The Universality of Human Rights from the Viewpoint of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran with Emphasis on Power Structure Relation

Document Type : Original Article from Result of Thesis

Authors

1 PhD student In International Relations,Department of political science and International relations, tabriz branch , islamic azad university , tabriz,. Iran

2 Associate Professor, Department of International Relations, Faculty of Theology, Law and Political Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Iran, Tehran and, Associate Member, Center for Iranian Studies, SOAS,

3 Assistant Professor and faculty member, Department of Political Science and International Relations, , Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran

Abstract

Certainly, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is one of the resources forhuman rights. Assessing the universality of the declaration is crucially important in this regard. It is concerned with investigating topics such as the universality of human rights in regard to studying the viewpoints of Iran and Saudi Arabia aboutthe universality of human rights, as well as the effects of culture, religion, and traditions in the Muslim countries in respect to accepting or not accepting the universality of human rights. The question that this study is seeking to answer is what is the position of human rights from the viewpoints of two centers of the world of Islam, i.e., Saudi Arabia and Iran? This is a descriptive-analytical study. The data were collected through the documentary method and library research. This article is concerned with the relationship between civil society and human rights organizations. A cause-and-effect relationship was considered in which civil society is the factor causing the efficiency of human rights organizations. In addition, the absence of civil society is the cause leading to the absence of human rights, and a lack of respect for this phenomenon, and prevents it from being executed and transformed into an effective institution in a country. As a factor and a platform for the development of human rights and the mechanisms related to it, this issue was investigated in the Middle East, i.e., in Iran and Saudi Arabia, each of which follows a different mechanism but of the same nature. The problem of human rights violations and failure to develop civil society is overlooked in all countries in the Middle East. However, Saudi Arabia lacks law governance in its legal system's structure. Due to this characteristic, Saudi Arabia is a case phenomenon and notorious in the new world. On the other hand, Iran has posed numerous challenges in this regard on account of its different interpretation of the foundation of human rights from the Universal Declaration.

Highlights

Introduction

This study investigated the universality of human rights from the viewpoint of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran on the basis of constructivism theory. The rationale for selecting the constructivism theory to achieve the research objective is that it is a moderate approach in-between the rationalist and post-structuralism theories. In light of that, it emphasizes the subjective and normative factors, in general, cultural factors along with the material factors. This article seeks to elaborate on the behaviors of countries in regard to foreign policy. Furthermore, this article emphasizes the conceptual factors including identity and culture, as well as the domestic developments and dynamics of countries, and stresses them as the potential factors to cause a change in the international scope. This theory does not deny the traditional patterns, yet it uses analysis to revive the role of thoughts, patterns, and subjective norms in facing and analyzing foreign policies. In accordance with this theory, the basis for the formation of foreign policies of governments is their definition of self,which is in fact the identity, or in other words, norms, values, common language, etc., which manifests itself in the social field through signs and symbols. It is formed automatically in another response. In this research, with regard to the constructivism theory, the subject of human rights and its universality is investigated from the point of view of two important countries in the Islamic world, i.e., Iran and Saudi Arabia.

 

Research Methodology

This is a descriptive-analytical research that used library tools, books, and Persian and English articles. This study investigated the universality of human rights from the viewpoint of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran on the basis of constructivism theory. In addition to the regulation aspect, the constructivism theory points out the formative role of the norms. It is believed that norms are formed in processes such as interactions, and this is regarded as a considerable difference between these two approaches. The rationale to choose the constructivism theory to achieve research objectives is that it is a moderate approach in-between the rationalist and post-structuralism theories. Therefore, it stresses the subjective and normative factors, in general, cultural factors, as well as material factors.

 

Results and Discussion

This article sought to understand the relationship between civil society and human rights organizations and to consider a cause-and-effect relationship, in which civil society is the factor inthe efficiency of the human rights organizations. As already stated, the absence of civil society as a factor and platform for the development of human rights and its respective mechanisms is the main reason for the failure of development of human rights, its practice and execution, as well as transforming it into an effective institution in the country. Then, the weaknesses of civil society and human rights organizations in Saudi Arabia were investigated. How does the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia utilize various tools to prevent the growth and formation of civil society institutions in Saudi Arabia and how was it able to abuse the law to prevent the development of civil institutions under the law? A law, which is written by the ruler of Saudi Arabia. All countries in the Middle East deal with the violation of human rights and failure to the development of civil society. The findings addressed the relationship between civil society and human rights organizations and took into account a cause-and-effect relationship that the civil society is the factor on account of which human rights organizations can be influential. In accordance with the researchers, the absence of civil society is the main reason that prevents the development of human rights, its observation and execution, as well as its transformation into an effective institution in the country. Researchers examined this subject in the Middle East, i.e., Iran, and Saudi Arabia as a factor and platform for the development of human rights and mechanisms related to it. Each of them enjoys a different mechanism, with the same nature.

 

Conclusion

In civil society, parties are not dependent on the government and seek power in a peaceful environment. To create a civil society, there must be independent organizations and institutions protected by the law through which the demands can be delivered to the policymakers and affect the crucial and strategic decisions. Thus, any damage to these institutions and failure to support them in the framework of the law leads to the gradual decline of civil society and the development of the government. Civil society is the most crucial element that enables exerting pressure on governments to observe human rights. The groups of civil society, civil and non-governmental society in a government-nation society demand intensifying their efforts to advance the programs of human rights organizations and enable the human rights organizations to play their role. New opportunities and situations must be provided for the governments, international organizations, and civil society such that they can include human rights in their policies. It lays the ground for the effective cooperation of governments in civil society with the presence of human rights groups and the development of human rights. This article recommends that civil society is formed by taking into account the international covenants, materials, and groups, as well as the relationship between great and small countries through human rights. It is mostly concerned with how to introduce civil society and human rights, which is one of the scientific and philosophical manifestations of the west to other societies. In addition, how is it possible to merge civil society and human rights as a commodity in society, which can lead to disregarding the civil capacities of local society, on the one hand, and disregarding the civil society and human rights in society, on the other hand.

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References

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