United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres said on Wednesday that neo-Nazi white supremacist movements are today the biggest threat to internal security in several countries and warned of “online” radicalization.
At a UN Security Council meeting to discuss the peace-building impact of intolerance, hate speech, racism and other expressions of extremism, Guterres focused on the issue of hate, particularly “online,” which “contributes to terrible cycles of violence that could last for decades”.
“Around the world, we are witnessing a wave of xenophobia, racism and bigotry, violent misogyny, hatred of Muslims, virulent anti-Semitism and attacks on minority Christian communities. And the one that is growing the most,” he said.
Admitting that this is not a recent problem, the UN leader stressed that the speed at which it is spreading and its reach are worrying, drawing harsh criticism from social networks, which he accused of “equipping the spreaders of hate with a global megaphone”.
“Today, no conspiracy is too outrageous to find a wide audience; no untruth too incongruous to spark an ‘online’ frenzy. Unverified claims or outright lies can instantly gain credibility, equated with facts and science. They are often adopted — and even promoted — by political leaders,” he said.
According to the former Portuguese prime minister, the consequences of hatred are “deadly”, with the attacks on a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, or on a synagogue in Pittsburgh and a church in Charleston, in the United States, as examples. where the perpetrators have all radicalized ‘online’.
The United Nations itself is not immune to this threat, Guterres defended, noting that a poll of UN peacekeepers last year found that 75% see disinformation as a direct threat to their safety and security.
Source: DN
