Human rights are for everyone

One of the biggest criticisms laid against Western countries is their apparent double standards when it comes to foreign policy. Britain and America, for instance, routinely give unconditional support to Israel, as witnessed during the Zionist State’s recent wars and continuing random airstrikes against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip while it enforces one of the most brutal sieges in the history of the region. The use of chemical weapons, the bombing of schools and mosques, child prisoners, targeting civilians; you name it and Israel stands accused — with strong evidence to back up the accusations — while its friends look the other way.

British Prime Minister David Cameron saw no irony in inviting 30,000 dealers and their customers to the world’s largest arms fair in London recently while agreeing, reluctantly it must be said, to allow a paltry 20,000 refugees into Britain spread over a five year period. Most of the refugees have fled from countries where bombs are being dropped by Britain and its allies, or by the very same people who headed for London to replenish their arsenals.

It must be said, though, that such double standards are not the exclusive preserve of the West. When it comes to human rights most countries in the world today fall far short of the ideals to which many nations once aspired.

Just recently I attracted a lot of criticism for calling on Cameron to intervene with his close friends in Riyadh to try and stop the beheading and crucifixion of a young man called Ali Al-Nimr who has been convicted of sedition and protesting in the oil-rich Eastern province of Saudi Arabia. The criticism came from friends in Saudi who accused me of being “a Shia supporter” because Al-Nimr, who was arrested in 2012 when he 17 years old, is a Shia. His beliefs hadn’t even occurred to me and when this was pointed out it still made no difference.

A few days later I was highly critical of the actions of security forces belonging to the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah for turning on and attacking local youths. Israel’s gloating social networks and media broadcast a video showing PA security forces beating up a young Palestinian boy. He was being targeted because he had participated in a protest organised in the city to condemn the Israeli attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Instead of people agreeing with me I was taken to task and told not to criticise the PA’s security forces because they are Palestinians; if I continued to do so I could be accused of being pro-Israeli. Now there’s a thought. Honestly, the Muslim world has got to stop this nonsense and realise that human rights are for everyone regardless of their faith, religious grouping, nationality, skin colour, gender or ethnicity.

I will – and have – put my life on the line for the Palestinian cause because I feel so strongly about the behaviour of the Apartheid State of Israel but I am damned if I am going to turn a blind eye to human rights abuses simply because the perpetrator is a Palestinian. A human rights crime is still a crime no matter who commits it. I despise the actions of the Assad regime in Syria but that does not make me a supporter of ISIS, far from it; and just because I criticise the Saudi government that does not make me an enemy of the Sunni world.

The purveyors of hate relish the opportunity to bully and target those who disagree with their extreme positions but the world we inhabit is not one of black and white, good or evil, as George W Bush would have had us believe after the events of 9/11. Much of the goodwill given to America after that horrific day was squandered when it emerged that human rights abuses were carried out as a matter of routine by or on behalf of the US, often by torturers working for Arab dictators. Guantanamo Bay still stands as a blot on the landscape of American human rights, so when a US citizen is captured by hostile forces no one is surprised when they are publicly humiliated and forced to wear an orange boiler suit, but two wrongs will never, ever, make a right.

Frankly, I believe that those working in and around the human rights sector who are prepared to ignore the abuses of one regime in order to attack another are clearly in the wrong business. Torture, abuse, cruelty and atrocities are not acceptable regardless of where they are committed and who is committing them.

Hence, if those fighting against Assad are guilty of the same crimes as his regime then they should be dealt with in the same manner; torture is torture regardless of whether the victim is Sunni or Shia, white or black, Christian, Jewish or Muslim. To absolve one side of blame purely on the grounds of religious beliefs or ethnicity or power or wealth is so very, very wrong.

Unless and until governments from East and West stand up and declare that human rights are indeed for everyone then the world will remain in a very dark place. As far as I can see, though, not one world leader is today without blemish and ready to take such a stand.

However, it doesn’t matter who dragged us there and it matters little who is to blame; what is important is that all nations start to address the issue of human rights as a matter of urgency. Arguably the best place for world leaders to start the process is by looking in the mirror and assessing their own record in such matters. If they are honest, perhaps we shall see some progress.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.