Ideological manipulation of cultural relativism

Abstract

My aim in this paper is to show how cultural relativism can be manipulated to justify an authoritarian ideological attitude. I think that this would be better achieved through the analysis of a representative document, which is the "Universal Islamic Declaration of Human Rights" (Issued on 19 September 1981 by the Islamic Council)!. It is representative, in my view, first, because it expresses the mental attitude of a vast majority of Muslim intellectuals all over the world, second because it is said to be compiled by eminent, Muslim scholars, jurists and representatives of Islamic movements and thought, third, and maybe more significant, because it expresses the practices exercised by many Islamic states, especially in the Middle East.