STUDY REVEALS POLITICIANS, RELIGIOUS LEADERS ARE KEY PERPETRATORS OF HATE SPEECH
The National Human Rights Commission NHRC’s study commissioned in 2024, supported by Unesco on the prevalence of hate speech in The Gambia, has revealed that politicians and religious leaders are the key perpetrators of hate speech in the country.
The study discovered that victims of hate speech also cited political affiliation, ethnicity and religious beliefs as the primary reasons they have been targeted.
Speaking during the national convergence on combating hate speech at The Sir Dawda Kairaba Conference Centre on Tuesday, Emmanuel Daniel Joof, chairperson of the NHRC, said the dangers of hate speech and its impact are far from theoretical.
“Hate speech isn’t just an abstract concept, its consequences can be truly devastating,” he said. He pointed to historical tragedies like the Rwandan genocide and the Holocaust, noting that both were preceded by hate speech,” he said.
Chairman Joof highlighted that hate speech fuels violence by dehumanising groups based on religion and other things; and that it thrives on ignorance and misrepresentation, and if unchecked, it can tear apart the fabric of society.
While politics was highlighted as one of the key reasons, the study revealed that 17% of the general public and 36% of government respondents highlighted religious intolerance too in hate speech incidents.
Yvonne Masarakufa, UN Resident Coordinator highlighted that hate speech threatens human rights and democracy, urging stronger legislation, public awareness and dialogue to combat it, in line with UN strategies and human rights law.
She emphasised the crucial role of religious and traditional leaders in fostering unity and called their collective commitment to protect vulnerable groups and promote peace by turning The Gambia’s diversity into strength.
Sheikh Alhagie Essa Darboe, president of the Gambia Islamic Council, condemned hate speech as a threat to social cohesion.
Source: The Standard
