The Hate Speech Conference was held on Sep, 29- 30, 2022, in a smart partnership between Napata Centre for Research and Creativity and the International Centre for Islamic Studies and Training.
The most important recommendations were as follows: —
The importance of building a strategy to combat hate speech and decree strict laws and legislations against those who propagate it. Beside to that, media should be urged to enhance social peace, humane values, acceptance of the other and the support of civil society initiatives.
The Conference discussed many work papers about thecurrent situation issues relevant to hate speech.
The papers emphasized that the deterioratingeconomic and political situationhas directly led to the explosion of violence and hate speech that occurs due to the state of imbalance and that an important feature of developed societies is the ability to restrain violence in deeds and words, maintain balance andmoderation and consider diversity a resource.
The papers also pointed that political crises could not be solved without resorting to dialogue and the acceptance of the other.
Mohammed Ali from Omdurman Islamic University in his paper about the heritage of values that the treatment of the hate speech should come through the inculcation of the national character indicating the role of media in this respect and the importance of nurturing the society’s educational institutions aiming at creating a homogeneous social fabric indicating that the Sudanese character is born in a wide, diverse geographical area that affects it.
He also mentioned that values are based on justice righteousness as axes for the guidance of the members of the society to defined goals. And as long as they are positive they can lead the society onto the righteous path because values could enhance personality to positivity and prevent perversion.
The paper also indicated to the role of Quranicschools as an educational institution and a melting pot to mold the social the social fabric where all social strata sit on equal footing with no tribal or other narrow-minded exclusion. In the past, native administration in a specific locality included all the tribes that coexisted in the area with no ethnic discrimination or bias.
In a related context the paper “A Strategic Vision to Combat Hate Speech” prepared by Dr. Ahlam Ali el Hassan of Omdurman Islamic University mentioned that hate speech is aimed to serve specific ends, mostly political, with the message to reflect to authorities the reality of a certain situation.
The paper emphasized the propagation of the message of peace and love and the enhancement of awareness that can help in the regression of hate speechand the wide spread conflicts that depend on it in the first place.
Emphasis should be put on the combat of corruption and the promotion of strategic vision to repel the hate speech besides with the availing of free expression, the support of social initiatives, the raising of the standard ofthe message and the inculcation of the values of love and forgiveness.
The paper also recommended the use of the social media outlets for the publication of balanced and rational points of view for their quick impact.
Besides, emphasis should also go to the enhancement of values and ideals that strengthen and cement the social fabric.
AbulGasimGor said that it is essential to promote coordination between concerned parties that work in the field of peace culture locally, regionally and internationally. He also appreciated the wholesome scientific effort that was invested in the preparation of papers and the Conference as a whole and he chinvited all media outlets to constantly hammer on such subjects.
In his paper: “the Hate Speech in Society: Threats and Opportunities” Dr. Mohammed abdulBaqui said that the political changes and the development in communication have resulted in multifarious phenomena that include hate speech against the other although the Sudanese society traditionally welcomes others.
He also said that any expression of discriminatory hatred race, ethnicity, creed or other including gendre (has a negative impact.)
He pointed that many forums active in the dissemination of hate speech in society including the electronic press and social media outlets that are not controlled by censorship or press law and are exploited by some to infuse political and tribal conflict in their crave to acquire power which may lead to carry arms.
He also said that there are many reasons that cause grudge within society and individuals and drive them to adopt hate speech. They include the weakness in civil service laws and practices that re sult in favoritism and nepotism that exclude other tribal ethnic groups thatbear grudges.
The paper called for implementing a strategy for a sustainable social supported by press and media with programmes to enhance national identity, common positive traditions and customs and the religious teachings that call for noble manners,
