Right of asylum (or political asylum, from the Greek: ἄσυλον) is an ancient juridical notion, under which a person persecuted for political opinions or religious beliefs in his or her own country may be protected by another sovereign authority, a foreign country, or church sanctuaries (as in medieval times). This right has its roots in a longstanding Western tradition—although it was already recognized by the Egyptians, the Greeks and the Hebrews—Descartes went to the Netherlands, Voltaire to England, Hobbes to France (followed by many English nobles during the English Civil War, etc.; each state offered protection to foreign persecuted persons.

Political asylum is similar, but not identical, to modern refugee law, which deals with massive influx of population, while the right of asylum concerns individuals and is usually delivered on a case-to-case basis. There is overlap between the two because each refugee may demand political asylum on an individual basis.

The Egyptians, Greeks, and Hebrews recognized a religious "right of asylum," protecting criminals (or those accused of crime) from legal action to some extent. This principle was later adopted by the established Christian church, and various rules developed to qualify for protection and just how much protection it was.

Rhyme Asylum is a currently unsigned London hip hop group formed in 2002 by MCs Possessed, Psiklone, Skirmish and Plazma, who did not return for the second album. The group are known to involve multiple guest artists from both sides of the Atlantic in their tracks.

Their recognition originates from the Deal Real open mic sessions between 2004 and 2005. Their debut album "State Of Lunacy" was released in June 2008 featuring US rappers Copywrite and Diabolic, and an album cover designed by the Skam2?, who has previously designed for Eminem, D12, A Tribe Called Quest, Naughty By Nature and Ill Bill.

Rhyme Asylum have received airplay on internet and British radio as well as performing freestyle live on BBC 1Xtra, BBC Asian Network, Choice FM, Conspiracy Worldwide Radio,Kiss and Diesel FM.^{[citation needed]} They have played across the UK in London, Brighton, Southampton, Sheffield, Newcastle, Manchester,Glasgow, Birmingham, and Ipswich. and overseas in Hamburg supporting Dilated Peoples.

The divine right of kings, or divine-right theory of kingship, is a political and religious doctrine of royal and political legitimacy. It asserts that a monarch is subject to no earthly authority, deriving his right to rule directly from the will of God. The king is thus not subject to the will of his people, the aristocracy, or any other estate of the realm, including (in the view of some, especially in Protestant countries) the Church. According to this doctrine, only God can judge an unjust king. The doctrine implies that any attempt to depose the king or to restrict his powers runs contrary to the will of God and may constitute a sacrilegious act.

The remote origins of the theory are rooted in the medieval idea that God had bestowed earthly power on the king, just as God had given spiritual power and authority to the church, centering on the pope. The immediate author of the theory was Jean Bodin, who based it on the interpretation of Roman law. With the rise of nation-states and the Protestant Reformation, the theory of divine right justified the king's absolute authority in both political and spiritual matters. The theory came to the fore in England under the reign of James I of England (1603–1625, also James VI of Scotland 1567–1625). Louis XIV of France (1643–1715), though Catholic, strongly promoted the theory as well.