We’re not paying politicians to sow hatred and hostility

by: XHABIR DERALLA

It’s high time for civil society to take initiative and unanimously reject the hate speech and calls for violence in the public communication. The message around which there is a huge need for civil society organizations, the media and the wider public to agree on is simple. Political disagreement is not and must not turn into hostility and calls for settling of scores and even extermination. It’s contrary to all legal and moral principles of functioning in a democratic society.

Black campaigns lead to nowhere, as well as obstructions in parliament and everywhere where decisions are made – municipalities, institutions, schools, hospitals, public institutes and enterprises – everywhere. The hostile attitude towards those who are political like-minded in internal communications and in public, practiced by certain centers of power in politics and in the institutions, directly endangers human rights and freedoms, the interests of individuals and communities, and in many cases has the potential to threaten the stability and security of the country.

Disinformation, conspiracy theories, hate speech and calls for violence are nothing else but a bare struggle for power with the blackest possible means, which are contrary to the law and all democratic standards. Political profit off the back of the integrity of the institutions is short-term and brings nothing good neither to the public, nor the state, or even to those who lead such a political fight.

Certain political parties, including their leaders and senior party officials, MPs in parliament, and even heads of public institutions, have been for years abusing their positions, public resources and privileges in order to spread disinformation, hatred, fear and divisions in the Macedonian society.

Citizens are not paying politicians to sow hatred and hostility, they are not paying them to harm the institutions and democratic processes, but to work and make decisions for the good of society and the state.

It’s long been known that the target of the destructive campaigns are political opponents, but also activists, journalists and intellectuals. The campaigns are horrifying: there are calls for bloodshed, killings and lynching, there are insults with most appalling expressions, photo and video montages are made, disrespectful lies and slander are made. Not even the children are spared in these obnoxious campaigns.

Where does the fight begin? The fight against this steep downfall of the basic human rights doesn’t start and doesn’t end in the institutions, but with the citizens. Civil society organizations and the media, but also all aware and conscious people have a moral responsibility to once and for all reject and condemn those who lie, slander and insult, all those who spread hatred on any grounds and call for all sorts of “settling of scores”, “punishments” and “extermination”. The disagreements are a reason for argued, and even fierce debates, but not for hatred, slander, threats and calls for violence against the “others” and the “different”.

Public condemnation and rejecting hatred will create an atmosphere in which the propaganda centers will feel lonely and isolated, and will encourage the institutions to implement their legal obligation – protection of lawfulness and of the public interest. Certainly, the institutions can and must do that even without public encouragement, but this way it will be much easier.

translation: N. Cvetkovska