UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has proclaimed a new global initiative against hate speech.
Guterres lamented that “hate” is moving into the mainstream and has “poisoned” debate on migration policy. He claimed this is done via “false narratives linking refugees and migrants to terrorism and scapegoating them for many of society’s ills.”
Guterres described this groundswell of “hate speech” as a “menace to democratic values, social stability, and peace. It spreads like wildfire through social media, the Internet, and conspiracy theories.”
Perhaps his most revealing statement of bias was when he combined “rising anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim hatred.” He neglected to note that part of the rise of anti-Jewish rhetoric has been as a direct result of mass-migration from the Islamic world.
The New York Times noted that in a 2013 study about Sweden’s spike in anti-Jewish rhetoric and violence, “51 percent of anti-Semitic incidents in Sweden were attributed to Muslim extremists. Only 5 percent were carried out by right-wing extremists; 25 percent were perpetrated by left-wing extremists.” The Times also cited similar problems in France. Guterres’ statement was also revealing because anti-Christian rhetoric and terror attacks were not even included in his discussion.
Sassy Wire 