Rhetoric & Rage

01/12/2024

If you or someone you know has experienced hate speech or incivility and are looking for support please checkout the links below! 🧡

Victim Support Europe: https://victim-support.eu/help-for-victims/info-on-specific-types-of-victims/hate-crime/

Stop Hate UK: https://www.stophateuk.org/about-hate-crime/what-is-online-hate-crime/how-to-report-online-hate/

Rights for Peace: https://www.rightsforpeace.org/hate-speech

Report It: https://www.report-it.org.uk/reporting_internet_hate_crime

Victim Support UK: https://www.victimsupport.org.uk/crime-info/types-crime/hate-crime/

Citizens Advice: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/law-and-courts/discrimination/hate-crime/how-to-report-a-hate-incident-or-hate-crime/ #:~:text=You%20can%20find%20your%20nearest,“hate%20crime%20support%20services”.

01/12/2024

Political polarisation in Europe has been on the rise since 2020, causing significant societal and cultural divisions between different voting groups living amongst each other.

There are a number of contributing factors to the recent success for far-right and populist parties in recent European elections. One of the most reoccurring debates in European politics is whether or not countries benefit from EU membership. This has been a prominent issue for most European politicians since the 2016 Brexit referendum, with the historical result of a Leave majority. Since Britain left in 2020, it has remained a topical subject in many Parliaments across European nations, including Italy, France, and the Netherlands.

Polarisation in Western Europe can be easily identified in geographic variances in voting behaviours. One example of this is in Germany. In Germany’s 2021 Federal Election, Alternative for Germany (a far-right populist party) won 83 seats out of 735, which made up 10% of the result (BBC). AfD’s success was entirely attributed to Central-Eastern Germany, which helps emphasise the geographical divisive issues that lead to polarisation.

This is important to acknowledge because it helps define the relationship between polarisation and incivility due to the rise in political tension.

01/12/2024

On the topic of political polarisation it is important to acknowledge some of the political actors who have enabled such tension to rise.
Here is part two of some of the key catalysts to polarisation in UK and US politics:

6. The English Defence League

The EDL are an Islamophobic organisation who began in 2009, and in the last 15 years have been responsible for numerous demonstrations and riots that can be attributed to polarisation. As well as violent crime, these demonstrations have encouraged hate speech towards ethnic minorities.

7. Jordan Peterson

Jordan Peterson is a Canadian scholar who has developed a mostly right-wing following since creating a large online platform by promoting ideals like individualism. Although Peterson claims to oppose polarisation, he does not recognise it as a political issue but instead as a problem among individuals who don’t respect opposing views, and having limited freedom of speech, which inevitably fuels hate speech if there is no regulation.

8. Ben Shapiro

Ben Shapiro is an American political commentator who is known for his podcast the Ben Shapiro Show. The Ben Shapiro Show has a particular narrative when it comes to debating politics which is from a far-right perspective. Figures with political influence who have far-right or far-left views can often be attributed for further societal polarisation for the further distance they place between political parties.

9. Tommy Robinson

Tommy Robinson is a far-right and Islamophobic activist, who also cofounded the EDL. Robinson is currently facing an 18 month sentence for his part in accusing a 15-year-old Syrian refugee, who was violently attacked by a group of youths, of sexually harassing the girls in his school. This transpired to be blatantly untrue, and the motive for such information was to create further polarisation among ethnic groups.

10. Reform UK

Reform UK are the largest far-right political party in the UK. Co-founded by Nigel Farage and Richard Tice, Reform UK’s biggest concern in British politics is immigration. Most of the parties policy manifestos are based around the idea of deportation and closed borders, which again creates greater societal polarisation among different ethnic groups.

01/12/2024

On the topic of political polarisation it is important to acknowledge some of the political actors who have enabled such tension to rise.
Here is part one of some of the key catalysts to polarisation in UK and US politics:

1. Donald Trump

The recent election in the US saw a huge rise in polarisation between the republicans and democrats, resulting in a lot of online hate speech. Trump manifests in the “us vs them” mentality which has enabled an epidemic of online abuse towards democrats and their rights after the election.

2. Andrew Tate

Andrew Tate is a far-right activist who has a large following of young impressionable men. He preaches the liberty of freedom of speech, for which he uses to spend messages towards women about how they should “bear responsibility” for sexual assault, and creating an online hate space against women and other social groups. The regulation on Tate’s social media presence has enraged his audience, who have taken to the internet to verbally attack women and other groups they deem to be oppositions.

3. Elon Musk

Elon Musk is the owner of X (formerly Twitter) and bought the company with the intention of creating a new platform for engagement and debate. The site boasts a protection over its user’s “feeedom of speech”, which has been referred to as a “cesspit of hate and division”. Musk is responsible for the online polarisation and hate speech that has occurred on, and been inspired by narratives on X.

4. Nigel Farage

Nigel Farage is the leader of far-right political party Reform UK, and can be considered an advocate for political violence and polarisation in recent events across the UK. Farage creates polarisation through hatred towards ethnic minorities, and encourages his followers to reject other cultures and “keep Britain British”.

5. Katie Hopkins

Katie Hopkins is known for circulating controversial opinions essentially being used as “rage bait”, meaning she relies on negative public reactions for engagement. Hopkins was banned from Twitter in 2020 for violating a “hateful conduct” policy, but has since returned to the platform under its new ownership to create more polarising content and generate engagement.

30/11/2024

The polarisation that comes with increasingly strong political ideologies has aided in creating an “us vs them” mentality. This mentality is based on the idea that someone with differing political views is automatically an opponent, which creates further political tension and can be linked to a rise in political hate speech. There is a prominent link between hate speech and polarisation, both of which have a negative impact and feed into each other’s increase.

30/11/2024

This week’s theme is political polarisation!

Political polarisation occurs with the growing variety of political ideologies, and essentially reflects the widening political division and opposition between politicians, parties, and the electorate. Polarisation can be identified through election outcomes, polls, political behaviour, and the media.

But why does this matter?

With the rise in division and polarisation, has come a rise in political hate speech towards supporters of the opposition. A clear example of this can be seen with the recent US election, which led to an epidemic of Democrat voters experiencing online hostility from Republicans that targeted their social differentiations like gender, ethnicity, and religion. One particular misogynistic phrase that was highlighted in the first week of our campaign was “your body my choice”, which flooded the comment sections of many women with a large online platforms, reiterating the fact that many women are likely to have their rights compromised due to the outcome of the US election.

24/11/2024

If you or someone you know have been affected by any of the topics we have dicussed this week please check out the appropriate helplines down below 🧡

Support & Resources for Muslims:

Tell Mama: https://tellmamauk.org/ #:~:text=Tell%20MAMA%20is%20the%20leading,Muslim%20incidents%20and%20supporting%20victims.

Islamophobia Response Unit: https://www.theiru.org.uk

Young Minds: https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/coping-with-life/islamophobia-and-mental-health/
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Other Useful Resources:

Stop Hate UK: http://www.stophateuk.org/

Crime Stoppers UK: http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org/

Young Minds: https://www.youngminds.org.uk

24/11/2024

Want a more in-depth criticism of systemic Islamophobia both online and internationally? Be sure to catch up with the latest on our blog 👇

https://rhetoricandrage.blogspot.com/2024/11/from-secular-excuses-to-conspiracy.html?m=1&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZ-garoeRU2rq_Da1C41X3LAZ4XYSS0jDTPEKbGrlcs4hZVx1K362agm_s_aem_qcVFA_xzjSV6Oj_0GB67DA

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Many Western states pride themselves on religious freedom , allowing citizens to practice what they believe in whatever way they wish. That...

24/11/2024

In the last year, 38% of religious hate crimes in the UK were committed with anti-Islam motives.

This is averages to every 2 in 5 religious hate crimes being targeted towards Muslims.

Furthermore, there has been a 13% increase in hate crimes towards Muslims since October 7th, 2023.

These statistic reflect both the rise in zionism, and far-right extremist ideologies in the UK over the last year.