Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Friday, March 29th, 2024

The Relentless Violation of Human Rights

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The Relentless Violation of Human Rights

The heart-wrenching picture of three-year-old Syrian boy Aylan Kurdi, who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea on  September 02, 2015, reflected the pains and sufferings of Syrian nation. His family sought to escape civil war and the barbarity of the self-styled Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group so as to exercise their rights in a society void of violence and bloodshed. Aylan’s picture outraged the conscience of the world and prompted a global sensation. However, not only Syria but the entire region suffer from war and militancy.
With the start of Syria’s conflict in 2011, more than 465,000 people have been reportedly killed, more than 1 million wounded and more than 12 million were displaced. Aljazeera quotes the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that the US-led coalition air strike has killed at least 1,264 civilians since September 2014. It adds that government killed at least 10,915, including 2,393 children, and wounded 64,000 people within more than two years air strikes. A large number of Syrians are burning amidst violence in Raqqa province where conflict has escalated. “The UN is deeply concerned for the safety and protection of over 400,000 people in Raqqa, in Syria. In past weeks, civilians have been exposed to daily fighting and air strikes which resulted in an escalating number of civilian deaths and injuries as well as damage to civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, markets and water infrastructure,” a press released by UN is cited as saying. The war continues taking casualties from civilians, including women and children, perhaps every minute in Syria.
No wonder, human fatalities and destruction of infrastructures are the ugliest and most common aspect of war in a country. Humanitarian law is disregarded especially when the fighters are the insurgent groups that show no respect to ethical code or international instruments. The ISIL group, which is globally known as the most radical and violent faction, kill women and children in cold blood on the grounds of their racial and religious backgrounds. In short, Syrians bear the brunt of ISIL’s violent ideology and slayed by all warring factions, involved in Syria’s conflict, without in iota of mercy.
The Syrian freedom fighters resorted to arms so that they could bring democracy in their country through collapsing an illegal regime which was established by inheritance rather than public referendum or election. Their dream led to nonstop war that many parties, including the ISIL fighters, capitalize on it and seek to shed more blood. This war will be a pyrrhic victory for Syrians. In fact, the violent practices of the ISIL group has gone beyond the Iraq and Syria’s borders posing a serious threat to the region, perhaps to the entire world.
It is believed that every individual is affected by war and violence in one way or another. Those who do not suffer physically sustain mental pressures. In other words, at least the world is shocked by the pictures and reports of war and feels the anguish of the victims. Whose conscience will not be outraged over the bodies of women and children riddled with bullets? Indeed, one’s mind and senses will go numb over the Aylan-like tragedies and a thousand and one different kinds.
The recent terrorist attack on military base in Mazar-e-Sharif, which killed and wounded about 400 Afghan soldiers, was one of the highly heartbreaking incidents. The unarmed soldiers were slayed while offering prayer in mosque, a sacred place for all Moslems, and left grieving families behind.
Little wonder, human rights and dignity are violated widely, mainly by warring parties. Their radical ideology considers no moral and religious boundaries. They seek either to impose their warped minds on people or simply spill their blood. There are many countries who are counting the fatalities each and every day such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Iraq, to name but a few. Now the question is that will counting fatalities and shedding tears over dead bodies put an end to our daily sufferings?
The answer is negative. It should be noted that all countries are members of the UN families and will have to share their sufferings and challenges with one another. The world should find out the grounds for radicalism and militancy and launch a campaign in this respect. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) – which has been approved after the Second World War with the aim of mitigating the pains of mankind – has pointed out the main reasons behind war as, “Disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts”. Underestimating or humiliating human rights stems from religious intolerance and practicing upon parochial mindset. Therefore, a large number of people is discriminated and murdered on the basis of their race, color and creed. The panacea for this challenge has also been stated by the UDHR that “recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.”
To sum up, practicing upon the UDHR – which originates from golden rule (one should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself) and moral values rather than religious tenets – will alleviate the pains and sufferings of human societies.

Zia Danish is the permanent writer of the Daily Afghanistan Ma. He can be reached at thedailyafghanistan@yahoo.com

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