1 00:00:12,783 --> 00:00:13,500 All animals are equal…but some of them are too stupid to believe that 2 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:14,600 George Orwell 3 00:00:14,693 --> 00:00:16,693 With slight modification…. In fact,not so slight 4 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:22,800 Human rights:a beautiful slogan.The question is:who? 5 00:00:23,260 --> 00:00:24,060 Arabs? 6 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:25,600 Europeans? 7 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:27,150 Americans? 8 00:00:27,250 --> 00:00:29,500 Anglo-Saxons? 9 00:00:29,700 --> 00:00:30,800 Protestants? 10 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:32,400 The Rich? 11 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:34,080 The Powerful? 12 00:00:34,500 --> 00:00:39,200 Or simply those whom it is in our interests that they should have their rights? 13 00:00:39,350 --> 00:00:42,949 I was always interested in the concept of human rights 14 00:00:43,149 --> 00:00:47,350 I saw a man shooting civilians,aiming to kill them. 15 00:00:47,976 --> 00:00:51,700 He then returned to his country where he received a hero’s welcome  16 00:00:51,708 --> 00:00:55,300 Yet his country took a high moral stand on human rights 17 00:00:55,317 --> 00:01:00,300 Some countries protect their citizens and also their animals 18 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:06,800 A cat stranded on a high tree,unable to come down may be helped by a number of firemen 19 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:08,500 who rush to bring the cat down 20 00:01:08,510 --> 00:01:12,700 Yet the country where this took place as a normal occurrence 21 00:01:13,443 --> 00:01:18,500 remains heedless of thousands of people working in factories at wages 22 00:01:18,700 --> 00:01:21,500 that do not exceed 15 cents per hour 23 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:25,090 Such contradiction did not make me angry 24 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:27,940 but it surprised me and made me curious 25 00:01:29,020 --> 00:01:33,125 I now understand what they mean when they speak of human rights 26 00:01:33,325 --> 00:01:37,400 They mean the rights of their own people:‘our rights 27 00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:44,100 This is the opposite of the Islamic attitude which respects everyone’s humanity 28 00:01:44,250 --> 00:01:51,300 Whether you are white,black,Asian or red-Indian is of little significance 29 00:01:51,500 --> 00:01:56,200 You may be poor or disabled,but this is of no effect. 30 00:01:56,400 --> 00:02:00,600 Indeed,whether you are a Muslim or a non-Muslim 31 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:05,400 you are entitled to your full rights and to indiscriminate justice. 32 00:02:05,471 --> 00:02:08,220 Look at our world today 33 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:12,980 you will see at a glance the outcome of man-made theories and principles 34 00:02:13,100 --> 00:02:16,400 you see communities torn apart 35 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:19,500 and entire villages and towns destroyed 36 00:02:19,700 --> 00:02:21,679 with no one raising objection 37 00:02:21,879 --> 00:02:28,900 Yet the world of moral principles and human rights sheds tears for far less important events 38 00:02:29,100 --> 00:02:36,700 It is a world where principles are stretched and shrink according to the race and colour of the victim. 39 00:02:36,900 --> 00:02:41,860 Islam advocates absolute justice between all people 40 00:02:41,862 --> 00:02:44,500 God says in the Qur'an 41 00:02:44,570 --> 00:02:51,570 God enjoins justice,kindness [to all],and generosity to one’s kindred 42 00:02:51,700 --> 00:02:57,900 and He forbids all that is shameful,all reprehensible conduct and aggression 43 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:03,660 Justice is a central duty which God has made binding on all Muslims 44 00:03:03,860 --> 00:03:06,818 Injustice is forbidden 45 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:12,600 God has made it so,even to himself as He says 46 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:19,300 My servants,I have forbidden Myself injustice and made it forbidden among you 47 00:03:19,500 --> 00:03:22,780 So do not be unjust to one another 48 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:28,499 Prophet Muhammad’s life shows a practical implementation of this principle 49 00:03:28,699 --> 00:03:31,400 Let us take just one example 50 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:34,069 ‘Shortly before the Battle of Badr, 51 00:03:34,269 --> 00:03:40,250 the Prophet was marshalling his troops and he had a short stick to adjust their lines 52 00:03:40,400 --> 00:03:45,140 He passed by Sawadibn Ghuzayyah who stood with half his body protruding out of the line 53 00:03:45,300 --> 00:03:50,100 The Prophet poked him with his small stick in his abdomen,saying 54 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:51,900 ‘Stand properly,Sawad’ 55 00:03:52,500 --> 00:03:53,890 The man said 56 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:56,346 You have hurt me,Messenger of God 57 00:03:56,546 --> 00:04:00,150 when God has sent you with a message of truth and justice 58 00:04:00,300 --> 00:04:01,748 Give me my right 59 00:04:01,948 --> 00:04:07,729 The Prophet lifted his clothes so that his tommy was visible and said to the man: 60 00:04:07,929 --> 00:04:10,200 Take your revenge,Sawad 61 00:04:10,350 --> 00:04:15,000 Under the best and most well implemented human rights convention today 62 00:04:15,100 --> 00:04:18,228 can a soldier ask his commander for justice? 63 00:04:18,428 --> 00:04:22,500 Could he ask to be allowed to do to the commander 64 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:24,568 what the commander had done to him? 65 00:04:25,500 --> 00:04:30,600 The Prophet gave his soldier that very right fourteen centuries ago. 66 00:04:31,500 --> 00:04:33,197 The question that bothers me 67 00:04:33,900 --> 00:04:36,818 Does Islam need a human rights convention? 68 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:37,918 Or rather 69 00:04:38,118 --> 00:04:42,170 do human rights conventions need Islamic law?