HRs Should be Enacted not Only Celebrated! [Archives:2000/49/Viewpoint]

What is a human if without any rights? And what is a declaration if with no effect? The world is celebrating the 52nd anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in less than a week from now. And with every single day there is a new organization created for protection of human rights, and with every single minute there is an act committed in violation of the same rights that these associations claim to protect.
What is happening now in Palestine under the UN very nose is really hummilating. People around the world are starting to question the effectiveness of all these laws and declarations, and the real role of the United Nations. When the trust in such assocaitions is shaken this badly, then there must be something wrong.
Yemen, being a democratic country agreed on all the declarations stated for defense of human rights around the world. Even then, awareness of our rights and the liberties we should be enjoying in our daily life, is still a myth for a Yemeni man. Education for example, is a right that every human should be granted, then how come the rate of illiteracy not only is high, but is increasing day by day?
Before celebrating this day and congratulating ourselves for the level of democracy we have reached so far, we should understand that human rights is not only the concern of one or two men. Its not only the duty of the president, that he should spoon-feed the people democracy and freedom. We should work on it as well; We should exercise our freedom by first knowing what we are allowed to do. And then ask for more.
Yemen compared to many Arab countries is better off in this field. We keep seeing NGOs coming up everyday, and the fact that we hear about illegal prisoners and violations of the human right is a sure sign that we are aware, to an extent. What we need now is to question all those who have the ability to decide and make a change, about what they have done for human rights and for us. Question about those jails that most of the sheikhs and high ranking officers have. What kind of law that allows them to prosecute citizens as they wish, and have them in jails for many years and sometimes tortured to death?
We are still growing, we need support and aid from all those human right protecting countries and organizations to help us stand on our own. Yemens history is full of struggle and fight for one reason or another. There isnt a single year when the Yemeni people lived with no kind of war. Even at this minute itself, there are tens of people gunned down on either the borders or among tribes with no good reason at all.
We long for some justice. We long for peace.

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