A number of standard individual rights are significant to ethnic and religious minorities, including rights to freedom of association, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, and freedom from discrimination. Human rights documents also include rights that refer to minorities explicitly and give them special protections. For example, the Civil and Political Covenant in Article 27 says that persons belonging to ethnic, religious, or linguistic minorities “shall not be denied the right, in community with other members of their group, to enjoy their own culture, to profess and practice their own religion, or to use their own language.”
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, on Friday condemned the ongoing inter-communal violence and expressed deep concern at the increasing use of sectarian language in the Central African Republic (CAR), warning that this could have dramatic consequences.
“I strongly condemn the incitement of violence and provocation of inter-communal tensions by some armed groups and political leaders. This could very easily lead to yet another wave of targeted attacks in the country,” the High Commissioner said. “…The increasing tendency among Christians and Muslims to organize in self-defense groups and to exclude any person not considered part of their community is deeply worrying”.
A new wave of inter-communal violence has killed at least 130 people and injured 430 since the end of September. Eleven cases of sexual and gender-based violence were also documented. Attacks against personnel of the UN peacekeeping mission (MINUSCA) and international troops in several parts of the country are also on the rise.
“The establishment of the Special Criminal Court will be a very important step to ensure accountability,” said the High Commissioner, who urged MINUSCA to increase its assistance for national investigations and prosecutions. He also called on the international community to increase its financial support.
The High Commissioner warned armed group members and their leaders responsible for serious violations of human rights law and of international humanitarian law that one day they will be prosecuted by national or international courts and brought to justice.
A first human rights report by MINUSCA and OHCHR issued shows that, despite a general improvement during the reporting period, human rights violations continued on a daily basis in CAR between September 2014 and May 2015. At least 785 people, including 88 women and 43 children, were victims of human rights violations in CAR, including killings, torture, abductions, sexual violence and hostage-taking. The report also notes that these violations were mainly the result of armed groups’ ability to operate freely throughout parts of the country and the culture of impunity. Internally displaced persons appeared to be particularly vulnerable to violations, with the elderly and the children being disproportionately affected.
It is self-explanatory that the flagrant violation of human rights and dignity are rampant around the globe. The armed insurgents spill the blood of innocent civilians on the grounds of their creed, color, sect and sex. Women are subjugated to men in patriarchal societies and child labor from the break of dawn to the fall of dusk in poverty-stricken countries. Similarly, the ethnic minority groups suffer sectarian violence triggered by terrorists – who also sow the seeds of fear and mistrust between East and West via infiltrating to Western countries.
The violent practices of religious extremists play the role of a two-edged sword for Muslim Ummah which harms them from double sides. Firstly, Islamic world bear the brunt of insurgency. As a result, Syrians are burning amidst violence and bloodshed, Iraq was changed into the hotbed of self-styled Islamic State in the wake of downfall of Saddam Hussein’s regime, a large number of civilians – mainly the religious minority groups – fall prey to insurgency in Pakistan and Afghan nation undergoes militancy carried out by the Taliban outfits and members of the Islamic State (IS) group.
Secondly, the militants’ cruelties, which are done under the aegis of religion, stigmatize Muslims in Western countries. In another item, their acts of violence reflect a negative outlook about Muslims and they are held in contempt, maligned and mistreated in public places.
Hence, Muslims’ rights and dignity are trampled upon not only by the armed insurgents but also by the sufferers of terrorism. In a nutshell, Muslims are the very scapegoats of the terrorist groups. It is hoped that the Special Criminal Court will bring the heads of the militant groups to justice and prevent from the violation of rights which take place in any corners of the world.
It is further hoped and prayed that the international community will decrease the pain and suffering of mankind and put an end to the current violence and bloodshed going on around the globe. Hopefully, the day will come that the blood of Palestinian children will not be spilled on their own land, Houthis will not be bombarded for voicing their rights, Yazidi women will not fall victim to honor-killings on the grounds of their beliefs.
It will have to be noted that “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” The outrageous acts of inhumanity and barbarous acts of terrorism should be curbed by the world in one way or another and mankind must be considered equal irrespective of their ethnic or religious backgrounds.