Book description
Selected by Choice magazine as an Outstanding Academic Title
Are the principles set forth in the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights truly universal? Or, as some have argued, are they
derived exclusively from Western philosophic traditions and therefore
irrelevant to many non-Western cultures? Should a state's claims to
indigenous traditions, and not international covenants, determine the
scope of rights granted to its citizens?
In his strong defense of the Declaration, Reza Afshari contends
that the moral vision embodied in this and other agreements is a
proper response to the abuses of the modern state. Asserting that the
most serious violations of human rights by state rulers are motivated
by political and economic factors rather than the purported concern
for cultural authenticity, Afshari examines one particular state that
has claimed cultural exception to the universality of human rights,
the Islamic Republic of Iran.
In his revealing case study, Afshari investigates how Islamic
culture and Iranian politics since the fall of the Shah have affected
human rights policy in that state. He exposes the human rights
violations committed by ruling clerics in Iran since the Revolution,
showing that Iran has behaved remarkably like other authoritarian
governments in its human rights abuses. For more than two decades,
Iran has systematically jailed, tortured, and executed dissidents
without due process of law and assassinated political opponents
outside state borders. Furthermore, like other oppressive states, Iran
has regularly denied and countered the charges made by United Nations
human rights monitors, defending its acts as authentic cultural practices.
Throughout his study, Afshari addresses Iran's claims of
cultural relativism, a controversial thesis in the intense ongoing
debate over the universality of human rights. In prison memoirs he
uncovers the actual human rights abuses committed by the Islamic
Republic and the sociopolitical conditions that cause or permit them.
Finally, Afshari turns to little-read UN reports that reveal that the
dynamics of power between UN human rights monitors and Iranian leaders
have proven ineffective at enforcing human rights policy in Iran.
Critically analyzing the state's responses, Afshari shows that the
Islamic Republic, like other oppressive states, has regularly denied
and countered the charges made by UN human rights monitors, and when
denials were patently implausible, it defended its acts as authentic
cultural practices. This defense is equally unconvincing, since it
lacked domestic cultural consensus.
"This book's powerful synthesis of data, narrative, and
theory provides an important resource for those engaged in the study
and furtherance of human rights."-Harvard Law Review
Reza Afshari is Professor of History and Human Rights at Pace
University.
