Dr. Shad Saleem FARUQI

Malaysia

Introduction

There is a time and tide for everything. This is a season in which the global quest for human rights is at its peak. Freedom is on the march. Throughout Asia and Africa, the ardour for liberty is spreading. The quest for the inalienable rights of human beings has gained universal appeal.  It is now recognised that state sovereignty is a shield against external aggression.  It cannot be used as a sword against one's own nationals.  Human rights abuses in any land deserve world-wide condemnation because "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere".

Most constitutions including Malaysia's seek to secure the liberties of citizens. In most countries non-governmental organizations raise their voice of concern whenever liberty is trampled upon. The triumphs of technology enable them to network and mobilize on a global scale. A large body of international human rights law has blossomed. In international relations, the human rights agenda is a precondition for trade and aid, though on a selective and discriminatory basis.

Political and Moral Theory of Human Rights
Given the centrality of human rights to modern political discourse, it is necessary to understand the nature and characteristics of the human rights idea and to recognise the main political and moral assumptions on which it rests. These assumptions are as follows:

? Human rights are inherent. They belong to an individual by virtue of his or her humanity.