Nabil Kalantar
One of the primary challenges in securing and protecting the human rights of every member of the world’s population is that the concept of ‘universal human rights’ is often considered to be an expression of cultural imperialism, imposed by one part of the world on another, trampling self-determination and diversity (Binder, 1999). Numerous examples of international interventions couched in the language of human rights justify the truth of this claim. However, I reject the claim that morality is culturally relative; there are fundamental and universal human rights to which every person is inherently entitled. How can an ideal of universal human rights be realized without imperialistic attitudes and actions?
To answer this question, it is important to reflect on what “human nature” is, because the very idea of universal human rights posits that there is a universal human nature (Donnelly, 1984). One source of knowledge about human nature is derived from the Sacred Scriptures of the world’s religions. I endeavor to explore the Bahá’í Writings here. The Bahá’í Scriptures are replete with descriptions of the realities of human nature, and as such, provide a good source from which to draw knowledge as a basis for this reflection. A few caveats, however: first, these reflections are my own, and do not by any means reflect any official view of the Bahá’í community; secondly, I only but outline some initial thoughts, and do not provide a comprehensive answer to my question.
The Bahá’í Faith tells us every human is inherently noble. “Noble have I created thee… rise then unto that for which thou wast created”, writes Bahá’u’lláh (2012, p. 19), the Founder of the Bahá’í Faith. For me, this suggests two things. First, all humans, being noble, are entitled to a certain level of treatment: they deserve certain rights. Secondly, every human has a duty to both respect the nobility of others and to live up to their own nobility through their deeds.
Bahá’u’lláh (2012, p. 24) also tells us that we are all “created from the same dust”, and that “no one should exalt himself over the other”. All are equal – regardless of race, religion, or nationality – and all deserve equal treatment. Furthermore, this suggests that no person, or segment of humanity, is in a place to claim moral superiority and impose their values upon another. If human rights assume a universal human nature, then they also must be grounded in the belief that cultural imperialism is unacceptable; to act or think otherwise would be inconsistent with such a belief.
How then, can this inherent nobility be realized and protected? Elsewhere, Bahá’u’lláh (1976, p. 260) describes the human as a “mine rich in gems of inestimable value”. “Education, can, alone”, cause this “mine” to “reveal its treasures and enable mankind to benefit therefrom”. These gems might be considered to be human virtues, such as kindness, honesty, generosity, humility; intellectual attainments; and the talents and capacities of each person. Revealing these gems as attributes that constitute human nobility is a way for everyone to realize their own nobility and to respect the nobility of others.
Education, however, is a potent catalyst not only for individual change, but for change at the cultural level. The Bahá’í Writings tell us that our “inner life moulds the environment and is itself deeply affected by it” (Rabbani, 1933). Our cultures are reinforced by our own qualities and actions, and they in turn shape our qualities. Cultural change is undergirded by a two-fold process: change at the level of the individual is expressed in culture and change at the level of culture impacts the individual.
Education that seeks to draw out human nobility then, can lead individuals and cultures to more fully respect human rights. Such education, however, must come from within a culture. First, this avoids imperialistic ideals of superiority. In reality, each culture has its own struggles with human rights; none is in a place to control or educate others. Furthermore, who better than the members of a culture to identify their own shortcomings and identify the methods needed to create an environment more conducive to human nobility? Education, led by the members of a community, provides a non-imperialistic means by which human rights can be increasingly upheld.
Additionally, this change does not have to be at a grand level. The discourse of human rights often defines culture as a discretely national thing, where in reality, culture consists of many overlapping areas (Binder, 1999). At the smallest level, culture exists at the level of family and community. Whether it be an urban neighborhood or a rural village, a university or a social club, we all inhabit social spaces in which we can, through education, promote human rights.
I have been fortunate to witness the transformative potential of education myself: through teaching a moral education class for young children in my neighborhood, I saw the children become increasingly aware that all people, regardless of their backgrounds, should be treated with love and justice. Many of my friends have credited participation in similar community education groups, composed of people of diverse backgrounds, as being the first step in removing ingrained racial prejudice from their hearts. The impact may seem negligible, but over time, and as more and more people do the same, such efforts can cause changes at higher and higher levels of culture.
I do not know exactly how this type of education can be encouraged in every community, and I know that our understandings of what it means to be noble are, of course, culturally influenced. I will not venture to reflect on overcoming these equally important challenges here; I hope to do so in the future. Nonetheless, all of us can reflect on our own realities and cultures and begin, in some way, to be protagonists for change, drawing out the nobility in ourselves and others, thereby allowing our cultures to more fully embody, respect, and cherish human rights.
References
Bahá’u’lláh. (1976). Gleanings from the writings of Bahá’u’lláh (Shoghi, Trans.; 2d rev. ed). Bahá’í Pub. Trust.
Bahá’u’lláh. (2012). The Hidden Words (Shoghi, Trans.). Bahá’í Pub. Trust.
Binder, G. (1999). Cultural Relativism and Cultural Imperialism in Human Rights Law. Buffalo Human Rights Law Review, 5, 211-222.
Donnelly, J. (1984). Cultural relativism and universal human rights. Human Rights Quarterly, 6(4), 400-419.
Rabbani, Shoghi. Received by an individual believer. 17 Feb. 1933
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