Sparing a day for a world without hate (Editorial)
Open any social platform, and you’ll be pulled into a digital arena where anger sells. Hate-filled tweets trend. Vicious YouTube thumbnails attract millions of views. Political influencers throw around dangerous labels for clout. It’s not just random trolls anymore—competing commercial brands, social media influencers, sectarian groups, and even mainstream political parties often deploy hate speech strategically. Whether it’s to mobilize a voter base, crush a rival, or spark tribal loyalties, hate has become a currency—and many are cashing in.
What’s worse, platforms often reward the loudest, most offensive voices. In Pakistan, this online culture is mirrored by talk shows that pit guests against each other in choreographed ideological brawls. Hate is not an accident here—it’s part of the business model.
Against this noisy and dangerous backdrop, the International Day for Countering Hate Speech, marked on June 18, offers a sobering reminder. Born out of the United Nations Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech (2019) and formally observed since 2021, this day is not just symbolic. It demands countries take concrete steps to recognize, define, and dismantle the systems that allow hate to flourish.
In Pakistan, hate speech cuts across sectarian, religious, gender, and political lines. Religious minorities—Ahmadis, Christians, Hindus, and Shia Muslims, Islmailis —are especially vulnerable. The hate they face ranges from subtle delegitimization to violent incitement. Social media has become a particularly unsafe space, where calls for boycotts, accusations of blasphemy, and threats of violence are routinely shared, liked, and forwarded. These aren’t just online rants—they translate into very real, often deadly consequences.
From sectarian sermons and political campaigns to textbook language and Twitter hashtags, hate speech has embedded itself into the cultural, religious, and political landscape. Religious minorities, especially Ahmadis, Christians, Hindus, and Shia Muslims, are its most frequent victims—vilified in media, accused of disloyalty, labeled heretics, or blamed for natural disasters and societal decay during frequent hate spikes on the social media.
These narratives don’t just spread—they metastasize. According to research by Bytes for All and the Global Media Journal, social media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube have amplified hate speech dramatically—especially during elections and religious events. Algorithms reward provocation, not peace. Influencers, clerics, and political leaders often exploit this for reach, crafting inflammatory videos that remain live even after violent incidents follow.
Despite calls for action, Pakistan’s legal response to hate speech remains riddled with contradictions. Laws such as Section 505(2) of the Penal Code, the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, and recent defamation legislation claim to curb hate. But in practice, they often target dissenters rather than protect minorities, and silencing critical voices – journalists, academics, and activists – in the guise of “public order.”
PECA, especially after the 2022–25 amendments, has enabled sweeping censorship, giving regulators such as PEMRA powers to block digital content, fine platforms, and surveil users. While hate-filled content stays up, material promoting human rights or minority perspectives is flagged, demonetized, or removed. Studies show that hate speech against Ahmadis alone increased by 30% online in the last two years, with little action taken to curb it.
There have been positive efforts too. The National Action Plan (NAP) once promised a crackdown on hate preachers and extremist networks, while government-backed apps and hotline numbers were introduced to report incitement. But civil society groups argue these actions lack consistency, transparency, or accountability. Promising frameworks are often abandoned or repurposed to police opposition voices instead of actual hate actors.
The difference between hate speech and free speech must be preserved. Hate speech incites violence or discrimination against protected groups; free speech includes criticism of ideology, law, or institutions. Suppressing critical thought in the name of combating hate ultimately backfires—strengthening actual hate groups and weakening democratic values. Civil society, despite repression, continues to resist. From rights lawyers and digital watchdogs to artists, teachers, and student groups, ordinary Pakistanis are fighting to reclaim space for pluralism.
As we mark the International Day for Countering Hate Speech, we must go beyond ceremonial statements. We call for a national audit of hate speech laws, a purge of discriminatory textbooks, better digital moderation by tech platforms in local languages, and accountability for inciting violence—no matter the source. We urge institutions to empower rather than silence critical voices, and to protect those at the margins, not target them. Silence enables hate. But truth, inclusion, and solidarity can defeat it. Let this June 18 be more than a calendar event—let it be the moment we decide to speak against hate before it speaks for us.
