Doha: As hate speech continues to rise globally, threatening social cohesion and international peace and security, the International Day for Countering Hate Speech, observed annually on June 18, holds growing significance. It serves as a vital reminder of the grave dangers hate speech poses to the safety, livelihoods, and freedoms of individuals and communities, and of its direct threat to civil peace and global security.
According to Qatar News Agency, this international occasion aims to raise awareness about the urgent need to combat all forms and manifestations of hate speech-whether verbal, written, or behavioral-and to promote global initiatives that foster a culture of coexistence, dialogue, and acceptance of others. This comes amid an unprecedented surge in racist and biased rhetoric on many media platforms and social media networks, rhetoric that fuels division and encourages extremism and intolerance.
The United Nations defines hate speech as any kind of communication in speech that attacks or uses pejorative or discriminatory language with reference to a person or a group based on their religion, ethnicity, race, gender, or other identity factor. The UN emphasizes that addressing this phenomenon requires concerted efforts from governments, civil society, media institutions, and tech companies while fully respecting freedom of opinion and expression.
In this context, the UN launched a comprehensive Strategy and Plan of Action to counter hate speech on June 18, 2019, initiated by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. It was a response to the growing manifestations of racism, extremism, and incitement in various parts of the world, while stressing the importance of upholding fundamental rights and strengthening partnerships between local and international stakeholders.
Speaking on the concept of hate speech and whether there is a globally unified definition for it, Professor of Islamic Philosophy and Civilization at the Community College, Dr. Hind Al Hammadi, told Qatar News Agency (QNA) that the term itself reveals its nature, as it is based on rejecting and not accepting the other. She explained that conflicts are not inherently religious or civilizational, but are often exploited to achieve political, economic, or social ends driven by inherent human desires for self-interest and superiority.
Dr. Al Hammadi noted that hate speech includes any written or spoken content intended to stir hatred toward different segments of society, and that it implicitly seeks to exclude individuals through expulsion, marginalization, or the restriction of rights. It is defined as behavior that publicly incites violence or hatred against a group based on race, color, or religion, she added.
Regarding the reasons some media outlets resort to religious incitement and hate speech, Dr. Al Hammadi noted that many such outlets are politicized and act according to the agendas of their funders or affiliations, often without awareness. They exploit legally protected freedom of expression as a cover to spread extremist discourse rapidly and with wide impact, aiming to mislead the public, provoke chaos, and exploit societal divisions to justify violence and oppression in pursuit of narrow political or economic gains, she added.
In a related context, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue, Dr. Ibrahim bin Saleh Al Naimi, said in exclusive statements to Qatar News Agency (QNA) that hate speech is a mental state characterized by intense feelings of hostility and contempt towards others. The traditional definition of the term has changed with the development of the media, as the spread of hate speech has become much greater and easier through modern means of communication.
Dr. Al Naimi explained that the center is implementing two parallel plans: an external plan, which involves holding specialized international conferences bringing together intellectuals and religious leaders from more than 70 countries to discuss issues of coexistence, and an internal plan, which aims to build a generation of citizens and residents in Qatar who uphold the values of tolerance, respect, and coexistence.
Observers of hate speech around the world emphasize the importance of promoting the principle of real and realistic coexistence, considering that social tensions stem primarily from the failure to implement the values of acceptance of others, and that coexistence is not an option, but rather a national and legal necessity, especially in light of the enduring religious and cultural diversity that characterizes humanity. They also emphasized that violence and conflict will only further complicate the humanitarian situation.