"The Saudi state has permitted government-appointed religious scholars and clerics and government institutions to refer to religious minorities such as Shia in derogatory terms or demonize them in official documents and religious rulings. In addition, in recent years, government-appointed clerics ha
...
ve used the internet and social media to demonize and incite hatred against Shia Muslims and others who do not conform to their views. “They are Not Our Brothers”, is based on an analysis of Saudi clerics’ fatwas and statements, court rulings, and the 2016-17 Ministry of Education religion curriculum. The report documents Saudi religious officials’ incitement to hatred and discrimination; anti-Shia bias in the Saudi criminal judicial system; and the religion curriculum’s use of anti-Shia rhetoric. The report shows how such speech is instrumental in Saudi Arabia’s enforcement of a system of discrimination against Saudi Shia citizens. The report calls on the Saudi authorities to take immediate steps to end the use of hate speech by state-affiliated clerics and governmental agencies. The authorities should also end anti-Shia bias in the justice system, allow Shia to freely practice their religious beliefs on an equal basis with Sunni citizens, and reform the education curriculum to remove anti-Shia elements." (Back cover)
more
"Adama Dieng and Simona Cruciani articulate how hate speech is defined, and draw out its possible consequences. Dieng makes the distinction between hate speech and incitement. Incitement is a very dangerous form of hate speech that can trigger violence and, in some instances, atrocity crimes and eve
...
n genocide. He makes a distinction between a person standing on a street corner who may say vile, racist things, but such invective will not have the same impact as the words spoken by a national leader who calls for violence against a particular group at a time when political tensions are high. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) states that, "Any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence shall be prohibited by law."' Hate speech and its uses to incite hostility and violence is escalating in many parts of the world, increasingly spread over social media. Dieng and Cruciami discuss the many initiatives within the United Nations system aimed at countering hate speech and incitement, underscoring how seriously the organization takes this form of expression." (Introduction to part 1, page 11)
more
"This report identifies eight basic types of harassment present in Hungary: rhetorical aggression; trolling; bullying; threats; public shaming; violation of personal privacy; cyber attacks and site hacking; and malicious social media activity. The study found that the most common types of online har
...
assment are trolling and rhetorical aggression, which are experienced by Hungarian online journalists on a daily basis through both public and private channels. Overall, comments made through private channels are more severe. Facebook comments are generally the least aggressive in nature, followed by comment sections under individual articles. Abusive messages sent via private channels (email, Facebook messages) are the most aggressive and straightforward. Many journalists agreed that the most disturbing element of online harassment is not necessarily the harshness or explicit nature of comments but the frequency and overwhelming persistence of them." (Executive summary)
more
"Menschenfeindliche und rassistische Äußerungen (Hate Speech) gegenüber religiösen und ethnischen Gruppen im Internet haben sich weltweit massiv ausgebreitet. Das Internet ist weniger ein Ort der multikulturellen Begegnung als des aggressiven Kulturkampfes mit weitreichenden Folgen für gesellsc
...
haftliches Handeln von der Diskriminierung bis zur fremdenfeindlichen Gewalt. Der vorliegende Beitrag beschäftigt sich in konzentrierter Form mit unterschiedlichen politikwissenschaftlichen, soziologischen und kommunikationswissenschaftlichen Erklärungsversuchen für die Ursachen der Hasskommunikation. Abgerundet wird der Beitrag durch eine Reflexion über ethische und co-regulative Maßnahmen in einer wehrhaften liberalen Demokratie." (Abstract)
more
"The central objective of this volume has been to show that legislation against hate speech in the EU may be an effective first step towards combatting the phenomenon, but it might not be adequate on its own to contain the present situation. This is because hate speech has multiple ways of being exp
...
ressed. In this volume, we have identified several strategies of Othering that can be used to express such an unfavourable position towards members of a minority: categorisation and stereotyping, hate concealed as patriotism, metaphorical language, sarcasm, allusions and constructed dialogue can all be ‘subtle’ ways in which discrimination emerges in public discourse. And while we are not in a position, as linguists, to suggest that such strategies belong to the category of prosecutable hate speech, we think that it is safe to assume that they do form part of what we have dubbed soft hate speech." (Concluding remarks, page 87)
more
"Die vorliegende Studie gliedert sich in einen einführenden Teil, in dem das Phänomen Hate Speech dargestellt ist, und einen empirischen Teil, in dem Äußerungen mit thematischen Bezug zu „Gender“, „Homosexualität“ sowie „Flucht und Islam“ im kirchlichen und diakonischen Rahmen analy
...
siert werden. Die anschließenden Kapitel beinhalten eine übergreifende Interpretation der Analyseergebnisse und bieten einen Rahmen zur Einordnung der Hasskommentare und den damit verbundenen Argumentationsstrukturen. Das nun folgende dritte Kapitel beschreibt den Weg vom Phänomen Hate Speech und dem in der Studie zugrunde liegenden Begriffsverständnis bis zu den Zielen und Forschungsanliegen dieses Projekts. Welche Daten zur Beantwortung der Forschungsfragen analysiert werden und welche spezifischen Merkmale sie aufweisen, ist Inhalt des vierten Kapitels. Darauf folgen in Kapitel 5 eine theoretische Einbettung, eine Erläuterung der methodischen Grundlagen und des Forschungsdesigns sowie eine Darstellung der Typisierung des Datenmaterials und des Aufbaus des Kategoriensystems. Im sechsten Kapitel sind in den drei thematischen Abschnitten „Gender“, „Homosexualität“ und „Flucht und Islam“ die zentralen, deskriptiven Befunde der qualitativen Analysen hinsichtlich der unterschiedlichen Formen von Hate Speech systematisch dargestellt. Anschließend ordnen wir diese Resultate im siebten Kapitel in den Bereich Diversität ein, zeichnen die Dynamik von Hate Speech und Kommentar-Verläufen nach, bündeln Erkenntnisse, diskutieren welche Erkenntnisse diese im Hinblick auf Kirche und Diakonie bringen und bieten einige theologische Ansatzpunkte zur Weiterarbeit. Dabei werden die relevanten Argumentationsstrukturen zusammenfassend erläutert. Zudem leiten wir Kriterien zur Einordnung einer degradierenden Sprachhandlung ab und erörtern die Möglichkeiten einer Abgrenzung von Hate Speech. Im Anschluss daran erfolgen in Kapitel 8 sowohl eine Reflexion der Studienergebnisse als auch ein Ausblick auf weiterführende Forschungsfragen." (Seite 17-18)
more
"Esta guía elaborada por la Fundación Secretariado Gitano (FSG) tiene como objetivo principal ofrecer orientaciones a las organizaciones que trabajan por la igualdad de trato y la no discriminación, a agentes clave y a la ciudadanía, sobre qué es el discurso de odio y cómo combatirlo más efic
...
azmente." (Introducción)
more
"The aim of this report is to illustrate, on the basis of online hate speech examples from six countries - Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain -, patterns of cyber hate against four communities. The topics that will be subsequently analysed are: antisemitism, antiziganism, h
...
omophobia and anti-Muslim hatred. Each section will follow a similar pattern by first offering a definition of the central terms, analysing the context and transnational trends and then highlighting country-specific aspects. The label "country specific" should not imply that those aspects are in any way country exclusive. However, they show different emphasis and peculiarities in the participating countries. This transnational analysis is complemented by national reports de-tailing the information and cases provided by the participating organisations." (Introduction, page 8)
more
"WE CAN! is the latest addition to our toolbox against hate. The most damaging examples of hate speech are often grounded in simple stories, which are repeated over and over again in different forms. The migrants “taking our jobs” narrative, for example. Or the consistent claim, made by radicals
...
, that Islam is “under attack”. Such narratives often remain unchallenged, either because they have become commonplace, or because they are delivered in sophisticated ways. This manual will therefore help young people and educators confront, dismantle and replace hateful narratives. There are no short-cuts: the reader will not find in these pages a single statement, slogan, meme or caricature to counter all hate speech. You will, however, be guided in identifying the dangerous story-telling that chips away at our communities. Even more importantly, you will find tried and tested methods to propose powerful alternatives. Not simply telling different stories, but building and deploying more truthful accounts of the world around us which encourage others to challenge prejudice and think critically, and which deepen our knowledge and understanding of one and other." (Preface)
more
"Contrary to dominant views within international law and institutions, it is never democratically legitimate to punish citizens solely for repulsive or dangerous viewpoints expressed within public discourse. With the controversial exception of the US, however, most states prohibit some forms of raci
...
st, sexist, anti-religious, homophobic, or other intolerant speech. Hateful expression surely does afflict many of the people it targets. Most democracies therefore describe bans as—perhaps not always effective, but certainly symbolic—tools for defending the safety and equality of all citizens. Democracies must certainly promote pluralism, then, through comprehensive non-discrimination policies governing education, employment, and access to goods and services. States must promote values of equal citizenship through primary schooling and public interest campaigns, and must support models of best practice within the mass media. It is also legitimate for states to punish hate speech promulgated outside public discourse, as in situations involving harassment or so-called ‘fighting words’. Hate speech bans may even offer legitimate means of enhancing state security in unstable situations, as have at times arisen, for example, in India, Israel, Northern Ireland, or transitional democracies. Hate speech bans may genuinely enhance elements of state security, then, but they never enhance its democracy. We have overlooked that distinction through our failure to distinguish the three very distinct spheres of security, rights, and democracy. Those security or rights-based criteria which legitimate a state as a state are not the same as those which legitimate it as a democracy." (Publisher description)
more
"Instead of seeking to provide an objective definition of hate speech, the paper’s empirical approach highlights that context matters. More specifically, analysis of the political and socio-economic context in which the speech act occurs and consideration of the nature of the speaker and audience
...
– including their impact and transmission – allows for a nuanced and informed approach to evaluate hate speech, and how this impacts democratisation processes. The paper presents: a general discussion of freedom of speech and its relationship with hate speech; a brief discussion on the definitions of hate speech and international legislation; a short discussion of hate speech in the four country contexts of the MeCoDEM project: Egypt, Kenya, Serbia and South Africa." (Executive summary)
more
"This European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) contribution to the second Annual Colloquium on Fundamental Rights provides a snapshot of manifestations of incitement in media content and political discourse against different groups in EU member states. It outlines the European and internat
...
ional legal framework governing such cases, substantiated by relevant case law examples.Highlighting that members of minority groups perceive the prevailing social climate as condoning racism, xenophobia and intolerance, this FRA paper underlines the need for EU institutions and Member States to address the effect incitement can have on the population groups it targets." (Page 1)
more
"Key findings include: The Internet can play a role in the radicalisation process; There are few examples of individuals radicalising entirely online, but there are signs that this could increase over time; There is less evidence of the internet’s role in recruitment to terrorist networks or the u
...
se of violence – offline socialisation remains of pivotal importance; Groups such as Al Qaeda, Islamic State (IS) and Al-Shabaab have sophisticated online presences, comprising of online media organisations, mother sites feeding content to others, and a large number of other websites and forums maintained by the wider network; Extremists are making more use of social media, and its importance is likely to grow. It is especially important in allowing women to play a larger role in networks; Extremists use the internet for operational purposes, including communication and the coordination of attacks." (Overview, page 2)
more
"Das Buch deckt die Mechanismen auf, die es den Trollen im Internet so einfach machen. Es zeigt die Tricks der Fälscher, die gezielt Unwahrheiten verbreiten, sowie die Rhetorik von Hassgruppen, um Diskussionen eskalieren zu lassen. Damit die Aggression im Netz nicht sprachlos macht, werden konkrete
...
Tipps und Strategien geliefert: Wie kann man auf untergriffige Rhetorik, Trolling oder Shitstorms reagieren? Wie entlarvt man Falschmeldungen oder Halbwahrheiten möglichst schnell? Was tun, wenn man im Netz mit Cybermobbing konfrontiert wird? Denn: Wir sind den Rüpeln, Hetzern und Hassgruppen nicht hilflos ausgeliefert – die Gegenwehr ist gar nicht so schwer." (Verlagsbeschreibung)
more
"This project aims to address a clear practical and methodological gap that exists in current efforts to tackle hate speech and its effects on communities in conflict zones—namely, how do we identify and contextualize the particular kind of language that’s likely to cause violence? Rather than a
...
ssessing the existence or prevalence of hate speech language, this project instead examines terms and their use in a particular country context. To successfully monitor and counter hate speech, we must first identify specific terms and the social and political context that makes them offensive, inflammatory, or even potentially dangerous. Therefore, PeaceTech Lab has produced this lexicon of terms used online during a particular period of South Sudanese conflict that began in December 2013 in order to analyze how they contributed to the conflict. This initiative also seeks to identify alternative language that would mitigate or counter the impact of this speech on the conflict and thereby help build peace in the country. Finally, this resource intends to inform other individuals and organizations involved in monitoring and countering hate speech in South Sudan—and potentially elsewhere—so that their work can be more effective." (Introduction)
more
"Since 2010, Facebook has become a battleground between competing political camps in Thailand. Facebook groups like the Social Sanction group, tellingly abbreviated as SS, and the Rubbish Collector Organization, which was founded in 2014 and has attracted more than 200,000 members, have played a cru
...
cial role in the process of political radicalization. The aim of these groups is to expose political opponents by accusing them of lèse-majesté, which can result in a prison sentence of 15 years or more. The groups also serve as fora for hate speech and are increasingly used as a tool of mobilization for state-sponsored mass events by the authoritarian regime that came to power with the coup d’état of May 2014. Contrary to its popular perception as a tool for democratization, Facebook has been successfully used by political groups reminiscent of fascist vigilante groups. This paper analyses the genesis of these groups and discusses the phenomenon in a broader political and historical context." (Abstract)
more
"Outbreaks of religious intolerance are usually assumed to be visceral and spontaneous. But in 'Hate Spin', Cherian George shows that they often involve sophisticated campaigns manufactured by political opportunists to mobilize supporters and marginalize opponents. Right-wing networks orchestrate th
...
e giving of offense and the taking of offense as instruments of identity politics, exploiting democratic space to promote agendas that undermine democratic values. George calls this strategy “hate spin”—a double-sided technique that combines hate speech (incitement through vilification) with manufactured offense-taking (the performing of righteous indignation). It is deployed in societies as diverse as Buddhist Myanmar and Orthodox Christian Russia. George looks at the world's three largest democracies, where intolerant groups within India's Hindu right, America's Christian right, and Indonesia's Muslim right are all accomplished users of hate spin. He also shows how the Internet and Google have opened up new opportunities for cross-border hate spin." (Publisher description)
more
"This book analyses the use of communication in resolving conflicts, with a focus on de-escalation and processes of peacebuilding and peace formation. From the employment of hate radio in the Rwanda genocide, to the current conflict between Russia and the Ukraine following events in the Crimea, comm
...
unication and the media are widely recognized as powerful tools in conflicts and war. Although there has been significant academic attention on the relationship between the media, conflict and war, academic efforts to understand this relationship have tended to focus primarily on the links between communication and conflict, rather than on communication and peace. In order to make sense of peace it is essential to look at communication in its many facets, mediated or not. This is true within many of the diverse strands that make up the field of communication and peace, but it is also true in the sense that a holistic and interdisciplinary approach is missing from the literature. This book addresses this widely acknowledged lacuna by providing an interdisciplinary perspective on the field, bringing together relevant, but so far largely isolated, streams of research. In doing so, it aims to provide a platform for further reflection of the meaning of, and requirements for, peace in our contemporary world with a focus on de-escalation, conflict transformation, reconciliation and processes of peacebuilding - as opposed to conflict escalation or crisis intervention." (Publisher description)
more
"There are a multitude of UN legal instruments which pertain to the rights of freedom of expression and information, and this book is the first to comprehensively map them and their function. It details the chequered history of both rights within the UN system and evaluates the suitability of the sy
...
stem for overcoming contemporary challenges and threats to the rights. Leading scholars address key issues, such as how the rights to freedom of expression and information can come into conflict with other human rights and with public policy goals, such as counter-terrorism. The book's institutional focus comprises five international treaties, UNESCO and the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression." (Publisher description)
more