TEHRAN TIMES POLITICAL DESKTEHRAN The question of the UN Human Rights Commission condemning Iran is worthy of consideration from different angles. One of these angles is the political agenda of those who issue such denunciations. A profound look at the question reveals the cause of this denunciation, as will be dealt with below:

1- The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in comparison with the past situation of human communities is one step forward so as to confine and even overthrow tyrants and dictatorial governments, restoring human dignity and values to all peoples in all lands. However, the declaration and its executive conventions had been predominantly drawn up at a time when Islamic countries were not a determining force in the international arena and were not in a position to demand the incorporation of Islamic ideological and value-oriented beliefs into the contents of the declaration. For this reason the theoretical and intellectual foundations of the UN Human Rights Declaration and its practical and executive ways at times contradicts the Islamic law.

2- The West looks at other nations with contempt and shows no respect to their religious and national cultures and beliefs. This attitude has caused them to disrespect one billion Muslims and their progressive beliefs and refuse to incorporate them into the human rights declaration.

3- There is an institutionalized oppression in progress at the UN. The right of veto granted to five members of the UN Security Council is open oppression at the international level. Thanks to this law, all the anti-Israeli resolutions in the Security Council have been vetoed and the Palestinian people have been deprived of their rights through the treacherous manipulation of international law. Is this not a violation of human rights?

4- The West treats human rights issues in a selective manner based on their own interests and not human rights criteria. Human rights for the U.S. and other imperialist states is a propaganda weapon and not a lasting human value. Take for instance the silence of the West with regard to the situation of human rights in countries such as Egypt, Chile, Saudi Arabia, etc., and compare it with the constant denunciation of some anti-American countries such as Iran, Sudan, Iraq, Cuba, Libya, North Korea.

5- To defend human rights in its real sense while at the same time remaining committed to Islamic values, Islamic countries should think out a plan to draw up an Islamic declaration of human rights.

6- Why should human rights be evaluated in our countries by Western criteria? Why should we give in to values that deny Islamic rights and principles? Is the death sentence inhumane? Is qisas ( right of retaliation) against human rights?

If we stop anti-American and anti-Israeli slogans, the Islamic Republic will no longer be listed among the countries violating human rights.