Human rights are under serious threat

As enshrined in every democratic setting, citizens are entitled to enjoy certain basic rights under the constitution without any infringements. Such rights could be the right to life, right to free movement, right to freedom of speech and expression, right to fair and public trial, right to association, and right to freedom of worship. These are inalienable rights that should not be denied by any individual irrespective of the person’s gender, ethnicity, religion, tribe or social status.

But lo and behold, these rights have come under serious threat and have been constantly abused across the globe. Innocent and hapless citizens are being killed by terrorists, people are being abducted and kept in solitary confinement, human trafficking, rape of girls and young women are some of the prevalent abuses in the society today.

Across the world, especially in Africa, Asia and some parts of the Middle East, citizens rights are being trampled upon with impunity. In fact, there are several cases of human rights abuses in these parts of the world. The most recent and agonising is the ongoing slave trade in Libya where hundreds of thousands of people are being sold into slavery.

Similarly, the ethnic cleansing in the Rohingya province is another sad tale of human rights abuses that should be condemned in its entirety.

Reports show that nearly 600,000 Rohingya refugees have fled violence in Myanmar, the vast majority are women and children, including new-born babies.

Regrettably, the bombing of churches, mosques and other public places by terrorists is indeed a gross violation of human rights and dignity of person. For instance, the bomb explosion in Sufi mosque in Egypt claimed 235 lives.

This is certainly what world leaders, policy makers and other stakeholders should swiftly rise up to and condemn with one voice.

Unfortunately, countries where these abuses are conventional are usually enmeshed in corruption, have weak and unstable institutions and of course porous boarders.

Perhaps, this is why more attention should be focused on the need to stand up for someone’s right wherever these abuses abound.

Those in position of authority should go into retrospection and come up with better ideas on how best these abuses can be reduced drastically, knowing full well that they have the sole responsibility of protecting their citizens against human rights abuses.

Nevertheless, every person the world over, deserves to be treated with dignity and equality. It is therefore time to stand up for equality, justice and human dignity in our individual and collective capacities.

- The reader is a public analyst and social commentator based in Dubai