Islam and Human Rights — Page 209
Future Relationship between Islam and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 209 reciprocity. Measures have also been adopted to give effect to the provisions of the law of inheritance, so as to safeguard the rights of female heirs and of orphans. Certain juristic anom alies have been corrected. In the sphere of freedom of conscience, some degree of rigidity still prevails and a tendency towards fanaticism and persecution is noticeable among certain sections. As already explained, the practical result does not affect non Muslims so seriously as it does Muslims who refuse to conform to what may be current as orthodox in a particular region. Few regimes would venture so far today as to exact penalties for such non-conformity, though the last case in which the extreme penalty was imposed occurred as recently as forty-three years ago; yet dissent is looked upon with suspicion and distrust, at best as eccentricity and, therefore, a nuisance, and at worst lunacy or criminal, and thus dan gerous. Subtle methods of discrimination and persecution are resorted to, which operate to the prejudice and dis comfort of the dissenter. Except in times of public excite ment, when passion and prejudice take the upper hand and the more sober and reasonable elements prefer discretion as the better part of valour, there is little active violenlce. Paradoxically, certain democratic procedures, such as