more, giving concrete expression to this Universal recognition.
The international human rights framework itself acknowledges cultural diversity by limiting the ambit of international human rights to a range of standards on which international consensus is possible. However, "culture" is neither static nor sacrosanct, but rather evolves according to external and internal stimuli. There is much in every culture that societies quite naturally outgrow and reject. In any case, culture is no excuse not to ensure the enjoyment of human rights. For instance, harmful traditional practices, such as female genital mutilation, even if embedded in long-standing cultural customs, need to change if they are in conflict with international human rights standards. United Nations-supported development efforts should assist the full realization of international human rights standards whatever the country concerned.
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Allaah gives the best to those who leave the choice to Him."And if Allah touches you with harm, none can remove it but He, and if He touches you with good, then He is Able to do all things." (6:17)
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