"Islam is not opposed to the West, but contributed to the Western heritage and helped advance European civilization through commerce, cooperation, art and science. The hostility between the Muslims and the West is rooted in specific Western policies.  Such policies that are responsible for fueling resentment among Muslims must be acknowledged. Strategies beyond legal protections that would bolster unlearning Islam phobia include education, a media watch, and leadership by public authorities, integration, and interfaith dialogue. Muslims must make it clear through their words and actions that the few Muslims who deliberately kill civilians are acting against Islamic principles"  Koffi Annan

In a simple way, in this article there will be a view for Human Rights in different Religions

Human Rights in Judaism

Human rights and the relationships between humans in general are firmly established by the Torah and the Talmud. Many Jewish festivals celebrate basic human rights such as freedom from slavery, self-determination, freedom of association and freedom of worship.

What does Judaism say about war?

Sometimes war is necessary. Wiping out evil is also part of justice. Before a war, the other side must be given the chance to accept peace terms (Deut. 20.10). The hope is that they will change and accept the Seven Universal Laws of humanity. These ‘Noachide Laws’ are basic to embody fundamental respect for human rights and civilized values:

Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not worship false gods, Do not be sexually immoral, Do not eat the limb of an animal before it is killed, Do not curse God.

The Jews were still commanded to fight mercifully! For example, while besieging a city to conquer it, the Jews never surrounded it on all four sides. This way, one side was always left open to allow for anyone who wanted to escape.

Throughout Jewish history, waging war has always been a tremendous personal and national ordeal which ran contrary to the Jews 'peace-loving nature.

Human rights in Christianity

Jesus has inspired some Christians with a very strong sense of social justice.

What does Christianity say about war?

The Christian ideal is for peace, not war. While there have always been significant voices within Christianity advocating pacifism, Christian history and other voices would say that on occasions there is such a thing as a ‘just’ war. Many issues need to be thought out in the light of both basic Christian convictions and contemporary circumstances.

Human rights in Islam

Freedom of conscience is mandated by the Qur’an: ‘There is no compulsion in religion’ (2.256). The life and property of all citizens in an Islamic state are respected whether a personas Muslim or not. Racism is refused in Muslims principles, as the Qur’an urges equality: ‘Omankind! We created you from a single soul, male and female, and made you intonations and tribes, so that you may come to know one another’ (49.13).

What does Islam say about war?

Islam permits fighting in self-defense, in the upholding of religion, or on behalf of those who have been forcibly expelled from their homes. Islam rules in war include prohibition against harming civilians and against destroying crops, trees and livestock. The Qur’an says: ‘Fighting the cause of God against those who fight you, but do not transgress limits. God does not love transgressors’ (2.190).

Mohammed(P.B.U.H) instructions, in the war, to the army:

Do not kill a woman, a child or old man, Do not kill the injured people, Do not humiliate or kill the prisoner of war and he has the right to be protected from sexual, emotional, and physical abuse, Do not kill a person whom we make a treaty with, Do not destroy cultivation or cut trees.

War, therefore, is a last resort and is subject to the rigorous conditions laid down by the sacred law. The term often used for war, jihad, literally means ‘struggle’, and Muslims believe that there are two kinds of jihad. Firstly, physical war. Secondly, the inner struggle which everyone wages against egotistical desires for the sake of attaining inner peace.

Islam and the Media

By the presence of large amount of media, it is very hard to come to terms with what is the truth and what a lie is, but the only way to do this is to learn firsthand to become your own knowledge. This happens also with Arab Muslims. Media uses emotive language to justify concepts linked to religious identifiers and present it as racial tensions, as the following examples demonstrate. ..

1. Arab = Muslim =Arab

The media has linked the categories Arab and Muslim into each other.

The effect has been to collapse a racial group into a religious group. All Arabs are not Muslim. Not all Muslims are Arabs. Describing Muslims and Arabs as one is inaccurate because it provides a racial basis for hatred which extends past the boundaries of a religion. It makes extremists   identify "Muslims" as people perceived racial characteristics.

2. Media has consistently explained the suicide bombers ' actions in relation to Islam and Muslims.

Religious texts are open to interpretation and indeed passages encouraging martyrdom and holy war are found in Jewish texts and the Christian Bible.

The crusaders and their leaders used the Bible to legitimize a holy war on Islam with the belief that if they died in battle they would be martyrs and go to heaven. Thomas Aquinas formulated the idea of a "Just War" and God himself ordered massacres in Jericho and the cities of Canaan.

3. Media should drop the word fundamentalist in conjunction with Muslim, Islamic, etc. In keeping with barbarities committed by groups claiming an Islamic following should not be described as attacks by Muslim terrorists.

On one hand, Describing Bin Laden and his followers as Muslim fundamentalists buys into the idea that Islam at its most basic level is about violence and irrationality. Bin Laden and his followers are fanatics. In fact they ignore the fundamentals of Islam, which seeks to create a just and loving society under God - just like Christianity and Judaism.

On the other hand, The Media called David Koresh- the leader of a Branch Davidian cult - not the leader of a Christian group. Shoko Asahara, whose AUM cult has been linked to gas attacks on the Japanese subway, has always been described as a cult leader - not theleader of a Buddhist fringe group despite the fact that Asahara said he wantedto teach Japanthe "true teachings of Buddha". Koresh and Asahara were fanatics; the Media located their thoughts outside of the bounds of their respective religions.

By Nouran Radwan

References

·         Sharmin Ahmad, Confronting Islam phobia: Education for Tolerance and Understanding, http://www.minaret.org/un-islamophobia.pdf.

·         ISLAMOPHOBIA IN THE WESTERN MEDIA – MYTH OR REALITY, http://www.muslim.libdems.org/rochdale2005/Islamophobia.pdf

·         The Dunedin Jewish, Christian and Muslim Community Liaison Group, Understanding the Three Abrahamic Faiths: Judaism, Christianity and Islam , http://www.otago.ac.nz/chaplain/resour/DJCMCLG.pdf