PESHAWAR, Jan 16: Speakers at a conference urged protection of human rights in the world. “Conservatism and orthodoxy is manifested in many forms in different countries. Pakistan, a country made in the name of religion, has inherited discriminatory laws, depriving the minority in the country of their rights,” said Afrasiab Khattak, former chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, while speaking at an international conference entitled “Religion and the International Human Rights Law”. The DFID British Council and the Human Rights Studies Centre at the University of Peshawar organised the event.
Dictators running the Pakistani state from time to time believing in ‘status quo’ were opposed to change. The Muslim world as a whole suffered from ideological stagnation and there was no Ijtihad or restructuring strongly advocated by Allama Iqbal, he said.
The women’s rights were violated in different countries, even in some Islamic states, in the name of culture and religion, Mr Khattak said.
Prof Christine Chinkin, a law professor of the London School of Economics, talking about the coexistence of women’s right and religion, said the tension between the two was everywhere. Every one had the right to adopt a religion according to the International Human Rights treaties and laws, which a person exercised in a group or community.
The state has an obligation not to interfere in the religion of its people, but it has another obligation to its people to protect the right to manifest the religion.
The failure to protect this right of the people had resulted in the violation of human rights. The right to religion is also linked to the core of identity. There should be no discrimination on the basis of sex, religion and race. The politicising of war on terror has increased the tension and the Muslims, a religious identity, a now identified as terrorist, has led to failure to assert human rights.
“The notion that human rights are part of western values has created tension,” said Ms Chinkin, adding that women suffered on the basis of religion and sex.
“Women in Iraq are no different from women who suffered in the Taliban time,” Ms Chinkin maintained.
The religious institutions have never supported the rights of women, which has increased their problems. The rights of women, having low economic status in society, are violated. The low economic status and discriminatory laws has effected their role and resulted in violation of their rights to religion, freedom of movement and association.
Ms Chinkin said that all kinds of discrimination against women should be eliminated and state should take steps for this purpose. Traditions and customs should not be used as an excuse to violate the rights of women.
Dr Susan Breau from British institute of International and Comparative Law, London, gave a detailed lecture on relations between human rights and cultural relativism: the false dichotomy.
Dr Susan said there were some basic human rights sustained in all cultures and societies.
“Violation shifts towards extremism and in every society violence exists,” she said, adding that civil and political rights of every citizen in every country should be protected.
Dr Masood Baderin, from School of Law University of West of England, spoke about Islam, human rights and development in the Muslim world.
He human rights had become a form of social order, which no one could ignore.
He acknowledged that Muslim states were far behind in enhancing human rights. Religion, specifically Islam, which is a social order too, could serve as a positive factor in quest for human rights.
The role of a Muslim state was to protect and enhance human welfare, which was very much the objective of scheme of human rights, Dr Masood said.
Other speakers, including NWFP Governor Khalil-ur-Rehman, highlighted the importance of human rights and its close connection to religion.
They said all religions advocated human rights but conservatism was a main cause of violation of human rights.