US shootings: Use of racist
language to gain votes or power must stop, say UN rights experts
GENEVA (7 August 2019) – Following
the mass shootings in Texas and Ohio, the USA must take swift and decisive
action that demonstrates its commitment to human rights, including the right to
equal protection under the law, say a group of UN human rights experts*.
“We offer our heartfelt condolences
to the families, friends and loved ones of those who were murdered,” said the
Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent and the Special
Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia
and related intolerance.
The Chairperson of the Working
Group, Ahmed Reid, said: “The United States must recognise the direct impact
that racism, xenophobia and intolerance have in promoting violence and in
creating fear and instability in ethnic and religious minority communities.
Perpetuating racism perpetuates violence.”
Special Rapporteur E. Tendayi
Achiume added: “There should be no doubt that the use of hate speech,
intolerance, bigotry and racism by politicians and leaders to secure or
maintain popular support renders those individuals complicit in the violence
that follows.”
The Group of Experts and the
Special Rapporteur, speaking jointly said: “The increasing use of divisive
language and attempts to marginalise racial, ethnic and religious minorities in
political speech has functioned as a call to action, facilitating violence,
intolerance and bigotry. The connections between mass shootings and white
extremist ideology are well-established, and celebration of these atrocities in
white nationalist social media is common.”
“The manifestos and social media
posts of these attackers reflect political discourse that devalues and
dehumanises people on the basis of their race, religion, immigration status
and/or ethnicity. The attackers in several mass shootings cited this rhetoric,
along with ideas propounded by white nationalist movements and populist
movements, as inspiration.
“The refusal, in the face of
repeated incidents to pursue immediate and direct action to prevent further
acts of domestic terrorism exacerbates these politicians and leaders’
complicity in the violence. Particularly in the light of the American
Psychological Association’s recent statement confirming that mental illness
insufficiently explains the proliferation of mass shootings, we encourage the
United States to address such violence without delay as a matter of white
supremacy and racism,” the Working Group and the Special Rapporteur said.
“The use of race to instil fear,
gain votes or power, or mask injustices must stop. Those with privilege and power
have a heightened responsibility to mitigate, not encourage, racism,
intolerance, and bigotry. Communities and leaders throughout the United States
should take seriously their obligations to prevent further tragedies and
protect the human rights of all equally and without condition.”
ENDS
(*) The UN experts: The Working Group of Experts on People of AfricanDescent was established on 25 April 2002 by the then Commission on Human
Rights, following the World Conference against Racism held in Durban in 2001.
It is composed of five independent experts: Mr. Ahmed Reid (Jamaica), current
Chair-Rapporteur; Ms Dominique Day (United States of America),
Vice-Chairperson; Mr. Michal Balcerzak (Poland); Mr. Sabelo Gumedze (South
Africa), and Mr. Ricardo A. Sunga III (The Philippines); Ms E Tendayi Achiume,
(Zambia), Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racialdiscrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
The Working Groups and Special
Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human
Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in
the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent
fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country
situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures
experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a
salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization
and serve in their individual capacity.
UN Human Rights, Country Page – United States of America
For more information and media
requests please contact: Mr. Niraj Dawadi (+41 22 928 9151 / ndawadi@ohchr.org)
or write to africandescent@ohchr.org.
For media inquiries related to
other UN independent experts:
Follow news related to the UN’s
independent human rights experts on Twitter @UN_SPExperts.
Concerned about the world we live in? Then
STAND UP for someone’s rights today. #Standup4humanrights and visit the web
page at http://www.standup4humanrights.org
Nema komentara:
Objavi komentar