Law on human rights needs to be realised, say experts

The international law on human rights need to be realised, and realised sooner.

This was the outcome of the day-long seminar held on the ‘Rights of Minorities — with focus on Bahais in Iran’ and organised by Justice and Peace Commission of St Pious College, on Thursday.

The seminar was held on the sidelines of the trial of some members of the Bahai faith in Iran on charges of espionage.

“Human rights education is not merely a university subject but an event based on the principle of universality,” professor Theodore Orlin, of Utica University, USA, and president of international human rights education consortium said.

He added, “Ironically, both the abused and the abuser are entitled to Human Rights Protection. The United Nations is committed to its Articles 55 and 56 because of the Holocaust. The good that came from that evil was the hope that it would never happen again; but it has. Events in Darfur and the Congo too have shown that this UN commitment, adopted as far back as 1945, has not been realised.”

Shatrughan Jiwnani, director of Office of Public Information at Bahai House of Worship in Delhi and spokesman for the Bahai Community of India, said, “There are over 3 lakh Bahais who total more than other minorities but are still not recognised.”

Advocate Marzia Dalal said, “They believe in being loyal to the nation and yet they are persecuted for espionage for Israel just because our international headquarters are based there.”