This year the international day of human rights, which falls On December 10, coincided with irresponsible expressions of some so-called Afghan intellectuals living in western countries. Though these racial expressions have been widely condemned in Afghanistan, it also raised some serious human rights concerns and questions in the country. Although Afghanistan was one of the first Islamic countries that voted in favor of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 and after which it also endorsed the UN Charter, yet the basic ground for human rights implementations have not been prepared in the country. Unfortunately,
The human rights are violated in various ways in the country. Sometimes it is interpreted anti-religious teachings and sometimes it conflicts with tribal traditions and domination. The violators either highlight the old ethnic domination or raise some extremist interpretation from religious view points while it served none and in nowhere.
In general, human rights have passed a lot of ups and downs throughout the history, meaning that human beings have fought and endured many sacrifices in order to promote and develop human rights. As a result of all those efforts and heroic sacrifices in all corners of the world, today we have universal human rights laws. Human rights law has prevented from many tragedies and the human rights principles are considered as cornerstone of international human rights law. In fact, it is one the most important achievements of human being widely used for protection of individual’s rights and freedom against oppression of any government or non-government actors.
The Declaration of Human Rights highlights the importance, values and philosophy of human rights in thirty articles and urges all governments to align their legal mechanisms in accordance with the values of human rights. According to provisions of human rights law, everyone is born with and possesses the same rights, regardless of their location, gender, and race, religious, cultural or ethnic background. It also supposed to be equally applied to all and everywhere and all have the right to participate in decisions that affect their lives. They are upheld by the rule of law and strengthened through legitimate claims for duty-bearers to be accountable to international standards.
In modern Afghanistan, though some good steps have been taken in the interests of human rights, there are serious concerns and problems that challenge the promotion of humanitarian values in the country. The continuation of war and insecurity, poverty and hunger, corruption and discrimination, the lack of rule of law are some of serious problems that deprive the citizens from the basic human rights. Therefore, it can be said that the human rights situation is not yet reliable in Afghanistan and it is possible to be abused anywhere and any forms. The major problem of human rights in Afghanistan is that it has never been free from the domination of authoritarian regimes. In the shadow of authoritarian systems, it is not possible to implement human rights principles and values in the country. For this reason, it becomes decades that the Universal Declaration of Human rights has remained unknown and obscene in Afghanistan.
Unfortunately, some of extremist circles have forgotten that we live in twenty first century in which all nations have already crossed from the old traditional criteria. We must open our eyes and look around the world where the convoys of civilization have reached while but we stuck in obsolescent mentality. Unfortunately, in the presence of a legitimate government and on contrary to the national and international law and values, the remaining ideas of racism or fascism are openly raised in the country in one way or another. The authoritarianism and monopoly of some political and ethnic groups has not only been a major obstacle against human rights values but also against a positive interaction with international institutions. Stressing on ethnic and racial domination not only hampers the way towards meritocracy, rule of law, freedom, and so on but also impedes from national unity and progress.
The main reason is that the human rights have not yet been recognized as a vital principle and requirement in Afghanistan. The human rights abusers have not yet been brought to justice in the country. The Impunity of those who irresponsibly express discriminatory and dividing words not only delays the realization of human rights in the country but also delays the development and coexistence in the country. Therefore, no one should be allowed to encourage the people towards discrimination, division and eradication of identities and cultures in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, perpetrators do not believe in human rights and progress in Afghanistan. Though they know that root cause of all crises and backwardness originated from racist thinking, they deliberately raise the destructive issues. Although they live in democratic countries that set their lives on the basis of pluralism and diversity values, they learnt no lesson from those countries promoting racist and hatred ideas.
Despite all problems and challenges, the people of Afghanistan have realized that relying on racial differences, as have kept us back in past two centuries; it cannot rescue us from war and poverty in the future. Today, people believe in human rights and regard them as the only way to rid the country from racist supremacy. Now, human rights are commonly considered as indisputable rights regardless of nation, location, language, religion, ethnic origin, or any other status. Human rights are applicable everywhere and every time in the sense of being universal.