Human Rights have a Skin Colour
Modern society distinguishes itself from previous eras due to its foundational principles concerning basic human rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, enshrined in 1948, asserts all individuals’ equality regardless of race, colour, gender, or religion. It mandates that governments and authorities are responsible for safeguarding the rights to life, liberty, property, and other fundamental aspects essential to the well-being of people. This declaration serves as a primary guideline for societies towards justice, fairness, and respect for human dignity. By recognizing and upholding these rights, societies strive to create environments where every individual can flourish and contribute to the collective progress. Upholding these principles is paramount for fostering inclusive, equitable, and prosperous communities where all members are valued and empowered.
“The rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened.”
― John F. Kennedy
The dignity of human beings is associated owing to their unique ability to take up ‘responsibility.’ A responsibility to act conscientiously, a responsibility towards himself, a responsibility towards his family, a responsibility towards the community, a responsibility towards nature and all other human beings. A responsibility to dignify them and see them as equal humans as himself. However, a few adopted traits overshadow the basic human instinct of being ‘responsible.’ Those make one forget to dignify others as equal human beings. Those blind one to the degree that one refuses to see them on equal footing. And one of those traits is ‘haughtiness’ or ‘arrogance.’
Unfortunately, the Western sense of imperialism and arrogance has overshadowed the basic human instinct of many Westerners who take pride in their ‘white color.’ For them, ‘white’ equals a human being, while any other shade falls short of it. ‘Human rights’ is a concept so mingled with color and this sense of imperialism for them that they report when a suspect is still unidentified after an attack takes place, such as a recent stabbing attack in Australia, as an ‘Islamist terrorist.’ At the same time, when he is found and identified as a white Westerner, they refer to him as a ‘psychopath’.
The disparity is profound while reporting the nations involved in wars and conflicts. They deem a white Ukrainian a ‘Freedom fighter’ when he fights against Russian occupation. But they call it ‘terrorism’ when a non-Western colored Palestinian or Afghani does the same against Israeli or US occupation. They killed a million people in Iraq based on an established lie. They get concerned about the hampering of trade routes by Yemenis as it damages their imperialist capital. Still, they don’t care to stop the ongoing slaughter, a literal ‘genocide’ of thousands of Palestinians, and even call it self-defence because it is being carried out by ‘Whites.’
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has been marred by hypocritical media reporting. Outlets like BBC and CNN have portrayed Ukrainians as a civilized working class, distancing them from the narrative of war, unlike how Afghans, Iraqis, and other Asian peoples are often depicted as being inclined towards conflict. This biased portrayal overlooks the diverse motivations and sentiments of individuals affected by war and ignores the complex historical and geopolitical factors. By painting Ukrainians in a favourable light while perpetuating stereotypes about other groups, these media outlets contribute to a divisive and oversimplified understanding of global conflicts. Such reporting fails to capture the nuances of human experiences and perpetuates harmful narratives that undermine efforts towards peace and understanding.
The West also charges people like Malcolm X, a black Afro-American revolutionary, with ‘advocating violence’ when he would call out the centuries-long violence of an arrogant white man against an entire community. They makes a whole continent forget its identity with loot and plunder because colored people inhabited it. The list of inhumane acts and savagery of white Westerners against colored goes on and on. Even questioning this sense of ‘haughtiness’ makes the offender more offended. However, as history has experienced and experienced this violence and sheer double standards, there is another fact well-established in human history that ‘arrogance’ does not last long and ‘arrogant’ finally falls. And once arrogant falls, justice prevails. And the latter does not discriminate between colors.
The author is a student of International relations at Bahria university, Islamabad. He is interested in studying politics, philosophy and religion.
thefakharbhatti@gmail.com
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