New Books
| Date | 01 September 2001 |
| DOI | 10.1177/092405190101900310 |
| Published date | 01 September 2001 |
| Subject Matter | New Books |
NQHR
3/2001
and the acceptance by more and more countries or States
of
Shari's law, thereby
dejure
or
defacto limiting the freedoms
of
the non-Islamic residents or citizens in those countries.
The basic questions are (a) what is the scope
of
the freedom concerned, as defined within
the UN framework; (b) what is today's relevance taking into account that other human rights
would appear to provide equal protection; and (c) how dynamic is this freedom
of
thought,
conscience and religion. The set-up itself however focuses on (i) individual aspects
of
this
freedom; (ii) the right to non-discrimination on the basis
of
religion or belief; and (iii) the
community aspect
of
the freedom concerned. Here some disparities would appear to take
hold. This is also true for the fact that this opus tends to have encyclopaedic features (it is
very complete indeed, and undoubtedly the result
of
thousands
of
hours
of
heroic research),
but every
now
and then the personal opinion
of
the author appears to be lacking or to be
'prudent' at most. An example comes to mind:
if
De
long
wells on
'no
limitation
of
marriage
due to religion' he concludes that
'it
is high time that an open discussion on, for example, the
position
of
intending spouses
of
different religions or beliefs and on the position
of
women
in general, is stimulated, not only at State level, but also between the various religious
communities world-wide'. It should come as no surprise that this reviewer would have
preferred a more outspoken statement on this issue, particularly now that the freedom
of
so
many immigrant women is de facto curtailed in choosing a groom.
The answers to the questions (a) and (b) would appear to be quite obvious, but De long
manages to take the reader along a path with unexpected horizons, unattainable heights and
steep slopes. The journey is a fascinating one, and De
long
aperfect guide.
The true strength lies in the third part dealing with the dynamics in which the author is
indeed forward-looking, forward in the sense
of
increased individualism and new forms
of
'contemplation', not as much where it concerns multicultural societies, which are sooner or
later bound to result in some clash
of
cultural identity (e.g. on the subject
of
family law). This
indeed is reflected in his conclusion in which he eloquently submits
'the more individualistic our societies become, the stronger the need for a common framework: less
stringent than that
of
traditional religions, but clear enough to provide the basis for the definition
of
a
fundamental outlook on life. Thus respect for the freedom
of
conscience can again lead to a common social
fabric, with individual expressions
of
a more general and more abstractly worded international system for
the protection
of
human rights and fundamental freedoms. Capturing the main theme
of
this thesis in one
sentence, I would maintain that eventually the freedom
of
thought, conscience and religionmay be the best
instrument against a world governed by sheer materialistic forces: it is now more than ever relevant to
protect and encourage further development
of
Man's conscience.'
With such a statement, De
long
shows that his journey was not only a mere academic, but
also a personal, which indeed explains the depth and insight and added value
of
this excellent
piece
of
work.
B. NEW BOOKS
Female genital mutilation: a guide to laws and policies worldwide /ed. by Anika Rahman
and Nahid Toubia. - London: Zed Books, 2000. - xviii, 249 p.
ISBN: 1
856497739
In encouraging apro-active governmental response to the practice
of
female genital
mutilation (FGM), this book places the subject in a human rights and legal framework. As
the result
of
a major research report in 41 countries, both North and South,
it
covers not only
the prevalence
ofFGM
but the various laws and other measures in place to prevent it. FGM
is not exclusively a concern
of
African governments. It is primarily (although not
370
To continue reading
Request your trial