Faraz Anjum HUMAN RIGHTS, CULTURAL RELATIVISM AND ISLAM Human rights have acquired an unprecedented importance in the modern world. They have become not only a yardstick for judging the socio-economic performance and situation of civil liberties and political freedom of the states and nations but also a tool of international diplomacy. However, focus on human rights has also inspired complex and heated debates on moral principles and cultural diversity. These debates have acquired a new significance after the end of cold war and particularly in the aftermath of the events of 9/11 and growing threat of terrorism. As the so-called terrorists, extremists and radical groups are continually invoking the ideological differences between the East and the West, there is a need to revisit these issues and debates. The paper seeks to re-examine the debate on universal human rights and cultural relativism. It also discusses the compatibility of UN sponsored Universal Declaration of Human Rights with the principles of Islam. It is divided into three sections. The first discusses the concept of human rights and its evolution in the western liberal tradition. The second part focuses on the concept of cultural relativism and its relevance for the study of human rights. The third examines the Islamic critique of human rights and divergence of UN Covenants on Human Rights and Islamic traditions.