by Carlos Hurworth

Created on: January 14, 2010

Some of the views being purported on this issue, are nothing short of absurd and ignorant, bigoted and simplistic, denying and defamatory, disillusioned to the point of gross concern, unjust, uneducated and unfair.

Civil rights operate at the absolute root of national security.  Without a system that at least attempts to be just, and offer freedom of speech to a country’s citizens (at the very least), the risk of an unstable society can easily burgeon a situation where national security will soon come under threat.  Clearly.

Marginalised areas of a country’s social structure easily fall into patterns of unrest.  Take for example, the opposition supporters in Iran.  Faced with an apparently rigged election result in favor of the hardline Mir Hossein Mousavi - and practically voiceless due to his oppressive regime - they took to the streets to be heard, and are still mobilizing a nation’s people, as well as supporters around the world.  While some may view their fight in positive light (while perhaps viewing Mousavi’s rule as a farce), what occurred as the protests reached their peak is now history.  And doesn’t bode well for the situation of any nation’s security.

In some ways (and the notion is an anomaly itself) Iran could consider itself lucky.  - Denying civil rights can lead to a lot more extreme consequences.  Consider the Muslims of India.  Marginalised beyond belief, and treated with passionate hatred by the vast majority Hindu in the country, the Muslim population of India are actually deemed lower in the country’s social hierarchy (and to some extent, the caste system is still recognized within its culture) than the poorest, most unskilled and disrespected citizens of a nation of billions.  They suffer systematic racist attacks, have had their land and their livelihoods taken away by the (strongly Hindu) government, and continue to struggle for recognition as a group – religious or otherwise – in a country where struggling is an everyday occurrence for the vast many ignored by a government that is happy to segregate and marginalize.  - Where are the rights of these people?

In November of 2008, India was gripped by a horrifying attack that in its aftermath, saw the Indian government blaming Pakistani (Muslim) terrorists for the bloodshed and chaos.  There are many theories (and gaping holes in the evidence provided by the Indian government,

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