The UN certainly does its job in protecting people's rights around the world, doesn't it?
No, they don't. They suck at it, frankly.
However, it is worth noting that this has become a human rights issue, and not just because of the UN.
Iran has been a member of the
Organization of the Islamic Conference since 1969. The
Charter of the OIC reads in part:
Chapter 1, Article 2, Section 7:
Member States shall uphold and promote, at the national and international levels, good governance, democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law;
In 1990, the member states of the OIC, including Iran, adopted the
Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam, which states in its Preamble:
Believing that fundamental rights and freedoms according to Islam are an integral part of the Islamic religion and that no one shall have the right as a matter of principle to abolish them either in whole or in part or to violate or ignore them in as much as they are binding divine commands, which are contained in the Revealed Books of Allah and which were sent through the last of His Prophets to complete the preceding divine messages and that safeguarding those fundamental rights and freedoms is an act of worship whereas the neglect or violation thereof is an abominable sin, and that the safeguarding of those fundamental rights and freedom is an individual responsibility of every person and a collective responsibility of the entire Ummah;
Article 22 speaks directly to the unfolding crisis in Iran:
(a) Everyone shall have the right to express his opinion freely in such manner as would not be contrary to the principles of the Shari’ah. (b) Everyone shall have the right to advocate what is right, and propagate what is good, and warn against what is wrong and evil according to the norms of Islamic Shari’ah. (c) Information is a vital necessity to society. It may not be exploited or misused in such a way as may violate sanctities and the dignity of Prophets, undermine moral and ethical values or disintegrate, corrupt or harm society or weaken its faith. (d) It is not permitted to arouse nationalistic or doctrinal hatred or to do anything that may be an incitement to any form of racial discrimination.
So does Article 23:
(a) Authority is a trust; and abuse or malicious exploitation thereof is absolutely prohibited, so that fundamental human rights may be guaranteed. (b) Everyone shall have the right to participate, directly or indirectly in the administration of his country's public affairs. He shall also have the right to assume public office in accordance with the provisions of Shari'ah.
This is not a "western" document. It is not the product of UK or US "meddling" in Islamic affairs. The Cairo Declaration is the product of the Islamic nations who are members of the OIC; it is the product of the Ummah.
This is where the international discussion should focus, on the rights of Muslims, under Shari'ah, as expressed in the Cairo Declaration and the OIC Charter. No nation should presume to dictate proper political process to Iran or any other nation; such is a violation of the sovereignty which is the inalienable right of every nation. However, all nations may properly challenge any nation to measure up to the standards to which they have set themselves. Iran has set itself to the standard of Shari'ah, it has set itself to the standard of the Cairo Declaration, it has set itself to the standard of the Charter of the OIC.
The rule of law and the rights of men are part and parcel of American history, and even though we are imperfect in measuring up to our own standard, a just respect for our own traditions demands that we challenge Iran, not to conclude their political processes to our satisfaction, but to measure up to their standards of law and human rights. We should be challenged in this always; we should challenge in this--always.
