Human rights - debates

Question 1

Universality vs religion

Answer 1

• are freedom and Islam compatible?
• Freedom House survey found that 2 Muslim countries are free, 17 partly free, and 60% not free
• Saudi Arabia hasn’t adopted Universal Dec of HR, on the basis of objection to Article 8 which affirms “freedom to change religion” apostasy, this is forbidden by Islamic law
• Saudi Arabia ranked 130/134 in gender parity by the 2009 Global Gender Gap report
• the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation in 2000 endorsed the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam
• women see voting as Western issue

Question 2

Justifications

Answer 2

Economic: developing countries can’t be expected to provide the same level of human rights as developed countries

Cultural: human rights are based on Western values, which value individualism more, whereas Asian values are more focused on family; Asian ideas of human rights declared in 1993 Bangkok declaration

Economic: China allowed human rights abuses for continued economic development, e.g. Foxconn no suicide pact