Plans needed to address hate speech: Interfaith conference

Doha: With over 300 participants from 70 countries, the 14th Doha Conference for Interfaith Dialogue under the theme ‘Religions and Hate Speech: Between Scripture and Practice’ began yesterday at Sheraton Doha Hotel. 

Being held under the patronage of Prime Minister and Minister of Interior H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, the two-day conference aims at discussing the problem of hate speech and its dimensions as well as the positions of religions against it and to call for respect, tolerance, and compassion.

The opening ceremony was attended by Minister of Justice, H E Masoud bin Mohammed Al Amri; Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, H E Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi; Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, H E Dr. Ahmed bin Hassan Al Hammadi; Chairman of the Board of Directors of Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue, Dr. Ibrahim bin Saleh Al Nuaimi; Secretary-General of International Union of Muslim Scholars – Qatar, Sheikh Dr. Ali Mohiuddin Al Qarahdaghi and other dignitaries and officials.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Dr. Nuaimi said that the utmost need of today is to promote love, dialogue and coexistence and fight against all types of extremism and hate.

“To address hate speech, Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue called repeatedly through its conferences for adopting plans for combating this menace religiously, legally and morally,” said Dr. Al Nuaimi.

He said that the desired stability for humanity depended on the extent of efforts made on individual and institutional levels to build a culture of peace and coexistence.

“Now the world is facing real crisis due to emergence of violence of all types which have led to killing of innocent people in conflicts that could not be justified at all.”

Unfortunately, he said, these reprehensible actions and behaviours are often covered under intolerance, hyperbole and ignorance and attributed to the religion. However, the religion has nothing to do with such practices at all. 

“If someone thinks that poverty, illiteracy and persecution are main factors, then explain to us reasons behind spreading terrorism, because hyperbole, intolerance and spreading hate speech are fuelling these conflicts,” said Dr. Al Nuaimi.

He said that these were the motives behind choosing the topic of ‘hate speech’ to discuss during this year’s conference. Hate speech is  unfortunately increasing by the day causing negative impacts and horrific provocations.

“Hate speech has begun to find many incubators under different names, such as racism, sectarianism, religious differences, with partisans and populists posing grave threats on humanity, violating religious values and breaching human right charters,” said Dr. Al Nuaimi.

The conference is hosting religious scholars, former civil servants, academics, heads of institutions, college professors, college students, charitable institutions, and civil society organisations, as well as representatives of the countries most affected by hate speech.

A number of sessions were held yesterday to discuss hate speech from different aspects. The topics of the discussions includes Radical Religious Discussion and Spreading of Hate-Speech, Controls and Abuse of Freedom of Expression, Targeted Media and Promoting Hate Speech and Inciting Violence.  

Three axes are being discussed at the conference. The first deals with hate speech in terms of causes, motives, and risks. In this context, the extremist religious discourse and its role in the spread of hate speech, the concept of hate speech and the misunderstanding of religion and the promotion of moderate discourse, will be addressed. This is in addition to the issue of escalation and spread of hate speech, and the extremist discourse of some clerics and political leaders, and its impact on achieving world peace.

The second focus, entitled “Patterns and Forms of Hate Speech”, will focus on the danger of spreading hate speech, hate speech and incitement to violence and terrorism, the political uses of hate speech and the effects of spreading hate speech and its impact on peaceful coexistence.

It will also address the practices of hate speech and their impact, the rise of racism due to hate speech, the escalation of hate speech against refugees and religious minorities, hate speech and discrimination against women.

The third focus of the conference is titled “The Desired Role to Confront Hate Speech” and will address the role of religious and media leaders and institutions in combating hate speech, the responsibility of religious scholars and houses of worship in raising awareness of the need to respect religions, the influence of the media in curbing hate speech, religious and moral values and their role in combating hate speech, and a culture of peace, coexistence and respect for cultural and religious diversity.