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• The Universality of Human Rights
  George Hill
  Published on: 18 May 2017

• Published on: 18 May 2017

  The Universality of Human Rights

  • George Hill, Vice-President
  • Other Contributors:
    • John V. Geisheker, J. D., LL.M.

  Mazor proposes to deny core human rights to boys born into Jewish homes on the basis of their birth and sex, which is a violation of core principles of international human rights law.¹

  The universality of human rights is a core principle - that everyone has the same human rights without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin,...

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  Mazor proposes to deny core human rights to boys born into Jewish homes on the basis of their birth and sex, which is a violation of core principles of international human rights law.¹

  The universality of human rights is a core principle - that everyone has the same human rights without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.², ³

  The universality of human rights also applies to children. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) provides:

  "States Parties shall respect and ensure the rights set forth in the present Convention to each child within their jurisdiction without discrimination of any kind, irrespective of the child's or his or her parent's or legal guardian's race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, property, disability, birth or other status."⁴

  The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) provides:

  "Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person."²

  Although non-discrimination and equality are also core principles of international human rights law, Mazor would provide a lesser standard of protection of the right to security of the person for children born into Jewish households. He would provide that males born into Jewish households are entitled to lesser sexual pleasure than other males. Mazor would deny the right of self-determination to males born into Jewish households.¹

  Respect for patient rights is an essential element of medical ethics.^{5, 6} Mazor, however, would throw out this element of medical ethics.¹

  Mazor would permanently relegate males born into Jewish households to the position of Untermenschen -- sub-humans denied full citizenship. Mazor's recommendation of discrimination against boys born into Jewish households is incredibly anti-Semitic. One wonders how the editors of JME could accept this treatise for publication.

  Mazor's completely unethical point-of-view must be rejected by the medical community.

  References

  1. Mazor J. The child's interests and the case for the permissibility of male infant circumcision J Med Ethics 2013;39:421-428 doi:10.1136/medethics-2013-101318
  
  

  • 2. Universal Declaration of Human Rights, G.A. res. 217A (III), U.N. Doc A/810 at 71 (1948). Adopted 10 December 1948. Available at: HYPERLINK "http://www.ohchr.org/en/udhr/pages/introduction.aspx" http://www.ohchr.org/en/udhr/pages/introduction.aspx Accessed 9 December 2013.
    
    3. The foundation of international human rights law. United Nations. Available at: HYPERLINK "http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/hr_law.shtml" http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/hr_law.shtml. Accessed 9 December 2013.
    
    4. Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989). UN General Assembly Document A/RES/44/25. Adopted 20 November 1989. Available at: HYPERLINK "http://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/crc.aspx" http://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/crc.aspx Accessed 9 December 2013.
    
    5. European Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine (1997). Adopted by the Council of Europe at Oviedo, 4 April 1997. Available at: HYPERLINK "http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/en/Treaties/Html/164.htm" http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/en/Treaties/Html/164.htm Accessed 9 December 2013
    
    6. Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights (2005). Adopted by the UNESCO General Conference, 19 October 2005. Available at: http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=31058&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html Accessed 9 December 2013.

  Submitted on behalf of the Members of the Board of Directors of Doctors Opposing Circumcision. and its medical advisors:

  George C. Denniston, M.D., M. P. H.,?President
  Mark D. Reiss, M.D.,?Executive Vice-President
  Richard B. Russell, IV, A.B., J.D., Director of Communications
  Morris R. Sorrells, M.D., Pediatric Consultant
  Andrew R. Biles, Jr, M.D., Pediatric Consultant
  John W. Travis, MD, MPH, Infant Wellness Consultant
  Michaelle M. Wetteland, RN, MMA, Nursing Consultant
  Zenas Baer, Attorney at Law.

  Conflict of Interest:

  None declared

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  Conflict of Interest:
  None declared.

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