The message of Eid has become more of a cliché, the same stereotype words lacking any genuineness and depth are disseminated through mass media. Whatever message of brotherhood is given, is mere lip service and lacks any meaning, just like a body without soul – dead. In reality, ideology of hatred has started dominating religious sermons on such occasions.
Hate speech is a speech that attacks a person or group on the basis of attributes such as gender, ethnic origin, religion, race, disability or sexual orientation.
In a country like ours, where literacy rate is among the lowest in the world, people don’t learn through knowledge rather they get influenced by the opinion.
An opinion leader is a well-known individual who has the ability to influence public opinion on the subject matter for which the opinion leader is known. The imam masjid is undoubtedly the religious opinion leader of the masses, especially in areas where the education and awareness is still a rare commodity. The basic common sense has failed to understand how come this role is either totally denied or ignored by both the government and community. This is an ideal platform to preach brotherhood, human values and peace. It is an ideal opportunity to form a national and unified opinion, which goes in the best interest of our country. The main spirit behind such gathering is the community’s welfare, but unfortunately this is not the case here.
Rather the message based on hatred is preached, wall chalked and distributed. It is not only in rural areas but also in many metropolitan areas that such hate literature is distributed and hate speeches are delivered unabated. Although the virtually insignificant law on hate speech is there but its implementation is weak to the extent of being questionable. A common person like this scribe wonders whether the state means it or not. Pakistan Penal Code quite rigorously covers such offences; for example, Section 135(a) criminalizes anyone “who by words either written or spoken, or by signs, or by visible representation or otherwise, promotes or incites or attempts to promote disharmony, enmity, hatred, ill-will amongst different religious, racial, lingual, regional groups or communities on grounds of religion, race, caste, community, place of birth, language or another ground”. Similarly, Section 153-A (B) punishes anyone “who commits or incites any other person to commit an act which is prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony between different religious, racial, lingual or regional groups”
Despite all these laws Gojra riots in 2009 , Hazara massive genocide, the torching of dozens of houses in a Christian dominated neighborhood of Lahore in 2013 and many more tragic incidents causing an extremely high death toll are a result of deep-rooted hate speech. The menace of global terrorism has its roots in hate speech. This century has witnessed the worst of hate crimes due to hate speech. Post 9/11 world has witnessed hate speech leading to hate crimes. The Muslim community living overseas has been bearing the brunt of the same for long. Muslims are facing the worst kind of discrimination in India due to hate speech under the garb of freedom of expression. In August last year, Sadhvi Prachi said, “it is a big misfortune that in Indian parliament, we have one, two terrorists sitting”. Many Muslim communities were burnt down based on hate speech.
But are Muslims safe in an Islamic country? It is also a reality check. When asked about Pakistan’s hate speech laws, a large majority (83 percent) of total respondents indicated they were unaware of the laws related to hate speech. The vast majority also indicated they had come across hate speech on Facebook and other social media sites.
Living in a unilateral state, the target of hate speech is mainly based on religious indifferences. It has now become everybody’s business to poke their noses into other persons’ religious beliefs and decide on the basis of their unauthenticated knowledge as to either a person is destined to go to hell or heaven.
The hate speech list is so long that it needs volumes of books to fully grab its compass. Since the vast majority forms its opinion through such hate literature, the Jumma congregation and the Eid prayer sermons should be the message carrier of unity and tolerance. But in reality, anyone can preach their agenda or hatred in the name of religion. People inevitably follow and get influence by it.
After the conquest of Mecca, Holy Prophet (PBUH) presented himself as a khatib to holy city in 630 AD. The first four caliphs, the Ummayad caliphs and provincial governors all delivered sermons. The Mughal Emperors, who inherited this tradition from their predecessors, continued it in India. In the Mughal era, the sermon was approved by the state head and consisted of some approved points mainly consisting of praise of God, the Prophet (PBUH), the four caliphs and the name of new ruler was added. It was repeated on every Friday and on the occasions of Eid throughout the empire.
Today, the need of a unified message is the highest. The opinion leaders can prove to be the most useful hand in forming a unified opinion based on tolerance and peace. The hate speech and hate literature by anyone is one of the biggest hindrances in the making of a tolerant culture.
First of all, we, ourselves, need to be against hate speech. Despite all religious beliefs and ideologies, hating someone is definitely not taught in any religion. Islam is derived from the Arabic root “Salema” meaning peace, purity, submission and obedience.
Holy Quran clearly mentions in (2:256) “There is non-compulsion in religion”. In a hadith Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) clearly said, “It is unworthy of a Momin to injure people’s reputation, and it is unworthy to curse anyone, and it is unworthy to abuse anyone and it is unworthy of a Momin to talk arrogantly.”
This true face of our religion needs to be preached as it carries answers to our numerous questions and problems. We need to understand the role of communication in community for developing harmony and peace. The lack of any policy on government level regarding the content of religious sermons has given birth to the anarchy of indifferences. Human beings don’t learn to hate by birth, it is our system that preaches it to them and makes them master it.
Nabiha Shahram is a children’s right activist and a former educationist