It is worth mentioning that human rights are fundamental rights to any individual anywhere in the world. The globe is constantly changing and transforming to meet the needs of the increasing globalization and internationalization. In essence, different countries have different sets of human rights. However, there are universal human rights established by international organizations, mostly the United Nations. They are the fundamental freedoms. Such includes the freedoms of speech, religion, association, expression, and the right to life. Everyone is entitled to these rights, and there are disciplinary measures for countries or leaders who commit crimes that violate the fundamental rights.
Some countries, particularly in the Middle East and some parts of Africa, do not have respect for individual human rights of their citizens, and by extension, foreigners (Simmons 88). Most of the affected nations are the countries that exercise religious laws as part of their national governing statutes. In these regions, one is not allowed to practice any other religion apart from the one that the government supports. Failure to do that attracts prosecution, which in most cases may involve death using crude methods like stoning and hanging. Therefore, the people who are not members of the particular religion live in constant fear of being prosecuted.
When I recently visited Chad, a country in Africa that runs on Islamic laws as part of the national legislation, I learned that consequence of practicing another religion in some regions of the country is death without trial. During my stay in the country, I witnessed several people prosecuted for being Christians and worshipping in their homes. The level of intolerance in matters of religion is extremely high that the Muslim citizens living in that part of the country deny their Christian counterparts from accessing certain services like public transport and other essential services.
In his article ‘Subsidiarity as a Structural Principle of International Human Rights Law,’ Paolo Corrazo writes that subsidiarity is an action that countries should adopt as it addresses the universality of the people. It harmonizes the different groups that live in a particular geographic area. Corrazo argues that subsidiarity achieves the goal of the international organizations to promote equality among all the people regardless of their affiliations (Carozza 38). The paper supports the idea of different communities living together and practicing different ways of life. In other words, the article discusses the issue of tolerance of other religious, ethnic, and racial groups. Primarily, while addressing that, subsidiarity also ensures that all the other countries respect the sovereignty of the states that the nation interacts with.
The issue of intolerance in Chad needs to be addressed using Corrazo’s idea of subsidiarity. The Muslim faithful who persecute their Christian counterparts needs to be enlightened about accepting the other group and allowing them to practice their religion without fear of attacks. It is important for them to be informed about universality and internationalization as an emerging trend, though it has not yet taken root in Chad. It is also vital for them to learn about international human rights and laws that govern the issue so that they can understand better the need to tolerate one another despite their different religious views and standings.
Works Cited
Carozza, Paolo G. "Subsidiarity as a Structural Principle of International Human Rights Law." American Journal of International Law, 2003, pp. 38-79.
Simmons, Beth A. Mobilizing For Human Rights: International Law in Domestic Politics. Cambridge University Press, 2009.
