Respect of Human Rights and Freedom of religion could lead to reciprocal love and respect

Respect of Human Rights and Freedom of religion

could lead to reciprocal love and respect

 Respect must be earned but could not demand or claim with the use of power or force. It is inconceivable to secure genuine respect without justice.

There any verses and hadiths which support that trust and confidence are characteristics of Islam in choosing leaders in any organization. There are many verses and hadiths in this regard. Allah says: (O ye who believe! Fulfil (all) obligations.) (Al-Ma’idah 5: 1) and, (Allah doth command you to render back your Trusts to those to whom they are due.) (An-Nisa’a 4: 58)

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “All of you is like a shepherd and is every shepherd is responsible for his flock.” And, “He who deceives us, does not belong to us.”

All these verses and hadiths stress the importance of fulfilling responsibilities and obligations and never betraying the trust assigned to one. (Islam Online Fatwa)

Our Prophet (pbuh) even taught us that it is all right if we could not donate money to a beggar but advised us from refraining from insulting the beggar’s dignity even after giving money but to show some respect.

There are many verses in the Qur’an stating that_

“Those who coexist peacefully with Muslims are entitled to justice, compassion, and respect, irrespective of their religion (60:8-9) as long as they are peaceful with Muslims.

Everyone should respect his elders. Those who are older are required to treat those who are younger to them with kindness and affection. It is the same for the mighty and powerless or the majority races or government and its minorities.

In Chapter 5 of Book IV of his magnum opus, City of God, St Augustine draws the attention of his readers to the similarities and difference between a government (”kingdom”) and a criminal gang, by posing the following question:

“Remove justice, and what are kingdoms but gangs of criminals on a large scale? What are criminal gangs but petty kingdoms?

“For it was a witty and a truthful rejoinder which was given by a captured pirate to Alexander the Great. The king asked the fellow, “What is your idea, in infesting the sea?”

And the pirate answered, with uninhibited insolence, “The same as yours, in infesting the earth! But because I do it with a tiny craft, I’m called a pirate; because you have a mighty navy, you’re called an emperor.” (St Augustine, City of God, London, Penguin, 1984, p139)

It is the value of justice that self-evidently distinguishes a government from a gang of criminals or pirates.

In Islam if we have no power to fight back the tyrant unjust ruler, it is compulsory for us to migrate (or Hijrat). If we stay put, suffer and die under the oppressive ruler, Allah will not give us any rewards, but will condemn us.

After all, Allah had given the whole world to the victims to escape and start a new life. Our Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) had ordered his followers to migrate from Mecca to Medina for the same reason. Prophet Musa or Moses had also led the Jews to migrate from the tyrant, cruel Pharos of Egypt.

This article is published in the Malaysian Insider as a comment.