Quote:
Originally Posted by octothorp
I think you'd be hard-pressed to find any society that has been able to ensure all of those universal rights for all of its citizens. I see the universal rights as something that we should strive toward, not something that we should enforce at all costs (especially when it comes to the rights of individuals in other countries). On the one hand, it's very tempting to look at a country like Afghanistan and say, 'we gave them democracy, looking out for their own best interests is up to them; you can lead a horse to water, etc.' But ultimately, beliefs and customs are the biggest hindrance to human rights (beliefs and customs that are, in some interpretations, protected by the declaration of human rights). It's easy for us to say that clearly one man's right to live or a woman's right to security is more important than another individual's right to follow their religion, but most religious texts (not surprisingly) disagree. It would not surprise me to learn that there are women in Afghanistan who see preserving a strong Sharia law as more important than their own individual right to security. History is full of groups who have chosen to restrict their own freedoms out of religious duty.
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Very well thought out. I think it's pretty much impossible to change a nations beliefs and customs a specially one so intertwined in Religion. However what about in situations were Sharia Law is concerned and you are asked to help an individual and not the society.