Young Palestinian Muslim Views on Socio-economic Human Rights

Abstract

This paper examines the attitudes of 905 Bethlehem area Muslim males and females between the ages of 13 and 32 (M = 17.8) in regard to socio-economic human rights, including both the provision and protection of basic socio-economic rights. Explained variability was high (52.8%). Belief in God (personal and non-personal descriptions), the public function of religion, cultural conformity, the relevance of religion in society, the value of consultation between religion and state, empathy, and human dignity deriving from moral behaviour were significant predictors. The results are consistent with Muslim beliefs. It can also be argued that support for human rights, in this case socio-economic rights, can come from a religious context. Human rights obviously are not the preserve only of the secular.