#Article (Archive)

Respect for human rights is fundamental!

Jan 11, 2013, 9:42 AM

Respecting the human rights of all Gambians is the primary responsibility of the government, and this is applies to governments in all nations.

In The Gambia, despite many sensitization efforts by rights organizations, many people misconceive the true meaning of human rights.

Human rights are principles that were given to human beings, first and foremost by Allah, to be enjoyed and exercised, simply because they are human beings.

That is why in truly democratic countries in the world, the rulers make a special effort to show they have respect for the human rights of the citizenry.

God said that no one shall kill anyone because you dislike him or because you feel he offended you.

He also said no one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or torture, or to deny another person from expressing him or herself, and that every one of you is free to join any association and so on.

International law, as expressed in the United Nations Universal Declaration on Human Rights, and our very own Gambian Constitution, which also recognizes human right, are all here to reinforce the wishes of the Almighty.

As stated in this and other columns before, in this 21st century, especially after the famous Arab Spring, no nation should underrate human rights violations, as the consequences can be serious.

We do hope that government and the people in other African countries would learn from what happened in Libya, Egypt, Tunisia, and now Syria.