Human Rights

With crimes against humanity now on NATO’s doorstep, Westerners are focusing on human rights with concern and alarm not seen since the Cold War. As we do, we must admit that the West’s post-Cold War precepts and priorities downplayed human dignity and human suffering.

Millions of people in many places across the world celebrated Newroz (the Kurdish and Persian New Year) on March 19-23 with their families and loved ones. Kurds across Turkey also organized mass celebrations, but that came with a heavy price.

On March 29 right outside Imam Reza Stadium, the Islamic regime pepper-sprayed women who bought game tickets to watch the World Cup qualifying match between Iran and Lebanon. Such stirringly poignant treatment of women in Iran is not unprecedented.

Xi understands well that if Putin’s regime falls, China will lose an important bulwark.

The Russian Federation’s expulsion from the Council of Europe on March 16, 2022, and its forthcoming exit from the European Convention on Human Rights were precipitated by the invasion of Ukraine. But they follow a long and fraught history of conflict between Russia and European human rights institutions, a story that holds lessons about the proper purpose and composition of international formations aimed at protecting and promoting human rights.

Mass moral atrocities and genocidal tendencies have not lessened with the supposed end of the Cold War. If anything, they have increased.

So now I will pray for all Russian dissenters, who are in great peril. And I will pray for Vladimir Putin, too.

Violations of religious freedom have been a significant factor in creating the conditions that marked the “path to genocide.” Therefore, protecting religious freedom will be critical for those looking to walk with the “Rohingya on this path out of genocide.”

The genocide determination issued by the Biden administration has been a long time coming, but it’s never too late to do the right thing. The determination should now act as a catalyst for global momentum to hold the perpetrators accountable.