Hate content on social media
It is deplorable that content of supremacist and extremist elements directed against Muslims is being allowed to thrive on social media platforms.
Such hateful content not only hurts the sentiments of Muslim population but also making their lives difficult especially those who live in non-Muslim countries.
The Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), a US based corporation, in its recent report has highlighted that apparent unwillingness of social media tech-giants to permanently remove hate and racist online content on different platforms that are whipping up hatred against Muslims and their faith, has been creating inexplicable problems for the community worldwide.
It is also casting a chilling effect and prevented the Muslims from exercising their freedom of religion and speech online.
Only on twitter, about 3.8 million anti-Muslim tweets were posted between August 19 and August 22.
Users from three countries including India generated 86 per cent of malicious online content in last few years that led to physical attacks on Muslims and mosques across the globe.
While Islamophobia has reached epidemic levels, the international community needs to act for protection of Muslims.
The UN declared Anti-Islamophobia Day on March 15 due to major efforts by Pakistan and that was a laudable step, however, more needs to be done to stem surge of such trends worldwide.
While twitter can withhold the account of Pakistani government in India, it and other social media platforms should also act and withhold accounts of extremist elements spreading hateful content.
It is also for influential Muslim countries to raise the matter seriously with social media tech giants, and if no ears are given to us, then Muslims should boycott and block them.
We will also suggest Muslim countries to create their own social media platforms which should be only used for good purposes and forging harmony amongst different followers of different faiths.
Source: Pakistan Observer
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