The CREID Podcast

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Incite! What is causing the rapid spread of hate speech against religious minorities and how can this be countered?

Season 2, Ep. 1

In the first of a new podcast series focusing on identifying and challenging online hate speech which targets religious minorities, Emily Buchanan speaks to Claire Thomas, Deputy Director at Minority Rights Group, and Naumana Suleman, Pakistan Lead and South Asia Coordinator, Minority Rights Group.


In this podcast, Emily, Claire and Naumana discuss who the perpetrators of hate speech are, the nature of hate speech and how it impacts ordinary people's lives. This includes daily and commonly used insults, the desecration of cemeteries, signs in shops targeting specific minorities and, in some cases outright violence and death. They also discuss what can be done to counter hate speech and disinformation. Their discussion draws on CREID evidence from Pakistan.


This podcast was originally recorded in March 2021 and launched at "#Incite! Identifying and challenging online hate speech".


For more information about CREID, visit our website www.creid.ac or follow us on Twitter @CREID_Dev.




More Episodes

Thursday, September 3, 2020

Naumana Suleman on empowering women from religious minorities in Pakistan

Season 1, Ep. 2
In the second episode of the CREID Podcast, which gives a voice to those who work in some of the toughest areas of human rights and development, exploring how religion can impact the opportunities of some of the most vulnerable people in the world, Naumana Suleman, Pakistan Lead at Minority Rights Group, explores the issue of the intersectional discrimination of women from religious minorities in Pakistan.Despite the difficulties of access due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Naumana Suleman, a human rights professional, researcher and trainer specialised in international human rights law, minorities’, women’s and child’s rights, has been working on the invisible problem of violence against poor women from religious minorities in Pakistan. It is when the factors of discrimination collide – religion, gender, but also wealth and social status – that precarity hits the worst, she says, speaking to Emily Buchanan.Often working as sanitation or domestic workers or in factories, women from religious minorities in Pakistan suffer from a male-dominated and religiously biased society. Limited in their opportunities, women endure a differentiated treatment on a daily basis in comparison with Muslim women in the same position. For example, it is not rare for a Christian domestic worker to be given less days of leave than a Muslim worker in the same household. More exposed to violence and powerless in the face of their employers, many women from religious minorities – mostly Christians and Hindus – are often invited to embrace Islam, with the promise or allure of access to a better life. Those who do, however, are most of the time still considered as inferior, originating from non-Muslim backgrounds. Cases of abducted girls, forcefully converted to Islam and married, are also regularly reported.Although Pakistani law formally guarantees religious freedom and equality to all Pakistani citizens, the situation on the ground is often different. This is particularly true when religious minorities are involved; overall, conversions to Islam are generally seen as a good thing to the majority Muslim community, making the matter a political issue supported by officials.Ms Suleman, who originates from the Christian community (religious minority) of Punjab, has been working with CREID partners in Pakistan to address online and offline hate speech against religious minorities, particularly with youth. The team also launched an online survey allowing anyone to report cases of discrimination on any ground. Listen to our podcast to learn more about CREID’s work in Pakistan to tackle intersectional discrimination and promote freedom of religion or belief.