Hate Speech in Global Politics and its Antidote

As the world we currently live in is taking a shift towards acceptance, with globalism turning the world that we know into a small global village, we witness the rise of hatred and the need to have a sense of grandiosity in some individuals. Hate speech is one of the disadvantages that has escalated since the internet. However, hate speech has been present since the existence of civilization, and to this day, is the main factor in wars and genocides, while being the main component in the widespread of misinformation. In this article, we will depict what hate speech is, examples where hate speech was used and its antidote.

What is hate speech?

As hate speech has been known to several scholars worldwide, there yet has to be a defined term that coins hate speech. According to the UN website, hate speech refers to the aggressive discourse where someone attacks a person or group through characteristics beyond their control, being gender, race, or religion, posing a threat to social peace. In fact, the UN characterized hate speech as “any kind of communication in speech, writing or behaviour, that attacks or uses pejorative or discriminatory language with reference to a person or a group on the basis of who they are, in other words, based on their religion, ethnicity, nationality, race, colour, descent, gender or other identity factor” (United Nations, N.D)

How can we identify hate speech?

It is safe to say that we’ve all seen hate speech while scrolling through our phones through the form of memes, yet sometimes some individuals tend to laugh at the satire setting. However, the impact of such content can be tremendous, especially in conflict settings, conditioning the viewer to having a lack of empathy towards that group or stereotyping a society through claims that are false.

For instance, the Times of Israel, 2023 published a Screen capture from video of an 'Eretz Nehederet' sketch lampooning US college student support for Hamas. This Israeli TV show is portraying how ultra-liberal students are taking a pro-Palestinian stance, given the current genocide the Palestinians are enduring. In this case, one can safely deduct the hate speech targeted towards a certain group while attacking a sensitive topic.

However, some officials in governments use hate speech as well, by insulting individuals and undermining them. A perfect example that happened in the near past was the Israeli defence minister calling Palestinians human animals, after publicly announcing one out of the numerous war crimes committed by the government of Israel towards the Israeli people.

But is hate speech limited to traditional media outlets such as newsletters, TV shows and politicians? The answer is no. In fact, Israeli influencers took over their social media to post content blatantly mocking Palestinians and using hate speech through dressing as Palestinian women and showing that they are acting amidst one of the biggest catastrophes since the 21st century.

What has the UN done towards hate speech throughout history?

Undoubtedly, the United Nations is very adamant towards promoting peace and dialogue. Throughout the 75 years of the United Nations, numerous treaties were initiated. Here are some of The initiatives taken by the United Nations:

1. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR): Article 20 of the ICCPR addresses hate speech, specifically advocating for the prohibition of any advocacy of national, racial, or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility, or violence, adopted in 1966. (OHCHR, N.D)
   
2. International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD): This treaty was adopted in 1965, focusing on the eradication of racial discrimination and includes provisions related to combating hate speech. States parties are obligated to condemn and prohibit racial discrimination, as well as take effective measures to combat hate speech and incitement to violence based on race. (OHCHR, N.D)
   
3. Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC): the CRC emphasizes the right of the child to be protected from all forms of discrimination, which could include speech promoting hatred or discrimination. (OHCHR, N.D)
   
4. Declaration of Principles on Tolerance: the UNESCO Declaration of Principles on Tolerance emphasizes the importance of promoting tolerance and preventing the spread of hate speech. (OHCHR, N.D)
   
5. The Rabat Plan of Action on the Prohibition of Advocacy of National, Racial, or Religious Hatred that Constitutes Incitement to Discrimination, Hostility or Violence: While not a UN treaty, the Rabat Plan of Action was developed under the auspices of the United Nations and provides guidance on addressing hate speech in accordance with international human rights law.
   

What can you do regarding fighting hate speech?

Hate speech can be tackled through several means that will be displayed throughout this segment:

1. Identify hate speech: a simple way to battling hate speech, like any disease or illness, is awareness on the topic. Knowing what hate speech is and noticing when its being used does not only help you as individual, but helps you as an active citizen to depict and know how to hold your officials accountable.
   
2. Do not engage: simply not interacting with hate speech demotivates the outlet in question to share more content that spreads misinformation. In other words, not sharing the post to your friends and reporting it can help the provider identify the issue quicker.
   
3. Endorse and advocate: it is important for us as youth and citizens of the world to be active and aware of the decision-making processes taken nationally and internationally. An important resolution that we need to shed the light on is the adoption of UN resolution 2686, where the United Nations Security Council has adopted this resolution as an antidote to hate speech. This resolution was adopted unanimously where the 15 nations to promote dialogue and peaceful coexistence, while addressing the issues of hate speech and extremism, through the application of international law. (United Nations, 2023).
   

To conclude this article, it is definite that hate speech exists in this world, however it is our job as citizens to address it and condemn groups and officials who tend to use it as a scapegoat for their actions. It is time for citizens to rise above the hatred and look towards one another as equals rather than inferiors and superiors. At rasit, We condemn the UN to mobilize its bodies to stop the spread of hate speech in all its forms, as it creates a false perception and conditions citizens to prejudice.