The Confrontation between Universalism and Relativism of Human Rights within the Framework of the Role of UNESCO and Islamic teachings

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Ayoub Dehghan 1
Manochehr Ahadifar 2
1 Department of Political Science - Public Policy, Zanjan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Zanjan, Iran.
2 Department of Public International Law, Zanjan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Zanjan, Iran.
10.22034/jhsrj.2025.2061318.1022
Abstract
Background and Aim: Universal human rights and regional or relative human rights are two approaches to the process of human rights normization. The aim of this study is to explain the role of UNESCO in these two approaches, taking into account Islamic teachings.
Materials and Methods: This research is of theoretical type and the research method is descriptive-analytical and the method of data collection is library and has been done by referring to documents, books and articles.
Ethical Considerations: In order to organize this research, while observing the authenticity of the texts, honesty and fidelity have been observed.
Findings: Relativism in the human rights arena currently has more supporters among theorists. Also, international practice and the process of approving international documents indicate UNESCO's choice towards relativism. On the other hand, cultural diversity and respect for different customs and traditions have also been recognized in Islamic teachings.
Conclusion: The Islamic approach to human rights, long before the modern trends in international human rights, has emphasized the need to respect cultural diversity, and this is explicitly mentioned directly in the main source of Islam, the Holy Quran.
Keywords
Human rights
UNESCO
relativism
cultural diversity
Islamic human rights
- ذوالقدر، مالک؛ محمدزاده، وحید، «حقوق بشر و جهان­بینی­ها و نسبی­گرایی»، دو فصلنامة مطالعات حقوق بشر اسلامی، شمارة 6، 1393.
- بختیاری، شهلا، قانون­نامه مدینه، کیهان اندیشه، شماره 75، 1376.
- صانعی، پرویز، حقوق و اجتماع، رابطة حقوق با عوامل اجتماعی و روانی، تهران، طرح نو، 1389.
- فرخی، رحمت­اله؛ مصطفی، اعلایی، «اصل احترام به تنوع فرهنگى در اسناد بین­المللى و رابطة آن با صلح»، فصلنامة تعالی حقوق، شمارة 19، 1396.
- فضائلی، مصطفی؛ کرمی، موسی، «تحلیلی بر سیر تحول مفهوم فرهنگ در نظام بین­المللی حقوق بشر و تأثیر آن بر ارتقای حقوق فرهنگی»، فصلنامة پژوهش­های حقوقی، شمارة 42، 1399.
- فلاح­زاده، علی­محمد؛ موسوی، سید طه، «حقوق بشر اسلامی در مقایسه با حقوق بشر غربی: جهان­شمولی یا نسبی­گرایی؛ تحلیلی در راستای نقد روشنفکری دینی»، دو فصلنامة حقوق بشر و شهروندی، شمارة 1، 1395.
- کهریزی، رزیتا، «جهان­شمولی و نسبیت فرهنگی در حقوق بشر بین­الملل»، فصلنامة اندیشه­های حقوق عمومی، شمارة 13، 1397.
- محسنی، محمدسالم؛ طالبی، محمدحسین، «چیستی حقوق بشر»، دو فصلنامة مطالعات فقه اسلامی و مبانی حقوق، شمارة 38، 1397.
- Aspremont, Jean, International legal constitutionalism, legal forms and the need for villains. In: Lang, Anthony and Antje Wiener, Handbook on Global Constitutionalism, Cheltenham, Edward Elgar, 2017.
- Ehrenberg, Kenneth M., The Functions of Law, oxford, Oxford University Press, 2016.
- Hastrup, Kirsten, Human Rights on Common Grounds: The Quest for Universality. Hague: Kluwer; 2021.
- Holyoak, Keith J., and Robert G. Morrison, eds. The Cambridge handbook of thinking and reasoning. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2005.
- Kapchan, Deborah, Cultural Heritage in Transit: Intangible Rights as Human Rights. Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania University Press; 2014.
- Leal, Rafael A., Essential Elements of the Rule of Law Concept in the EU, London, Queen Mary University of London, School of Law Legal Studies Research Paper No. 180, 2014.
- Loizidou, Elena, Judith Butler: Ethics, Law, Politics, London, Routledge, 2007.
- May, Larry, and Jeff Brown, eds. Philosophy of law: classic and contemporary readings. , Oxford, John Wiley & Sons, 2010.
- Sajó, András, Human Rights with Modesty: The Problem of Universalism. London: Springer; 2013.
- Sharpe, Robert, How Judges Decide. In: Rabeea Assy, Andrew Higgins, Principles, Procedure, and Justice: Essays in Honour of Adrian Zuckerman, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2020.
- Siltala, Raimo. Law, truth, and reason: a treatise on legal argumentation. , London, Springer Science & Business Media, vol.97, 2011.
- UNESCO, “International Days | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization”, 12 July 2013, http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/events/prizes-and-celebrations/celebrations/international-days/.
- UNESCO, “UNESCO in brief”, https://www.unesco.org/en/brief#:~:text=UNESCO%20works%20to%20ensure%20that,platforms%20for%20development%20and%20cooperation.