Racially motivated hate speech must be taken seriously. Any statement made by any member of society that is intended to insult, demean, intimidate, create anger or incite violence against someone on the basis of religion, ethnicity, race, gender, country origin or regional identity or in any other way it is dangerous and harmful. it should be of great concern. Anti-religious prejudice, malicious intent to dehumanize others is not only illegal, it can create great social unrest and even violence. Such an act must be avoided by anyone and as such must be condemned by society without reservation or personal interest. This is not just an insult to the victim, the individual, the group or the community, but to the entire society and humanity.
This has happened recently in the Bangladeshi community in the UK. The Channel S TV presenter and founder of the same channel, Mahee Ferdous Jalil made such inflammatory comments about the “COVID-19” program that was broadcast live between 12 noon and 2:00 pm on the channel on May 3, 2020. The disparaging and highly offensive comments made have created a huge outcry among Hindu and other communities in the UK. It immediately went viral on various social media channels and people have voiced their condemnation. Local political and community leaders were informed. Multiple petitions have been launched and a serious community movement against this hate crime has been launched. The local mayor and member of parliament issued a series of official statements, and both Tower Hamlets Mayor John Biggs and Rushanara Ali have issued strong condemnations of the racist comments made about Hindus, claiming the comments were shameful and derogatory. Biggs demands an unconditional apology and further states that such “religious disrespect and prejudice” has no place in the community. Tower Hamlets has the highest Bangladeshi population in the UK and becomes the largest ethnic group with over 81,000 (according to the latest census) accounting for 32% of the population.
What did Mr. Jalil say? (The show aired in Bengali; key message is translated into English below.)
“Muslims who came to the UK from Bangladesh have inherited the base, impure and heinous blood of the Hindus causing problems in the community. Due to the blood inherited from the Hindus, Muslim merchants deceive their customers …”.
We live in a free society in which freedom of expression is well protected and respected. Everyone’s ability to express their individual views is always respected and must not be threatened. Article 10 9 of the UK Equality and Human Rights Commission) focuses on freedom of expression which protects the individual right to have their personal opinion and to express it freely without fear or interference from government or regulatory bodies. However, if personal opinions promote religious or racial hatred or are dehumanizing or derogatory, in which case the authorities may restrict that freedom of expression and such comments or opinions may be considered illegal. Free debate, good deeds, and compelling arguments are important in countering hatred. Civil society, society in general and governments must condemn hatred, or anything that can promote hatred, and set the right example by bringing those behind such conduct to justice. There is certainly no place in this world for hateful and mendacious comments that have at their heart prejudices or twisted notions of those who may be different or have different beliefs.
Mr. Jalil finally apologized. Channel S also released an official statement of unreserved apology on May 9 and apologized for the comment the TV host made that may have caused distress. There was no “May” about it, the comments were deeply offensive and have hurt and alarmed many people.
Is the apology enough to heal the community? Did you apologize in the most effective and sincere way?
It is not enough to apologize or ask for forgiveness. As sometimes some apologies are not sincere; and they are often motivated by ulterior motives such as fear of public censure or loss of business. It is logical that people do not forgive someone until they receive an apology and that should be without reservation and with regret. The inability to convey an apology correctly when it is legitimate indicates an individual’s dysfunctional life. A proper apology is critical to healing the victim’s physical and emotional well-being. The right apology has the great power to transform both the individual who made the intentional and unintentional comments that hurt, demean, or angered others. However, that apology must be accompanied by sincerity and remorse. Some legitimately wonder if Mr. Jalil’s apology was delivered with real contrition. An apology such as gratitude, appreciation, or kindness has a profound impact on an individual and society and can transform the world if done in the right way, at the right time and place. An effective apology validates that the person realized that an improper act has been committed for which they have shown their regret or remorse and the person is committed not to commit the same wrongful act in the future and to offer reparations. Fulfillment, remorse, restoration, and a request for forgiveness are some of the key elements of an unreserved apology and the pursuit of forgiveness.
It is sad to note that the community does not always work together. People have different agendas and individual interests. Therefore, many of those crimes never get adequate justice and punishment and therefore as a society we do not get the best result. I’m sure that in time this will also be considered yesterday’s news and people will forget about this. The community becomes fragmented and divided and, sadly, sometimes puts profit before principle. Unfortunately, those who want to ensure that matters are properly resolved often see matters replaced by others that pursue their own interests. Unfortunately, as a consequence, society is the loser.
Why can’t society come together for a common goal?
It reminds me of the following quote: “What good is it for a man to win the whole world and lose his soul?” (Mark 8.36).
This quote helped us to review the world social order and the attitude of human beings. I am forced to recall a truth highlighted in Gandhi’s observation: “The Earth provides enough to meet everyone’s needs, but not everyone’s greed.” We live in a society of intoxication that is based on the estimation, quantification of humans. Wealth maximization is becoming the theory of normality, an accepted mantra. This has become the norm of society. In 1973, E. F Schumacher published one of the most influential books in the world entitled “Small is beautiful …”. He realized that if the current form of economic, technological and scientific specialization is not replaced by a simple form of economic system, the world will face endless and endless misery. Now we see the result of his prediction.
Society is too greedy. We all run after profit and wealth maximization. To do this, crime, dishonesty, bribery, multiple unethical and dishonest relationships, counterfeiting, fabrication, and unethical acts are acceptable norms. We do not want to ask, we are all here to enjoy, increase our pleasure, increase the status and attention of others. This is the degradation of human values and morality. The loss of the soul is the loss of peace and happiness. If we lose it, we accept the misery of what is happening now in our society. If we neglect our soul, loss is inevitable.
A bad is a bad
If there is one lesson we must all learn from this unhappy episode, it is that we cannot be sectarian about grievances and grievous injustices. An evil is an evil no matter who it comes from. If we choose to remain silent about it, there is always the danger that we will give the impression of our tacit approval. We need to speak up, if necessary, to censure members of our own community, because as a child, if we never tell them when they have done something wrong, how are they going to learn. It is essential that we use moderate language and be measured in our approach. A person can express their pain, disgust or even anger, without having to resort to threats and abuse. Each of us must live to behave with dignity and mutual respect. Defamatory, libelous, or highly offensive comments warrant swift and decisive action. We must all work hard for a kinder and more respectful world.
Dr. PR Datta FCIM, FCMI
May 11, 2020