Current International Human Rights Law issues in the Middle east Essay - 1

Current International Human Rights Law issues in the Middle east - Essay Example 1). However, despite the influence of modernisation, Islam remained powerful. International human rights, one of the components of modernity, have penetrated the Middle East at a period when established Islam is being disputed by new ideas of Islamic principles. These new ideas hold the changing hopes and outlooks of Islam’s devotees, which involves desires for higher freedom. The progress of modernisation has intensified Muslim’s hatred of tyrannical, oppressive, and capricious regimes of their nations and has promoted the emergence of movements campaigning for greater freedom and human rights (Mayer, 1991, pp. 1-2). This essay discusses the conflict between Sharia (Islamic) law and international human rights law in the Middle East, with references to current cases of human rights issues in Middle Eastern countries. There is a sharp disagreement between the judgments of Islamic human rights scholars and Islamic governments. Islamic scholars could be generally classified into two groups, namely, liberal and conservative. The liberals accept the conflict between human rights ideals and Islamic doctrine and pursuit of reconciliation. In contrast, the conservatives believe that Islam has an independent and unique set of obligations, rights, and practices, and thus, they oppose intrusion of external human rights law processes (Shah, 2006, p. 3). Generally, Islamic societies conform to the conservative view of Islamic doctrine and this is the reason most Islamic societies have resisted the imposition of international human rights law in their local administrations. Saudi Arabia and Iran are excellent examples (Baderin, 2008). There are Islamic countries which have approved international human rights principles but with major restrictions, declaring that international human rights law would be applied locally provided that it does not run counter to the Sharia law.