THE RELIGION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND OTHER RELIGIONS: ARE THEY COMPATIBLE?
By: Dr Mohammud Saeed Bahmanpour

The concept I am trying to address in this paper is a dilemma faced by most people who are faithful to God and at the same time want to make sure that the basic rights of human individuals are safeguarded against those who have the power and the position to violate them. The paper does not seek to provide an answer to the dilemma, but to state it as clearly as possible.

It is rather unconventional to call the Declaration of Human Rights a religion since the central concept of a religion i.e. God and the pivotal figure of the religion i.e. the prophet are missing in it.

However, putting God and prophets aside, there are many features in the Declaration that make it very similar to a religion.

First, there are sweeping value judgments in the Declaration about the world, the human being, human relations, and human conduct.

Second, since values are based on faith and belief rather than fact and observation, it demands conviction, commitment, and dedication from all its advocates.

Third, it is being preached and proselytized as though it is the new religion of the world.

Fourth, it is enforced upon those who do not believe in it or are unable to meet its standards by recourse to all means including military force.

And finally, those who do not believe in it are ostracized from the intellectual community, excommunicated and sent to coventry.

There is, however, nothing wrong in all these if it were not for one very crucial feature; that is the claim to universality. Universality here, unlike the concept found in some great religions like Islam and  Christianity,  is  not  the  claim  to  an

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