ONE of the major principal issues facing many nations today is the subject of human rights. There seems to be a diverging perception over the issue, especially in its interpretation between the countries of the north, south and civil society.

The dichotomy is obvious when Western countries tend to focus on civil liberties such as freedom of expression, which has a strong individualistic and relativistic dimension that seems to be ideological rather than embracing human rights as whole that has a spiritual holistic dimension. The so-called concept of gay marriage, right to abortion and contraceptive right are the consequences of an individualistic ideological dimension of human rights instead spiritual dimension of wholeness that respects the right to life in all its dimensions and the responsibility for procreation.

In the West, especially in the United States, there are some among its civil society who advocate human rights in developing countries but downplay its own nation’s historical and current imperialistic tendencies that have cause much human suffering in places like West Asia and Africa, thus contradicting its own assumptions about human rights.

In the nations of the south due to historical colonisation, an economic trajectory that is in a developing stage, besides a collective cultural heritage, tend to emphasise collective rights of its community, over individual liberties. While there is no total objection of individual liberty, it has worked within the framework of an elite ideology or majoritarian culture or religion.

There is another interesting dimension, which is the role of non-governmental organisations in articulating human rights. There is a tendency to pick and choose issues related to

human rights. For example, in Malaysia, there are human rights groups that tend to emphasise the importance of civil liberties and work with their western counterparts in criticising their own government on issues such as police brutality and indefinite detention without trial or authoritarian nature of government of the day, while ignoring the actions these same Western nations who violate human rights through their global neo-liberal economic ideology.

By the same token, in Malaysia there are global non-governmental groups that articulate the evils of global hegemony and sanctity of national sovereignty of states, while ignoring or downplaying national human rights violations. For example, the United States is criticised for its global hegemony in relation to West Asian or African states, while a downplaying human rights abuses in countries like China, Russia or Iran. There is also a tendency to support regimes that oppose global hegemony while ignoring the rights and perspective of ordinary citizens.

For example, when Covid-19 emerged in Wuhan, China, there was suppression of information and persecution of early whistle blowers by the Chinese authorities, which were ignored by global human rights advocates who were defending China’s response to the pandemic uncritically. There is a constant relativistic comparison of global powers that does not contribute to the overall common good of all citizens.

What is obvious from the above examples is the tendency to pick and choose human rights issues that suit one’s ideological leanings, while rejecting or downplaying principle issues that are contradictory that would question their assumptions on the subject matter of human rights.

Issues of human rights is not about a particular area of interest or an ideological conviction, it about the sanctity of spiritual wholeness of human persons, the environment and all creation. The wholeness and dignity of human persons cannot be separated into chosen parts but has to be addressed in a whole and inter-dependent manner. Addressing the whole and interdependent aspects of human rights would bring justice to communities who are suffering from local, national and global violation of human rights.

Therefore, let’s not break the chain of human rights by taking an ideological disposition, or a relativistic outlook of human rights, but rather a holistic and wholesome view of human rights that encompasses all areas of humanity.

To this end, human rights advocates should have a vision and dimension of human rights that has its roots in the believe in God and the spiritual wholeness of justice that follows, which is in harmony with all of God’s creations. – May 10, 2021.

* Ronald Benjamin is Association for Community and Dialogue secretary.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.