“All human beings are born
free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and
conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood”. After
the terrorist attack against Charlie Hebdo’s headquarters in France last
January 7th, there are no better words to help us reflect on the appalling nature
of such events than those encompassed in the UN Universal Declaration of Human
Rights (UNDHR). If we, as a global community, wish to build a peaceful,
democratic, and safer world, the notion of these inherent and inalienable
rights must be placed at the center of our struggle.
In the last couple of days, the media has bombarded
with information that either aligns with the right to freedom of expression, or
with freedom of religion and consciousness. While both sides clearly aim to
defend and safeguard an important piece of Human Rights, it is critical to
remember that no right comes before another. In order to build a just society
all rights must work together as a whole, since all rights are equally bestowed
upon all human beings. As stated by Mr. Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein (UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights) at the United Nations conference on Education
for Peace in Geneva: “The best hope for
peace in the world lies in the simple but far-reaching recognition that we all
have many different associations and affiliations; we are not rigidly divided
by a single categorization of hardened groups which confront each other.” As
we are urged to act with a spirit of brotherhood, respect and acceptance for
different cultures and religions should be combined with the need for
constructive dialogue, cooperative attitude, and critical thinking.
In the light of these attacks that intend to divide
us, “we must not fall into that trap. This is a time for solidarity […] we must firmly support freedom of expression and
tolerance and oppose the forces of hatred and division." (Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary General of the United
Nations).
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