LIES / HATE SPEECH / PROPAGANDA

In a world plagued by hatred and violence, it is crucial for each one of us to take a stand. Hate crimes not only harm individuals but also tear at the very fabric of our society. We must educate ourselves about the dangers of lies and words of hate, as they can lead to unspeakable acts of violence and crimes against humanity.

By understanding the root causes and consequences of hate crimes, we can work towards creating a more inclusive and compassionate world. Let's come together to challenge stereotypes, promote empathy, and foster understanding among different communities.

It is not enough to simply condemn hate crimes when they occur. We must actively engage in spreading awareness and promoting tolerance. By doing so, we contribute to the collective effort of building a society where everyone feels safe, respected, and valued.

Take the first step towards making a difference. Educate yourself about the impact of hate and violence, and share your knowledge with others. Together, we can create a future where hate has no place and harmony prevails. Stand against hate and violence - join the movement today.

Historical precedents show that hate speech can be a precursor to atrocity crimes.

In recent years, the world has witnessed several mass atrocities. In many of these cases, hate speech was identified as a “precursor to atrocity crimes, including genocide”. While the use of social media and digital platforms to spread hatred is relatively recent, the weaponization of public discourse for political gain is unfortunately not new. As history continues to show, hate speech coupled with disinformation can lead to stigmatization, discrimination and large-scale violence.

THE HOLOCAUST

The Nazi regime adopted laws and regulations to crush Germany’s independent media, replacing it with state-controlled radio and print media that disseminated hate speech, antisemitic, racist stereotypes, disinformation and lies. The media campaigns contributed significantly to normalizing atrocity crimes. This facilitated the Holocaust the planned and systematic persecution and annihilation of some 6 million Jewish children, women and men, and at least half a million Roma and Sinti, by Nazi Germany and other racist states. The Nazi regime and its racist collaborators violated the human rights of, and committed atrocity crimes against, people with disabilities, Germans of African descent, LGBTQI+ peoples, Poles, Soviet prisoners of war, political dissenters and Jehovah’s Witnesses. The Holocaust did not start with the gas chambers, but with hate speech against a minority.

THE CAMBODIAN GENOCIDE

In the 1970s, the Khmer Rouge movement of Pol Pot led an intense propaganda campaign to mobilize rural parts of the population and seize power. Hateful discourse systematically dubbed intellectuals, opponents, and city dwellers, but also Cambodia’s ethnic and religious minorities as the “enemies” of the Cambodian people. It is estimated that 1.5 to 2 million Cambodians died under the Khmer Rouge regime, from 1975 to 1979.

THE RWANDA GENOCIDE

In Rwanda, decades of hate speech exacerbated ethnic tensions by spreading unfounded rumors and dehumanizing ethnic Tutsi citizens. This was bolstered by hate propaganda broadcast by the infamous Radio Libre des Mille Collines, which incited the Hutu majority to kill their fellow Tutsi citizens. During the ensuing 1994 genocide, it is estimated that more than 1 million people were systematically killed in less than three months. The victims ranged from babies to the elderly and were overwhelmingly of Tutsi ethnicity, but also moderate Hutu, Twa, and other individuals who opposed the genocide. An estimated 150,000 to 250,000 women were also raped.

THE SREBRENICA GENOCIDE

The enabling role of hatred and disinformation campaigns in inciting and legitimating war crimes has also been established in the Bosnian war (1992–1995). In Serbian majority areas, constant nationalist propaganda through party-controlled media demonized the Bosnian Muslim population, and other groups, as violent fundamentalist enemies plotting against the Serbs. Dissent was also silenced. In July 1995, in just a matter of days, Serbian forces killed 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys in the town of Srebrenica, a Muslim enclave in eastern Bosnia and a "safe area" under UN protection. The Bosnian war left more than 100,000 people dead and 20,000 missing. A quarter of a century later, hate speech, the glorification of war criminals and the denial of genocide and other atrocity crimes are still rampant, including in political discourse and in the media, highlighting the “failure to comprehensively confront the past.”

THE ROHINGYA REFUGEE CRISIS IN MYANMAR

A campaign of hate and misinformation loaded with derogatory and dehumanizing language against the Rohingya Muslim minority of the country has been linked to the commission of grave human rights violations committed in Myanmar, from 2012 to 2017. The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar established by the United Nations Human Rights Council – released a report documenting the widespread hate propaganda led by State officials, politicians, military and religious leaders. It also found systematic atrocities such as killing, rape, gang rape, torture, forced displacement, and other grave rights violations against the Rohingya minority. It is estimated that tens of thousands of people have been raped. By August 2018, more than 725,000 Rohingya had fled to Bangladesh – creating the fastest-growing refugee crisis in the world.