The Universal Islamic Declaration of Human Rights (1981)
Article XV a) In their economic pursuits, all persons are entitled to the full benefits of nature and all its resources. These are blessings bestowed by God for the benefit of mankind as a whole.
Later on the same article talks about doing things for the good of the community.
South African Bill of Rights (2009)
Section 24: Everyone has the right
b. to have the environment protected, for the benefit of present and future generations, through reasonable legislative and other measures that
i. prevent pollution and ecological degradation;
ii. promote conservation; and
iii. secure ecologically sustainable development and use of natural resources while promoting justifiable economic and social development.
Why do you think there's a discrepancy in the view of nature and the environment between the two documents? Is it the year they were written, the main economic interests of the people, or something else?
This is super interesting and I personally didn't notice this discrepancy of views until you pointed it out. I think that perhaps the reason for it is two-fold; in part due to the time in which they were written and in part due to the places in which they were written.
ReplyDeleteThough the Universal Islamic Declaration of Rights was written more than 20 years before the other, it was written after the '70s when the world was beginning to develop an awareness and outrage for the impact they were having in the environment. But perhaps that environmental emphasis was not as strong then as it is now.
Secondly, Africa has always held a special place in the world's heart because of it's relatively unique species, and South Africa has been a testament of the destructive side effects of human nature. Perhaps because of this special sentiment towards the sacredness of South Africa's environment and desire to curb human greed led them to emphasize this in their Bill of Rights
What a great insight you found! I think one reason for the discrepancy is that the Islamic Declaration of Human Rights has such a strong religious tone, whereas the South African Bill of Rights is more practical. If God bestowed the Earth onto the people then His people would feel free to use the gift and not worry about future inhabitants because their same God would take care of them. In South Africa, however, the destruction of the environment they inhabit has made them cautious and weary of its treatment for the future.
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