U.N.: Social media must clamp down on hate speech

Social media, including Facebook, must proactively block content inciting hatred and prevent online campaigns which target minorities, such as those undertaken in Myanmar, the United Nations human rights chief said on Wednesday. Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, was speaking after U.N. experts accused Myanmar generals of “genocidal intent” and said Facebook […]

Facebook identifies new campaign to meddle in 2018 U.S. elections

Facebook Inc. said on Tuesday it had identified a new coordinated political influence campaign to mislead its users and sow dissension among voters ahead of November’s U.S. congressional elections. It said it had removed 32 pages and accounts from Facebook and Instagram, part of an effort to combat foreign meddling in U.S. elections. The company […]

Our Achievements in Tell MAMA as We Move into 2016

As we move into 2016, it is important to reflect on what has been achieved for the public over the last year. Tell MAMA is now moving into its fourth year of existence and the results over the last year have been humbling. But this has been about how we have made a difference. When

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Joshua Bonehill-Paine jailed for inciting antisemitic hatred

The self-styled “nationalist, fascist, theorist and supporter of white rights” Joshua Bonehill-Paine, of Yeovil, Somerset, has been sentenced to three years and four months in prison following his conviction for inciting racial hatred. Police arrested Bonehill-Paine ahead of a planned neo-Nazi rally in Golders Green in July – the heart of London’s Jewish community. Bonehill-Paine had created antisemitic images to promote his ‘anti-Jewification’ rally. One image included weed killer sprayed over the entrance of Auschwitz. The image ridiculed the horrors of the Holocaust. And called for the ’round-up’ and removal of Jewish communities from Golders Green. A racist and antisemitic caricature of a Jewish man underscored much of the propaganda. During the trial, the prosecution argued that the ‘O’ of Golders Green referenced the SS. Forensic analysis of Bonehill-Paine’s laptop revealed many versions of the flyer. Owing to public outrage and a fear of disorder, the Met Police moved the protest to Westminster. More than 2,000 signed-up to a counter protest online. The ‘Golders Green Together’ campaign helped raise community awareness and counter-narratives. Members of the neo-Nazi group New Dawn also had a part to play in the Golders Green protest. Bonehill-Paine was arrested in February on suspicion of malicious [...]

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Britain First supporters boycott H&M over its use of Muslim model

H&M’s latest new fashion campaign ‘Close the loop‘ has drawn the ire of Britain First supporters. The source of their indignation is a Muslim model named Mariah Idrissi. Britain First concluded that ‘As the number of Muslims in Britain increases, so will their prominence in the media’. Though that logic presents a flaw, as Ms Idrissi told Fusion “It always feels like women who wear hijab are ignored when it comes to fashion.” Nor did Britain First inform supporters that the campaign also features a diverse cast: from an amputee model, to plus-sized models, and a group of Sikh men. Funny that. So why the single focus? Forget H&M or Mariah Idrissi for a moment. It is not about that. The story serves a wider purpose – to play on the insecurities individuals hold towards Muslims in Britain. A variety of comments called for boycott of H&M. Others opined that ‘Islam belongs in the desert away from the civilised world’. One user wrote that ‘I’m SICK of turning on the tv and seeing Muslims on it. I don’t pay a licence to see that sort of vermin’. To stray from a perceived notion of cultural identity invokes bigoted, racist, and [...]

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Thousands of Anti-Muslim Posts Today Could Fuel Reverse Extremism

We have commented on the mosque fire at the Baitul Futuh mosque today. Yet, a simple search of Facebook pages where the fire was highlighted, such as the Evening Standard Facebook page, shows the following vile hateful comments below. These are just a few snapshots of comments which are made at the start of the

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Why do Sikhs also experience anti-Muslim violence and hate?

A decision not to charge a 17-year-old with a hate crime contradicts Illinois hate crimes law, according to the Sikh Coalition. On September 8, Inderjit Singh Mukker, 53, and a father of two, faced of torrent of racist abuse when driving down a Chicago suburb. Shouts of “Terrorist!” “Bin Laden!” “Go back to your country!”came from the car behind. Mukker pulled over when the vehicle began tailgaiting; instead of passing by, the driver got out and reached into Mukker’s car to assault him. The Coalition claim that Mukker required treatment for a fractured cheekbone, bruising and blood loss and six stitches for the lacerations on his face. In a statement, Harsimran Kaur, of the Sikh Coalition said: “In fact, in my many years of representing hate crime victims, the hate crimes charge is as clear and as obvious as it gets. To ignore the racial element of the crime sends a clear message that State’s Attorney Robert Berlin is not interested in protecting vulnerable communities.” “I am appalled and disgusted by this decision,” said the victim, Mr Mukker. “What happened to me on Tuesday night is the definition of hate.” The attack on Mukker is a synechode. It forms the [...]

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How Twitter users are ridiculing ISIS with cartoon memes

Individuals are using manga to drown out ISIS propaganda. The birth of ISIS-chan (Japanese: ISISちゃん, Aishisu Chan) took place in January to damage ISIS’ image SEO. ISIS-chan’s popularity increased after hacktivist group Anonymous targeted and exposed sympathetic ISIS Twitter accounts. The use of ISIS-chan comes with its own set of rules: do not insult Islam, avoid Islamic iconography and avoid naming Allah or the Prophet Muhammad. Alongside a strict no-gore, no-porn policy. At the turn of 2015, an alleged ISIS account attempted to spread propaganda on unrelated Japanese hashtags. Examples included ‘Daikan’ (a term to describe the coldest day of the year) and ‘Zuwaigani‘ (queen crab). A hashtag dedicated to Hitoshi Saito, the two-time judo Olympic gold medalist, who died on January 20, after a battle with cancer, became a target. The propaganda depicted the impeding peril of hostages Kenji Goto and Haruna Yukawa. Some created the hashtag #ISISクソコラグランプリ (ISIS kusokora guranpuri or ISIS crappy collage grand prix) to invert fear and ridicule the terror group. #ISISクソコラグランプリ pic.twitter.com/PR3BwpJevL — temmo kun (@temmo5) January 20, 2015 ISIS had threatened to murder both men unless Japan paid a $200m ransom – the same amount President Shinzo Abe donated to countries fighting the [...]

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Will Twitter’s new safety policies tackle online hate?

Twitter’s new ‘Safety Centre‘ offers a streamlined service for users concerned about online abuse. The promotion of “good digital citizenship” points you in the direction of extended FAQs relating to existing features. So for individuals new to the platform it helps. There is specific information breakdowns for teachers, students, and parents. But some changes could

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