Human Rights Flashcards

Human Rights Revision Notes

Core Concepts

Human Rights: The fundamental entitlements afforded to all human beings simply by virtue of being human.
Freedom: The power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance.
Equality: The state of being equal, especially in status, rights, or opportunities.
Dignity: The state or quality of being worthy of respect or honor.
Peace: Freedom from disturbance; tranquility.
Justice: Fair behavior or treatment.
Rule of Law: The principle that all people and institutions are subject to and accountable to law that is fairly applied and enforced.
Hope: A feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.
Love: A strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties.
Wealth: An abundance of valuable possessions or money.
Poverty: The state of being extremely poor.
Extremism: The holding of extreme political or religious views; fanaticism.
Social Justice: Promoting a fair society by challenging injustice and valuing diversity.
Personal Conviction: Something a person strongly feels or believes in.
Censorship: Suppressing and limiting access to materials considered obscene, offensive, or a threat to security; The control of the spread of information or ideas in a society.
Islamophobia: The fear or hatred of Muslims.
Extremism: Believing in or supporting and acting upon ideas that are very far from what most people consider correct or reasonable.
Prejudice: Pre-judging; judging people to be inferior or superior without cause.
Discrimination: Acts of treating groups of people or individuals differently based on prejudice.
Relative Poverty: A standard of poverty measured in relation to the standards of the society in which a person lives.
Absolute Poverty: An acute state of deprivation, whereby a person cannot access the most basic of their human needs.

Religious Perspectives on Human Rights

Christianity:

Many Christians believe the Universal Declaration of Human Rights reflects core Christian principles.
Freedom from discrimination aligns with the teaching that ‘all are equal in the eyes of God.’
The right to life reflects the commandment ‘thou shall not kill.’
Humans have inherent worth and dignity as creations of God, prohibiting maltreatment.
Jesus exemplifies agape love, which humans should emulate in their treatment of others.
Jesus' teaching: ‘Treat others as you would like to be treated’ exemplifies human rights.
All people are children of God and created in God’s image, thus deserving respect.
Liberation theology, based on Jesus' teachings, emphasizes respecting all people and putting agape into action to change unjust situations.
Food banks (e.g., Trussell Trust Wales, which provided emergency food parcels to over 185,000 people in 2023) respect others by following the Christian teaching, ‘For when I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.’
Jesus taught respect through the Golden Rule: ‘Treat others as you wish to be treated.’
MLK Jr. promoted respect for all by putting faith into action based on his conviction of racial equality, embodying ‘Let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.’
Upholding human rights is required in the teachings of sacred texts like the Bible, as exemplified by ‘Treat others as you would want to be treated.‘
Everyone should be treated with selfless and unconditional love (agape).
Christian charities, such as Tearfund and Christian Aid, demonstrate agape by practicing Jesus' command to ‘love your neighbour.’
Faith in action is based on the dignity of the human person as made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27).
Some texts suggest a link between working for human rights/social justice and reward in the afterlife, as illustrated by the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus: ‘If you possessed all the gold on the Earth, you could not buy your place in the Hereafter with it.’
Free will and the human right to express belief are important.
Declaration of Human Rights - everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion
Outward symbols of faith, such as the Salvation Army uniform, identify soldiers of Christ.
Jesus said ‘where two or three gather together in my name there I will be’
Amnesty International stands up for those oppressed (e.g. prisoners of conscience/indigenous people/treatment of women)
Evangelism involves preaching and sharing the messages of the Gospel – ‘I am the way, the truth and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me’
It's wrong to say expressions which will hurt others – ‘treat others as you want to be treated’ .

Islam:

Muslims have a duty to oppose injustice and oppression, as exemplified by Malcolm X.
The Qur’an states, “Whoever saves one (a soul) it is as if he has saved mankind entirely,” therefore Muslims should strive to save lives and enhance the quality of life for others.
Muslims believe each person was created by God and should be treated with dignity and respect.
Within the Ummah, the welfare of every citizen is important regardless of wealth.
The Qur’an teaches the equality of all humans and the special duties humans have in creating a respectful and fair society, described as ‘equal as the teeth of a comb.’
Muslims believe all people were created by God, so each human life should be respected and treated with dignity.
The Ummah promotes the welfare of the whole Muslim community by respecting all, supporting human rights, and trying to create a just society.
‘Be just for this is closest to righteousness…be bearers of witness with justice’
The Islamic Human Rights Commission raises awareness and protests against human rights abuses worldwide.
Muslims show respect through sharing wealth via Zakat – 2.5\% of surplus wealth to those in need.
‘The one who looks after and works for a widow and for a poor person is like a warrior fighting for God’s cause’
The Qur’an teaches the equality of all humans and the special duties that humans have in creating a just and fair society
The act of prayer demonstrates equality – everyone prays in exactly the same way, showing that before God everyone is equal
Ummah in Action is demonstrated through the giving of Zakat and Sadaqah, as well as through charities such as Islamic Relief
“He who eats whilst his brother goes hungry is not a true Muslim”
Sign of religious identity. E.g. hijab – public declaration; Allah has instructed women to wear it as a means of fulfilling his commandment for modesty
Tell your wives and your daughters, as well as all [other] believing women, that they should draw over themselves some of their outer garments;
Ihram - sacred state that Muslims enter and remain in during the special rituals and events that are required to complete Hajj or Umrah
‘Equal as the teeth of a comb’
Jummah prayers - a communal prayer held on a Friday. Praying together to develop a feeling of unity among the Muslim community

Social Justice in Wales

Christian and Islamic teachings align with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, promoting fairness and challenging injustice.

Statistics:

Wales had the highest child poverty rate in the UK at 31\%, equivalent to around 172,000 children.

Dignity of Human Life

Christianity:

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights reflects Christian ethics.
All people are children of God and created in God’s image (imago dei).
'God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them’. This means that the characteristics of God are reflected in all human beings and for this reason they believe each individual has worth and value.
Human life should not be destroyed or maltreated.

Islam:

Muslims are obligated to oppose injustice and oppression, regardless of the victim.
The Qur’an teaches the equality of all humans and the special duties humans have in creating a just and fair society: whoever saves a life, it will be as if they saved all of humanity.
The worth and dignity of each human is a natural and absolute right given by God and cannot be taken away.
‘All people are equal…as the teeth of a comb’

Religious Practices Promoting Human Rights

Christianity:

Upholding human rights is required in the teachings of many sacred texts - Bible: 'Treat others as you would want to be treated‘
Everyone should be treated with selfless and unconditional love - agape
Christian charities, e.g. Tearfund and Christian Aid show agape in action as they practice the command of Jesus to 'love your neighbour’ .
Faith in action based on the dignity of the human person as made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27)
Jesus - ‘Let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action’
Some sacred texts suggest a link between working for human rights/social justice and reward in the afterlife
Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus ‘If you possessed all the gold on the Earth, you could not buy your place in the Hereafter with it’’.

Islam:

The Qur’an teaches the equality of all humans and the special duties that humans have in creating a just and fair society
The act of prayer demonstrates equality – everyone prays in exactly the same way, showing that before God everyone is equal
Ummah in Action is demonstrated through the giving of Zakat and Sadaqah, as well as through charities such as Islamic Relief
“He who eats whilst his brother goes hungry is not a true Muslim”

Examples of Standing Up for Human Rights

Malala Yousafzai: Fought for gender equality, believing everyone has the right to education regardless of gender; influenced by the Muslim teaching, ‘All people are equal…as the teeth of a comb’; opposed the Taliban who banned girls from attending school.
Martin Luther King Jr.: Fought for racial equality in 1960s America, believing all people should be treated equally as all are made in the image of God; influenced by Christian teachings; opposed segregation and voting restrictions under the Jim Crow Laws.
Oscar Romero: Advocated for the poor in El Salvador; criticized the rich/poor divide and government corruption; was banned from holding meetings and faced threats.

Religious Perspectives on Obeying the Law

Christianity:

The Bible states that “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities”
When these laws result in injustice many religious people feel a need to stand up to these injustices based on their religious texts
Jesus stood up for the adulterous woman who by law should have been stoned for her crimes
A Christian example is Martin Luther King Jr, he was fighting for racial equality in the 1960’s in America
His personal conviction was all people should be treated equally as all are made in the image of God
Christian beliefs which strongly influenced his personal conviction was the teaching, “All people should be treated equally as all are made in the image of God”
The authority he faced was segregation in schools and on buses and not having the ability to vote under the Jim Crow Laws

Islam:

Following this, an Islamic view includes Malala Yousafzai who was fighting for gender equality
Her personal conviction was that she believes everyone had the right to an education regardless of gender
Her Muslim beliefs which strongly influenced her personal conviction was the teaching, ‘All people are equal…as the teeth of a comb’
The authority she faced was Taliban banned girls from attending school in Swat Valley.
Examples of those that have stood up against injustice are: MLK, Malala Yousafzai, Oscar Romero, Nelson Mandela, Malcolm X

Censorship

Censorship is the control of the spread of information or ideas in a society.
Many governments will try to prevent harm or offence, though it can be used as a mean to enforce political views or moral values
Article 19 of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone is entitled to freedom of speech
‘We have the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference’
Censorship would mean preventing the publication or broadcast of certain content
For example – graphic content or distressing images that may cause distress or harm to viewers

Islamophobia and Hate Crimes

Hate crimes are seen as a criminal offence – prejudice based on a persons race or perceived race
It is not limited to religion but also sexual orientation or disability
Islamophobia is an example of hate crime
Islamophobia relates to the fear or hatred of Muslims - Muslims are the victims of attacks just because of their religion
It can result in Muslims being targeted, whether in person or online. They can be badly treated, insulted or even physically hurt
Many people think Islamophobia is created when a person doesn't properly understand what Muslims do or believe, and that the best way to combat it is to have a better understanding of Muslims and Islam
Muslims around the world work for peace and justice as Islam is spread throughout the world and is understood in different ways.
For example: MEND (Muslims Engagement and Development) is an organisation who aim is to educate others ensuring that members of society are valued and respected whatever their religious, racial or ethnic background, gender or sexual orientation

Religious Extremism

For some religious believers, their beliefs and faith are so important to them that they try and make others believe it too
Many interpret the religious scripture in such a way that they believe it is the way to behave or react
Many believe that they are doing the work of God
“Fight against those who fight against you” (Qur’an) “I have not come to bring peace but a sword” (Jesus)
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights promotes the right to freedom of thought and belief
More moderate religious believers would refute the suggestion that religion promotes violence
Anti-abortion – Some Christians believe that life begins at conception. This means that at conception an embryo is a person
God gave the commandment, ‘thou shalt not murder’ . Therefore the conflict lies in the fact that the law allows abortion up to 24 weeks, some Christians believe that it is their duty to protect the innocent.
Muslims believe that through actions they will gain a reward in this life or the afterlife
Some Muslims believe that martyrs (those who give up their life for their faith) will be rewarded with 72 virgins in the afterlife
They are influenced by family or friends – radicalisation

Freedom of Religious Expression

Christianity:

Free-will and human right to express belief
Declaration of Human Rights - everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion
Sign of religious identity – outward symbol of faith. E.g. Salvation Army uniform – soldiers of Christ
Jesus said ‘where two or three gather together in my name there I will be’
MLK Jnr – personal conviction – marches and protests: Imago dei – worked for racial equality
Amnesty International – stand up for those oppressed: e.g. prisoners of conscience/indigenous people/treatment of women
Evangelism: preaching and sharing the messages of the Gospel – ‘I am the way, the truth and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me’
Wrong to say expressions which will hurt others – ‘treat others as you want to be treated’ .

Islam:

Sign of religious identity. E.g. hijab – public declaration; Allah has instructed women to wear it as a means of fulfilling his commandment for modesty
Tell your wives and your daughters, as well as all [other] believing women, that they should draw over themselves some of their outer garments;
Ihram - sacred state that Muslims enter and remain in during the special rituals and events that are required to complete Hajj or Umrah: ‘Equal as the teeth of a comb’
Jummah prayers - a communal prayer held on a Friday. Praying together to develop a feeling of unity among the Muslim community

Inter-Faith Dialogue

Muslims and Christians have worked together through inter-faith dialogue to try to create a more just society
The Christian/Muslim Forum, set up in 2006 seeks to build good relations between Muslims and Christians through dialogue, activities and education in the hope of a greater understanding between the two religions
Both Christian and Muslim believers work to promote inter-faith dialogue, sharing their views with people of different beliefs to try to create a more just and tolerant society
One such group, the Christian Muslim Forum brings together Christians Muslims from around the country to build good relationships
Aiming to create safe spaces, discussions are held which explore differences between and within Islam and Christianity
Through inter-faith dialogue and activities the Forum seeks to educate and campaign for a greater understanding between religions

Prejudice and Discrimination

The American civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech (1963) in which he calls for an end to racism in the United States
“Rosa sat so Martin could walk. Martin walked so Obama could run. Obama ran so our children could fly. ” MLK
Martin Luther King used peaceful methods of protest to fight for equal rights for black people
The Ten Commandments – do not kill inspired MLK to use peaceful methods of protests. e.g. nonviolent protest marches. “We must learn to live together as brothers – or we will perish together as fools” - MLK

Christian Teachings

Christians believe that God created all human beings as equals no matter their race, gender or ability: Discrimination is against Christian teachings such as ‘love thy neighbour’
There were many laws that Moses received from God give guidance for people to live in harmony with each other and support and protect those people who may be marginalised
Jesus modelled and explained the correct moral behaviour – forgiveness: Jesus healed women and lepers. He befriended Zacchaeus, a tax collector, even though tax collectors were shunned by other Jews.

Islamic Teachings

Islam teaches that during creation, Allah made man from 7 different coloured handfuls of clay
This shows Allah designed human beings to have different races, intending for everyone to be different, meaning that discrimination is therefore against Allah
Muhammad selected a black former slave as the muezzin showing a long tradition of race equality
In his final sermon Muhammad said “An Arab is not better than a Non-Arab, a white person is not better than a black person”
The Ummah crosses all racial boundaries – anyone and everyone can be a Muslim, so all are equal: ‘All people are equal…as the teeth of a comb’

Wealth and Poverty

Christian Teachings

Many Christians believe people should use their wealth to help those who have less than they have
Christians should act with compassion to less fortunate people, they believe that life is sacred and that God loves every human being
In the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats, Jesus taught that people should help those in need - whether they are hungry, thirsty, sick or alienated from society. To help those in need is the same as helping Jesus: ‘I tell you, whenever you did this for one of the least important of these followers of mine, you did it for me’

Islamic Teachings

The Qur’an reminds Muslims that Allah is all-knowing and all-wise and that he expects Muslims to observe Zakah, which can only be used to help the poor and the needy
Zakah donations help Muslims to purify their souls by not being greedy
Muslims see wealth as ultimately belonging to Allah, helping one another is also seen as helping Allah.
Giving Zakah helps to make people more equal and the giver of the money will receive a ‘hundred-fold’ back in the afterlife

Acquisition of Wealth

Christian Views

A person’s value should be judged by their actions, and not by what they possess or how much money they have
Having wealth is not necessarily bad or wrong, but there are ethical considerations about how Christians gain their wealth and how it is used
Against gambling as it encourages a love of money for its own sake and can also encourage greed: This is shown through the teaching, “the love of money is the root of all evil”
Quakers and Methodists are against gambling as they believe it is making gains at the expense of others
They believe that it promotes the view that money automatically provides happiness
Jesus warns his disciples that money can take the place of God in their lives and that they must be careful to remain faithful to them: A person’s value should be based on their actions not their possessions - “you cannot serve God and money”

Islamic Views

All wealth is seen as a gift from Allah
Humans are caretakers of God’s wealth and will be judged by their use of it and their duty to support others in need through Zakat
The Qur’an forbids gambling (qimar), or any way of gaining money through chance
Thus, as receiving interest (riba) on any loans is forbidden, Muslims should not become moneylender

Use of Wealth

Christian Teachings:

Jesus taught that helping the poor is more important than being rich
The Parable of the Rich Young Ruler - ‘It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.’
Jesus taught that people should use their wealth unselfishly, to look after one another: This is shown through the teaching, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink… ”
God will judge people not on how much wealth they have gained but how they have treated and helped the poor: Shown through the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus showing those who are greedy will suffer in hell
Against gambling as it encourages a love of money for its own sake and can also encourage greed: This is shown through the teaching, “the love of money is the root of all evil”

Islamic Teachings:

All Muslims make a charity payment (Zakat) of 2.5\% of their surplus income every year, which given during Ramadan to the mosque to help the poor and needy.
A voluntary giving of Saddaqah is important. Sadaqah is any good deed done out of compassion or generosity; it could be a gift of time, helping others or a donation to a charity

Actions and Attitudes

Christian teachings on alleviating poverty

Jesus taught that people should use their wealth unselfishly, to look after one another. This is shown through the teaching, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink… ”
God will judge people not on how much wealth they have gained but how they have treated and helped the poor. Shown through the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus showing those who are greedy will suffer in hell

Christian Aid attitudes on poverty

Christian Aid aim to help in practical ways to end poverty, such as supplying survival essentials, like medical aid, when people are without shelter or refuge
Attitudes of Christian Aid lay on the foundations of divine commands within the Bible: ‘It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. ’

Muslim teachings on alleviating poverty

All Muslims make a charity payment (Zakat) of 2.5\% of their surplus income every year: This is given during Ramadan to the mosque to help the poor and needy
A voluntary giving of Saddaqah is important. Sadaqah is any good deed done out of compassion or generosity; it could be a gift of time, helping others or a donation to a charity

Islamic Relief attitudes on poverty

Islamic Relief respond to disasters with emergency responses, such as providing emergency aid, food, water and essential winter supplies to help vulnerable people
Attitudes of Muslim Relief is directly influenced by the word of Allah in the Qur’an… ‘Whoever saves one life – it is as if he had saved mankind entirely.’