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Islamic Vs. Western Human Rights

Reader comment on item: Debate: Islam and Democracy
in response to reader comment: Freedom, equality, justice & human dignity in islam

Submitted by CanadianChris (Canada), Sep 29, 2010 at 16:01

I have read and listened to arguments about how different the Islamic conception of human rights is so different from the Western ideal of Human Rights. That it is simply a lack of understanding that causes the friction, or that the Islamic version comes from God, and not kings or any man. The difference in the ideals of human rights between the Western world and the Islamic world leaves us with a difficult decision. That we either need to abandon our insistence on universal human rights, or admit that there will be no reconciliation with the Muslim world as long as they hold that there is a different standard for their religion and that they are obliged only to their own standard. This also leaves us with another difficult situation, in that freedom of religion cannot be held above universal human rights. That when universal human rights are violated, that violation cannot be excused or protected under the banner of religion or culture.

In my thinking, this would require anyone immigrating to or currently living in, the west to oblige themselvesto, or to reaffirm their commitment to the ideals of universal human rights above any other religious commitments or standards. This cannot be deemed as racist, because race does not play a part in this requirement. This could only be considered as discriminatory in the sense and to the extent that the western world aspires to esteem ALL human life as equally valuable, and that the tyrannical religious/political mindset and indoctrination which diminishes the individual due to their gender, culture, or religious choice is intolerable in a society which values ALL people equally under the Law.

I am outraged by the idea that we would even allow discourse with a culture that maintains a "god given' right to abuse their fellow humans. A woman should be able to wear what she likes without the threat of causing a man to "lose control" of his self restraint. Any man that claims this as necessary is a primitive danger to society and needs to be restrained himself. Would we allow a dangerous lion to roam freely if we knew that it could not restrain itself from mauling indiscriminately? I don't think so. It simply does not make sense to lock up the people and allow the lion to walk freely. We need to protect ourselves from people who cannot restrain themselves in a modern society. A person seeing the hand of 'god' in the world and universe, can find themselves questioning dogma and even turning away from unsatisfying religious creeds. These people should not be living in fear for their lives, because they have begun to use their intellect to perceive the hand of the divine. A woman being raped, should have objective laws to defend her rather than a misogynistic court biased against her from the beginning of a trial for justice. Children should be allowed to mature before they are subjected to sexual interference. The example of Mohammed and his beloved child bride has given permission to the followers of his teachings to perpetrate horrific abuses against children, as evidenced in Mr. Pipes' article about young virgin girls in jail being married and raped so that they can be executed as non-virgins. This is horrific not only in the fact that children are being subjected to this, but that CHILDREN are also being executed under this culture.

These and many other differences in the ideals of Western Vs. Islamic human rights, show ME very clearly that the parts of the world of Islam which rejects the ideals of Western human rights, must be rejected from Western Life and integration and must be held at arms length until individuals and entire Islamic nations can show that they have evolved away from that primitive mindset. I do, however, realize that in this thinking, I am not the majority, because their are so many military, political and economic reasons to try to integrate this culture which far outweigh doing that which is commonly held to be upright, noble and honorable.

Submitting....

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Reader comments (69) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
2Are Islam and democracy incompatible. How about Islam and ethics? [377 words]PrashantApr 12, 2013 00:39205107
third largest democratic country [5 words]antarApr 11, 2013 07:20205084
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The need for foreign intervention - Islam's incompatibility with democratic principles [157 words]AlexMar 11, 2010 22:11169999
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2Islam and democracy [1168 words]Guy Leven-Torres (Agricola)May 30, 2007 15:0248804
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1Sharia: DOA in Ontario [254 words]Mark-Alan WhittleSep 16, 2005 09:1725897
pkk ist doof [80 words]Sep 3, 2005 19:4025456
Plz read well about Islam first [28 words]someoneFeb 28, 2004 17:2514020
Later [126 words]truthMay 4, 2006 07:3714020
very good [12 words]lelekDec 14, 2003 08:4812647
Correction for Mike Ramirez [46 words]A.A.Sep 12, 2003 16:3111231
The question is on democracy. [52 words]Al-Zhoheir HajimSep 5, 2003 01:1211037
No reform Muslims [117 words]Hank RothAug 21, 2003 22:5510715
4Freedom, equality, justice & human dignity in islam [229 words]A.A.Aug 11, 2003 12:0010504
this is islam [234 words]FADWAApr 26, 2006 06:4410504
2Islamic Vs. Western Human Rights [677 words]CanadianChrisSep 29, 2010 16:0110504
1the information is not based on truth [69 words]hawwaJun 5, 2011 09:3110504
Equality For All in Islam??? [147 words]Mike RamirezAug 5, 2003 10:1410447
10Why is a man allowed to have more than one wife in Islam? i.e. why is polygamy allowed in Islam? [1263 words]Mohammed Rizwan MemonNov 27, 2009 12:2310447
RE: Why is a man allowed to have more than one wife in Islam? i.e. why is polygamy allowed in Islam? [601 words]SoManyContradictionSoLittleTimeJul 30, 2010 21:0910447
1Just answer the question [116 words]rational thinkerFeb 15, 2014 18:0810447
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Understand first. [18 words]SalihuMay 12, 2017 03:5010447
Answer [49 words]Manish guptaAug 21, 2017 22:5910447
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1Sharia Law and Turkey [131 words]M. LeviJul 28, 2003 23:1710286
3Sharia Law and Turkey [131 words]M. LeviJul 28, 2003 23:1410283
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It's a matter of time [182 words]Tim EarlJul 25, 2003 09:5310237
2Dr. Khan's ignorance [101 words]A. A.Jul 24, 2003 14:0710214
1conquest by the womb and sword [109 words]Y Brandstetter MDJul 24, 2003 08:3810198
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Islam and Democracy [107 words]Nozrul HussainJul 23, 2003 18:1310185
3Muslim Women Prime Ministers [263 words]Peggy RapierJul 23, 2003 11:5410179
Tansu Ciller / Muslim Women Prime Ministers [99 words]Jan OOct 19, 2007 09:0510179
Female political leaders in Islam and in Muslim-majority countries [35 words]Dr. Fawzy SaadJul 27, 2011 11:2010179
Muqtedar! You are utterly WRONG! [231 words]Lakshmi NarayainJul 23, 2003 02:0510165
religion and democracy: can islam do it? [1285 words]Peter J. HerzJul 22, 2003 23:3810154
1Islam & democracy [874 words]SaankhyaJul 21, 2003 03:1010095
Islam is better than democracy and Muslim women have all the rights and freedom since 1400 yrs ago [176 words]Nur IbrahimFeb 16, 2011 10:4810095
A Leopard Can't Change Its Spots [126 words]James CartwellJul 20, 2003 11:2210093
Our is the best society? [149 words]JafetyJul 19, 2003 13:5410087
What is the real problem? [469 words]Dennis WheelerJul 18, 2003 22:3810086
PEW Report [119 words]Julian WassermanJul 18, 2003 17:5010085
Islam and Democracy [671 words]Vijay DandapaniJul 18, 2003 15:2410084
Dr. Muqtedar Khan [26 words]Dan GurtaJul 18, 2003 13:4710083
Islam itself [36 words]Regan HuffmanJul 18, 2003 13:1410082
Muqtedar Khan is wrong [118 words]Malolan CadambiJul 18, 2003 04:1310080
The real question [72 words]William PapkeJul 17, 2003 17:4710075
1Biblical criticism & the truth about stoning in Islam. [388 words]Richard BurdJul 17, 2003 17:4110074
Appreciaton for #1167 article [29 words]Mike HeibergJul 17, 2003 12:4610066
Khan misses several key points [222 words]Jane AdlerJul 17, 2003 12:3810065
Debate: Islam and Democracy [1434 words]Gabriele (Gila) KleinJul 17, 2003 12:0210064
Debate: Islam and Democracy [48 words]Mike RamirezJul 17, 2003 12:0210063
What others have said about this topic [601 words]Karl EricsonJul 17, 2003 11:4310061
Different perspectives [214 words]Kenneth BesigJul 17, 2003 11:2610059
Islam's "civil war" [43 words]Glenn KlotzJul 17, 2003 08:4310055

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