By: Leticia Afandi
Recently, as we are heading towards the general elections, there have been reported many cases of hate speech in our country. This mainly comes from our leaders. We hear them throwing bad words to these fellows. The saddest thing of all, our youths are also being used by different political leaders in this.
Just because different people belong to different political party so they think hate speech can help them gain fame from citizens in order to get their votes? Can’t we break the boundaries set by stereotypes by not allowing our differences divide us? Just because you are behind the scenes, it doesn’t give you the right to judge, shame, gaslight or harass.
Think twice about the consequences of hate speech online. It is very clear that we all know hate speech drains people’s confidence, self-belief and capacity to act, so that they are inhibited from expressing themselves fully and from contributing to the society on equal basis.
It also contributes to an environment that stimulates hate, exclusion, crime and verbal violence therefore creates an atmosphere of fear for those who are its target and this will pose a growing threat to democracy. Hate speech violates human rights and corrodes solidarity and culture of debate.
The chief justice Martha Koome directed the magistrate to fast track the hate speech cases through the special courts set to be established. This will boost the fight against hate speech and other election offenses as the national gears towards the general elections.
So the government should act effectively at national and international levels to combat xenophobic and antisemitic use of also the internet and the perpetrators of hate speech and hate mongers be held to account. Citizens must pay there their civic duty to report such incidents.
Let us also inform and mobilize young people against online abuse as our leaders’ style up and look for better ways to solve these issues. Abhijit Naskar once said,” The tradition of hate has gone on long enough. Choose to the break in habit on world’s behalf.”
