A consultative conference was held in Baghdad by the Masarat institution for legislating a law against hate speech.
The conference, which took place in Mandaean’s Mandae in Baghdad, discussed the guarantees for the protection of freedom of speech along with the protection of social peace.
Many religious, civil, and diplomatic leaders and press managers participated in the conference, which opened with a word from Rishama Sattar Jabbar Hilo, the international head of the Mandaean religion in Iraq. The Rishama indicated the importance of the topic of this conference in his word and invited all the participants to stand against hate and racist speeches that threaten Iraq’s diversity.
Father Yonan Alfred, secretary of the Council of Heads of Christian Communities in Iraq, presented his own view on the roots of hate speech directed towards minorities in Iraq and how it threatens mental/emotional well-being and social cohesion.
Moreover, the cleric from Najaf Ashraf, Waleed Al-Ba’aj referred to the legitimacy of the hatreds and inviolability of the harm human rights violations the hatred may cause and also discussed hate speech in terms of religion.
From his side, the general coordinator of Masarat Institution Dr. Saad Salloum delivered a word that summarized the Institution’s work in preventing hate speech since its establishment in 2016 and as it founded The National Center for Observing and Confronting Hate Speech in 2018, and recently it launched the campaign of legislating laws to criminalize hate speech.
The main session of the conference was moderated by Mr. Raad Jabar Salih the head of Christian, Mandaean and Yezidi Endowments, and the head of the Iraqi minorities office. Mr. Jabar’s word focused on the balance between the safeguards of freedom of expression and keeping the social peace by discussing the possibilities of legislating a law that criminalizes hate speech.
Furthermore, the Executive Director of the National Center for Observing and Confronting Hate Speech Dr. Amina Al-Thahabi revealed the results of observing hate speech for five years. Meanwhile, the member of expert committee in the National Center for Observing and Confronting Hate Speech Dr. Wael Munther reviewed the different options the expert committee had worked on to shape the law of criminalizing gate speech that Masarat Institution suggested.
Finally, the former parliament member of the Shabak party Mr. Mohammed Al- Shabaki gave talked about confronting and preventing hate speech through editing education curriculums.
The Head of Armenian Orthodox Archimandrite Oshakan Gyulgulyan ended the conference praying for the stability of Iraq and peace for all its people in the new year.
The discussions resulted in forming of a new group for preventing hate speech including the Masarat Institution, The Council of Iraqi Minorities, and of the head of the Sabean-Mandean community. This formation aims to support the right steps to find a suitable law or legislation that can protect society and civil peace from hate speech alongside the freedom of expression.
The new formed group invited journalists, bloggers, activists and organizers, and anyone who support the group’s goals to join in for expanding the work and efforts to achieve shared objectives.
