JEDDAH, 27 February 2007 — A Saudi human rights campaigner told the Jeddah Economic Forum yesterday that the Kingdom was following the tenets of Islam and the blessings of Allah for honoring human rights.
“We cherish human rights and work toward preserving the dignity of mankind,” Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Abdulaziz Henaidy, in charge of organization and international relations at the Riyadh-based National Human Rights Commssion, said while addressing the post-lunch session under the title “The Legal Structure Must Keep Up.” He reiterated that the commission was based on the principles of Shariah.
“Human rights development is related to economic reform. The economy may not flourish if human rights are not respected and protected,” he said. “We have a national association for human rights that deals with domestic discrimination or violence. The Kingdom is committed to fight such phenomena.”
It is due to ignorance and lack of education that atrocities take place, especially in tribal conditions. The Kingdom has been pursuing a policy of dealing with such happenings.
He said: “People generally talk about human rights but never their obligations and duties. There ought to be an awareness campaign in this regard.”
He said his organization was interacting with non-governmental organizations in the United States and through them addressing the problems of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay. “In fact, more US students should visit this part of the world and understand its culture and faith. Such interactions can improve mutual relations and help in removing distrust and misunderstanding,” Henaidy said.
Thomas Caldwell, chairman of Caldwell Securities Ltd., said he saw rules and regulations as a consumer. “My job is to evaluate risks and see how they can be taken care of within the legal framework.”
Any law must be part of a sound legal system with characteristics like clarity and simplicity, he said, adding that when applied any law has to be fair and seen to be fair and that in a democracy, legislators may pass laws but people many not be aware of them.
Giving his own experience in business, he said: “If you want to do business, look around and see what works and what doesn’t. Do no harm is a good guideline (in business) like in medicine.”
