Human Rights in Iran: The Abuse of Cultural Relativism

  • Citation: Afshari, Reza. Human rights in Iran: The abuse of cultural relativism. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2011.
    • Topics:
    • Human Rights
    • Keywords:
    • Iran
    • cultural relativism
    • Islam
    • theocracy
    • torture
    • human rights
    • women’s rights

Are the principles set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights truly universal? Or, as some have argued, are they derived exclusively from Western philosophic traditions and therefore irrelevant to many non-Western cultures? Should a state’s claims to indigenous traditions, and not international covenants, determine the scope of rights granted to its citizens?

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