International Human Rights and Islamic Law in The Postmodern Age

International Human Rights contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Islamic Law have been understood, more often than not, as incompatible and mutually exclusive discourses. This paper aims at overcoming the disturbing ‘aut-aut’ perception which appears to be spreading globally, mostly due to the prevailing monolithic projection of Islam and Islamic Law which is offered to the public at large. After highlighting the variety of Muslim scholarship on the topic of fundamental rights and human dignity, the Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam will be analysed and its capability to express and represent the vivid complexity of Islamic jurisprudence on Human Rights will be critically assessed. The last part of this research illustrates how a constructive dialogue between all the parties involved in the debate is more than just a possibility and recommends it as a dire need of our time.

Mr. Qasim Aziz Butt holds an LLB from the University of London International Programme obtained in 2010 from Pakistan College of Law. In 2012 he joined the Civil Service of Pakistan as a career diplomat and has represented the Government of Pakistan at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. He is currently posted in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Islamabad.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency of the Pakistan government.