1951 REFUGEE CONVENTION
It often seems that the UK is being asked to take in more and more refugees from Muslim majority countries. This may be because their options are more limited than you might suppose
Muslim-Majority Countries That Have NOT Signed the 1951 Refugee Convention:
Middle East & North Africa: Bahrain Egypt Iraq Kuwait Lebanon Libya Oman Qatar Saudi Arabia Syria United Arab Emirates (UAE) Yemen
South Asia: Bangladesh Pakistan
Southeast Asia: Brunei Malaysia Indonesia
Africa: Comoros Djibouti Eritrea Mauritania
In fairness it should be pointed out that China and India haven’t signed either. The reasons for all these non-signatories are not entirely clear. However some of these countries are quite small, and all have large porous borders. They would indeed be swamped
Muslim-Majority Countries & the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948. Unlike treaties, it is not legally binding, and all UN member states, including all Muslim-majority countries, are considered to have accepted it in principle.
However, some Muslim-majority countries did not vote in favor of the UDHR in 1948 or have later expressed objections due to perceived conflicts with Islamic law (Sharia), particularly on issues like freedom of religion, marriage equality, and women’s rights.
Muslim-Majority Countries That Did NOT Vote in Favour of the UDHR in 1948:
Saudi Arabia – Abstained
The only Muslim-majority country that did not vote in favour of the UDHR in 1948. Objections were based on Article 18 (freedom of religion) and Article 16 (right to marry without religious restrictions).
Yemen (Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen at the time) – Absent. Yemen was not present for the vote, but it did not officially reject the UDHR.
Pakistan, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Turkey, and Lebanon voted in favour despite later reservations.
Later Objections to the UDHR
While most Muslim-majority countries officially support the UDHR, some have expressed concerns about its compatibility with Islamic law. Countries that later criticized or sought alternatives to the UDHR include:
Iran (especially after 1979)
Pakistan
Sudan
Mauritania
Afghanistan (under Taliban rule)
