Tag: hate speech

  • British Home Secretary slammed for calling pro-Palestine demonstrations ‘hate marches’

    British Home Secretary slammed for calling pro-Palestine demonstrations ‘hate marches’

    Suella Braveman, Home Secretary of UK, has said that the thousands of people taking to the streets after the largest massacre of Jews post holocaust are, “chanting for the erasure of Israel from the map,” emphasizing that they are “hate marches”.

    She was speaking to the media after an emergency meeting called by Rishi Sunak over growing terror fears in the region. She reiterated her demand for “police to show zero-tolerance approach to antisemitism.”

    The shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper called out her statement as irresponsible citing, “use of careless rhetoric makes the job of the police much harder”.
    Previously, she urged the police to clamp down on any attempts to use flags, songs or swastikas to harass or intimidate the Jewish community. Her statement was also seen as a harsh response to the most famous chant of these marches, “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

    Former Cabinet Minister Saeeda Warsi lambasted the home secretary by saying that “she never misses the opportunity to create a culture war”.

    Braveman is being widely criticised over her remarks. Left-wing politician David Osland posted on X, writing, “British National Party’s protest as hate march or is this word reserve for those demanding peach for Palestine?”

    Netizen, Howard Beckett, reminded the world that she called a “protest against the ongoing murder of over 3000 children a hate march”.

    UK has seen massive protests and marches in support of Palestine but the stance of the Government is hostile and provocative against the marchers. Nearly a hundred arrests have already been made while five have also been charged with offences.

  • ‘Anti-Muslim hate speech increases in India around elections’: Hindutva Watch

    ‘Anti-Muslim hate speech increases in India around elections’: Hindutva Watch

    A recent report on Hindutva Watch by Raqib Hameed Naik, Aarushi Srivastava and Abhyudaya Tayagi titled ‘2023 Half-Yearly Report: Anti-Muslim Hate Speech Events in India’ reveals that there have been 255 documented incidents of hate speech in gatherings targeting Muslims in the first half of 2023.

    The watchdog used the definition of hate speech by the United Nations which states, “any form of communication, whether oral, written, or behavioral, that employs prejudiced or discriminatory language towards an individual or group based on attributes such as religion, ethnicity, nationality, race, color, descent, gender, or other identity factors.” This definition includes all forms of expression, including speech, writing or behavior, and specifically focuses on any language that is either discriminatory (biased, bigoted, or intolerant) or “pejorative” (prejudiced, contemptuous or demeaning) of an individual or group.

    It also notes that overwhelmingly, 205 (80 per cent) of these hate speech events occurred in BJP-ruled states and union territories. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat witnessed the highest number of hate speech gatherings, with Maharashtra alone accounting for 29 per cent of such incidents.

    Strikingly, seven out of the top eight states with the highest hate speech events are governed by the BJP and its coalition partners. Around 52 per cent of hate speech gatherings in BJP-ruled states and union territories were orchestrated by entities affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), the Bajrang Dal, the Sakal Hindu Samaj, and the Bharatiya Janata Party. Overall, 42 per cebt of all hate speech gatherings in 17 states which includes two centrally controlled territories were organized by groups affiliated with the RSS.

    The report finds that approximately 64 per cent of the events in BJP-ruled states and union territories incorporated references to popular Hindu far-right anti-Muslim conspiracy theories. Overall, 51 per cent of all the hate speech gatherings in 17 states which includes two centrally controlled territories featured anti-Muslim conspiracy theories.

    A concerning 33 per cent of all the gatherings explicitly called for violence against Muslims and about 11 per cent of events included explicit calls for Hindus to boycott Muslims. Disturbingly, 4 per cent of all the events featured hate-filled and sexist speeches explicitly targeting Muslim women.

    Nearly 12 per cent of events featured calls to arms. Notably, 33 per cent of hate speech events took place in states that have already conducted or are set to conduct state legislative elections in 2023. Furthermore, over 36 per cent of these events occurred in states slated to hold legislative elections in 2024. In total, nearly 70 per cent of these events were reported in states with legislative elections either in 2023 or 2024.

    Hindutva Watch tracks the activity of Hindu far-right organizations and their members on social media, scraping data from X (formerly known as Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and Telegram to find verifiable videos of hate speech events. They also employ data scraping techniques to identify verifiable videos of hate speech events, followed by in-depth research conducted by a team of dedicated journalists and researchers. Additionally, they draw upon credible reporting from established news organizations to compile comprehensive data. To ensure the accuracy of their findings, they conduct verification processes, confirming the authenticity of the videos, their precise location, and the date on which they were recorded.

  • English teacher targeted and killed on blasphemy allegation in Turbat

    English teacher targeted and killed on blasphemy allegation in Turbat

    Trigger warning: Murder

    A teacher linked to a language center was shot and killed by unidentified armed men in Turbat town, Kech district. Abdul Rauf, a 22-year-old English teacher, was attacked near a graveyard in the Malikabad area while on his way to an ulema jirga to address allegations of blasphemy.

    Students of the language centre had accused Rauf of committing blasphemy during a lecture, which gained attention on social media. Sudhir Ahmed, the centre’s principal, stated that ulema visited to listen to both sides, with Rauf denying the allegations and apologising for any objectionable words.

    Despite the attempt to resolve the matter, Rauf was killed before reaching the jirga, attended by over 100 ulema. The police were informed, though the family did not file a case. The body was taken to their hometown, Bal Nagor, for burial.

    A case against unknown individuals has been filed, and a special police team is investigating the incident. Authorities discourage spreading hate or unverified news on social media. Rauf was part-time teaching at the centre while studying at Turbat University.

  • Gen Amjad Shoaib in police custody for ‘inciting hatred against institutions’

    Gen Amjad Shoaib in police custody for ‘inciting hatred against institutions’

    Lieutenant General (retd) Amjad Shoaib was arrested by Islamabad police in the federal capital on Monday morning.

    A first information report (FIR) was registered against Gen Shoaib on February 25 at Islamabad’s Ramna Police Station.

    The FIR was registered under Sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups, etc) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

    According to the FIR, filed on the complaint of Islamabad Magistrate Owais Khan, the former army officer incited people to revolt against institutions and attempted to provoke disharmony and anarchy and create a law and order situation in the country through controversial statements he made on a TV show.

    In the complaint, Magistrate Khan said that the retired general — in an interview on BOL TV’s show ‘Imran Khan Bol Kay Saath’ aired on Saturday — passed statements that “incited government officials and Opposition from performing their government and legal duties”.

    During today’s hearing, the prosecution informed the court about the case registered against the former three-star general and requested a seven-day physical remand.

    The prosecutor then read out the text of the complaint filed against the retired general.

    “Lt-Gen (R) Shoaib was present as a guest on a private television [channel]. Hatred was spread against the government through his statement. Through his statement, an attempt was made to create hatred between the government, opposition and government officials,” he read the complaint.

    The prosecutor said, “The relations between the Opposition and the government are not well; they were incited through the statement.

    “The Opposition is being incited to employ a stricter strategy against the government. Through Lt-Gen (R) Shoaib’s statement, hatred is being spread between three factions,” he added.

    “As per the sections imposed on Lt-Gen (R) Shoaib, a sentence of five years can be given,” prosecutor Adnan said.

    He said a photogrammetric and a voice matching were required, adding that the former will be done in Lahore.

    At this point during the hearing, Lt-Gen (R) Shoaib’s counsel Abbasi opposed the grant of the physical remand and requested that his client be discharged from the case.

    Advocate Abbasi said, “The court has to see whether Lt-Gen (R) Shoaib even committed a crime or not. If the magistrate thinks the suspect has not committed any offence, then [Lt-Gen (R) Shoaib] can be discharged from the case.”

    Advocate Abbasi said, “Lt-Gen (R) Shoaib is almost 80 years old and is being harassed since a long time. He was sent behind bars within an hour of filing the case.”

    Imam, another member of Lt-Gen (R) Shoaib’s defence team, said his client had acknowledged giving the said statements on the TV channel. “If he has admitted his statement and presence [on the TV show], then why does a photogrammetric and voice matching test need to be done?” he asked.

    Upon this, the prosecutor said, “The evidence of voice matching and a photogrammetric test is necessary for the trial.”

    At one point, the retired general’s counsel said “the arrests of [only] two institutions’ officials had been pending,” adding that “the next arrest could perhaps be of a member of the judiciary.”

    Following the conclusion of the arguments from both sides, the court reserved its verdict.

  • Lahore police arrested more than 1,600 criminals in first week of 2023

    Lahore police arrested more than 1,600 criminals in first week of 2023

    During the first week of January 2023, Lahore police arrested 1,657 criminals in total.

    Police detained 254 people on suspicion of possessing illegal weapons and displaying them and 97 people on charges of aerial firing.

    62 people were detained by police on gambling-related offenses. Furthermore, the Lahore Police detained 227 individuals charged with major offenses within the first week of this year. During the first week of 2023, police made 227 proclaimed arrests.

    86 target offenders, 110 court absconders, 117 POs, and 24 criminals in the A category were all apprehended by police.

    Police detained 62 people for violating the kite-flying law. According to the National Action Plan, 114 people were detained under the Sound System Act, 115 under the Arms Act, 74 under the Security of Vulnerable Establishments Ordinance, 254 under the Tenancy Act, and one in a case involving hate speech.

  • Miftah Ismail reacts to ‘hate campaign’ against him by former PTI ministers

    Miftah Ismail reacts to ‘hate campaign’ against him by former PTI ministers

    Finance Minister Miftah Ismail has reacted to a hate campaign launched against him by former minister for human rights Shireen Mazari and former Prime Minister’s spokesperson Shahbaz Gill.

    Mazari accused Miftah of using ‘religion card’ against Imran Khan. Miftah, while reacting to the organised hate campaign, said: “Imran Khan used religion for politics but now his ministers have also resorted to this method. And in order to do so, they also have to lie.”

    In a video clip shared on social media, Miftah said: “The former prime minister essentially then started talking about some Quranic verses, Amr bil Maroof wa Nahi anil Munkar (promotion of virtue and prevention of vices). Somehow, we (the Opposition) were the standard-bearers of vice and he was the standard-bearer of virtue.”

    Twitter users are condemning Mazari’s tweet.

    Mazari’s daughter, without naming anyone, also came forward to condemn the hate campaign and putting people’s lives in danger.

  • Hindu religious leader arrested for congratulating Gandhi’s murderer, says Gandhi destroyed India

    Hindu religious leader arrested for congratulating Gandhi’s murderer, says Gandhi destroyed India

    Indian police on Thursday arrested a Hindu religious leader for allegedly making a derogatory speech against India’s independence leader Mahatma Gandhi and praising his assassin.

    Kalicharan Maharaj was arrested in central Madhya Pradesh state on Thursday for allegedly promoting hatred between religious groups in a speech earlier this week, the Press Trust of India news agency cited police officer Prashant Agrawal as saying.

    According to media reports, Maharaj said “Gandhi destroyed the country … salutations to Nathuram Godse, who killed him.”

    He will be formally charged in court after the police complete an investigation. If convicted, he can be jailed for up to five years.

  • ‘Kill them’: Three-day hate speech conclave held in India as Hindutva leaders call for killing Muslims

    ‘Kill them’: Three-day hate speech conclave held in India as Hindutva leaders call for killing Muslims

    A three-day “hate speech conclave” was organised by Hindutva leader Yati Narsinghanand in Uttarakhand’s pilgrimage city of Haridwar, India, where multiple calls to kill minorities and attack their religious spaces were made, reports The Quint.

    The gathering had speakers like Annapurna Maa, Dharamdas Maharaj from Bihar, Anand Swaroop Maharaj, Sagar Sindhuraj Maharaj, Swami Premanand Maharaj, and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ashwini Upadhyay.

    “If you want to finish them off, then kill them… We need 100 soldiers who can kill 20 lakh of them to win this,” said Annapurna Maa.

    Dharamdas Maharaj from Bihar said: “If I was present in the parliament when Prime Minister (PM) Manmohan Singh said that minorities have first right over national resources, I would’ve followed Nathuram Godse, I’d have shot him six times in the chest with a revolver.”

    “If the governments do not listen to our demand [the establishment of a Hindu Rashtra through violence against minorities], we will wage a war far scarier than the 1857 revolt,” said Anand Swaroop Maharaj.

    According to the report, religious leader Swami Anandswaroop gave an example of how Muslim street vendors should be treated. “The street in which I live, every morning I used to spot a mullah with a big beard and nowadays they keep a saffron beard. This is Haridwar, Maharaj. There is no Muslim buyer here, so throw him out,” he said.

    Videos of the event have been circulating on social media and people are reacting to the threats being directed towards the minorities in India.

  • UK media regulator fines Indian channel over hate speech against Pakistan

    UK media regulator fines Indian channel over hate speech against Pakistan

    The Office of Communication (OfCom), that regulates communication services in the United Kingdom, has directed India’s Republic Bharat TV to pay a fine of £20,000 over a show that propagated hate speech against Pakistan.

    According to the regulator, the show ‘Poochta Hai Bharat’ in an episode breached Ofcom Broadcasting Code with its comments and content.

    The programme was also “potentially offensive” and in violation of the Broadcasters’ Code, it said in the order issued earlier this year.

    “During a current affairs discussion programme the presenter and some of his guests made several
    statements which amounted to hate speech against, and derogatory and abusive treatment of, Pakistani people,” the watchdog had said in its order.

    “The content was also potentially offensive and was not sufficiently justified by the context. In breach of Rules 3.2, 3.3 and 2.3 of the Broadcasting Code. Due to the serious nature of these breaches we are considering imposing a statutory sanction,” as per the order issued in Feb 2020.

    During the episode aired on Sept 6, 2019, statements made by a “retired major general from the Indian Army, which clearly threatened that the Indian military would attack Pakistani civilians in their homes, were an expression of hatred and desire to kill by a figure of authority”.

    “In our view, the broadcast of these statements also promoted hatred and intolerance towards Pakistani people,” said Ofcom.

    The decision was taken despite an apology which was broadcast by Republic Bharat in English and Hindi for a total of 280 times. In addition to the fine, Ofcom also directed the operator not to repeat the programme.

    “Given that the Licensee has recorded a number of breaches within a short time, Ofcom is requesting that the Licensee attend a meeting to discuss its compliance arrangements,” it added.