Actually, no one could agree over the UN Declaration of Human Rights either. The
Saudis expressed the doubts of many other countries by objecting to the inclusion of
women’s rights and ‘freedom of religion’ particularly. They thought these were not
‘universal’, or ‘natural’ at all. Certainly their customs tell a different story. But the
opposition between nature and culture is an ancient one, presented by the Sophists
(fifth century BC) as between pysis, nature, and nomos, law or custom, and it is hard
sometimes to know which one is worse. But here are the facts backing up our
alternative declaration: