The general secretary of the UNAntónio Guterres, denounced this Wednesday the existence throughout the world of a “wave” of xenophobia, racism, violent misogyny and hatred against different religious groups.
“Neo-Nazi white supremacist groups today represent the greatest internal security threat in several countries and the fastest growing,” Guterres recalled in a speech before the Security Council.
UN proposes a pact to manage the development of artificial intelligence
The Portuguese recalled that evils such as the demonization of the other, the contempt for diversity and the violation of rights are not new, but now they are advancing at a speed never seen before.
“Social media has equipped hate mongers with a global megaphone for bile. Today, no conspiracy is too outrageous to find a wide audience; there is no excessively absurd falsehood to fuel the online frenzy,” Guterres said.
The United Nations chief lamented that even “blatant lies” are gaining credibility on an equal footing with facts and science and are often promoted by political leaders.
As he warned, hate-fueled ideas and language are passing from the margins to the conventional and its effects are deadly, as shown by the fact that those responsible for some of the most notorious attacks in recent years against mosques, synagogues and churches were people who had been radicalized on the internet.
Guterres – who this week already presented a plan to combat hate and misinformation on the internet – asked the powers of the Security Council to act in this area, encouraged all countries to promote diversity as a wealth and demanded a reinforcement of values such as compassion, respect and fraternity.
His speech was part of a meeting dedicated precisely to promoting these principles in order to maintain peace, a meeting organized by the United Arab Emirates and in which the great imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed Al, also took part, among others. Tayeb, and the Vatican Secretary for Relations with States, Paul Richard Gallagher.
Incident in Florida
Regarding Guteres’ statements, a group of supporters of presidential candidate Ron DeSantis gathered last weekend in front of Disney World, Florida, with Nazi flags.
We need to call out fascism and do so aggressively. Thank you Congressman @MaxwellFrostFL for your leadership.
And “Moms For Liberty” have committed themselves to erasing LGBTQ+ identity and erasing BIPOC stories — @splcenter should absolutely warn the public about them. https://t.co/w5JAWbFWR3
— Rep. Anna V. Eskamani ? (@AnnaForFlorida) June 14, 2023
The information, reviewed yesterday by efestarted from videos collected by usa today where just over a dozen supporters of the Florida governor, and candidate in the Republican primary, demonstrated on Saturday with signs supporting his candidacy and swastika flags at the entrance to the theme park.
“It is absolutely disgusting to see that Nazis have become a common presence in Florida, and even more disturbing when they hold up signs and flags indicating their support for people like Governor DeSantis,” said Rep. Anna Eskamani, an Orlando representative in Congress. from Florida.
“Hate feeds the worst impulses of humanity. It is a catalyst for polarization and radicalization and the path to atrocities,” Guterres insisted this Wednesday.
