Skip to content
Amman —
Sign inSubscribe

The Word Between the Manufacture of Hatred and the Manufacture of Peace

Al-Ab Raf'at Badr

3 min read

I began my intervention with a recent media incident that accompanied the visit of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV to Paris, when a short clip was spread on some media outlets and social media platforms, and some interpreted it as a racist attitude of the Pope towards a black priest. However, watching the entire scene reveals a completely different reality: the protocol officer informed the Pope that the French President and his wife were behind him, so he turned to greet them. Nevertheless, a few seconds were enough to manufacture an accusation, spread a verdict, and ignite a wave of comments.

Herein lies one of the problems of our era: speed has preceded truth, and emotion has preceded verification, and some platforms have become capable of turning a signal, a word, and a cropped image into weapons. This is what I always reiterate: humanity in recent years has advanced technologically, but has regressed morally.

Today's weapons are not just those used in war zones. Words can become weapons, images can become weapons, and platforms themselves can turn from spaces for dialogue and acquaintance into arenas for mutual recrimination, defamation, and the stripping of the other's humanity. When a person is viewed not as an individual with dignity, but as an opponent, a number, or a stereotype, the transition to hate speech becomes easier.

Therefore, we need a 'disarmed' media, as Pope Leo XIV calls for, and a gentle technology that serves humanity instead of using it. We also need media and digital literacy that enables the new generations to verify, distinguish between news and opinion, between truth and misinformation, and between freedom of expression and the insult of others' dignity.

The Catholic Center for Studies and Media launched in 2019 the Media Ethics Code, which calls for highlighting the bonds of closeness and affection among people, avoiding everything that incites bigotry, racism, and sectarianism, promoting citizenship, and respecting privacy, human dignity, and human rights.

It is essential to mention the conclusion of this regional conference, during which we listened to more than thirty intellectual and academic interventions from various Arab countries, with the launch of the Cairo Regional Charter to Confront Hate Speech and Protect Human Dignity.

Confronting hatred does not begin by silencing people, but by educating the word. When we disarm our speech, we restore the word's original mission: to be a bridge, not a wall, a means of meeting, not a tool of conflict, and a service to humanity and its dignity.

Know more about this story?Send us a tip

Al Rai

AI

Ask about this report — answers stay grounded in its text.

Answers are experimental and grounded in Al Rai reporting. Each question uses 2 credits.

More from Writers