"Many Australians who happen to be born into Muslim or Jewish families and once considered their faith a private matter, have experienced the personal consequences of hate speech from slights and abusive language to physical threats mosques, synagogues and schools guarded yet still graffitied, cars torched, pig's heads left at their doors, jobs lost, opportunities denied. It has left many feeling that their place in this proudly multicultural country is conditional,"
"For years the radical right has been pushing the limits of acceptable speech in pluralistic, diverse democracies. They were motivated by a desire to hold on to power, by undermining women, refugees, gays, first peoples, immigrants those who might present a challenge to the prevailing established order which had served them so well for so long. I am old enough to remember being perplexed by the campaign against what was called political correctness."
Hate speech varies in effect depending on the source and context. Political slogans with contested meanings and direct personal statements can both wound, but personal statements often provoke immediate fear and harassment. Many Muslim and Jewish Australians have suffered slights, abusive language, threats, vandalism, arson, and targeted intimidation that undermine their sense of belonging. Speech carries nuance shaped by listeners' interpretations, yet some expressions are unmistakably hateful. The radical right has systematically tested speech boundaries to retain power by targeting groups seen as challenges to the established order, linked to broader campaigns against political correctness.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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