In response to the alarming rise of hate speech and its impact on social cohesion and civil peace in Syria, the DeFacto Dialogue Platform organized a roundtable discussion titled “Countering Hate Speech in Syria” on July 2, 2025, in Damascus. The session was held in collaboration with Naseej, Local Administration Councils Unit (LACU), Hooz Center for Social Development, and the Dar Association for Victims of Forced Displacement. It brought together civil society actors, political figures, media professionals, and human rights advocates for an open dialogue on effective strategies to confront hate speech in all its forms.
Participants discussed the roles that official institutions, media, and civil society can play in countering hate speech, with a focus on protecting the most targeted groups, including women and diverse community components. The dialogue also explored the legal, constitutional, and policy dimensions of hate speech in the Syrian context.
At the conclusion of the session, participants outlined a set of actionable recommendations structured around four main pillars:
The Role of Civil Society in Countering Hate Speech
- Strengthen Coordination and Build Alliances: Intensify efforts among civil society organizations (CSOs) to unify their response to hate speech by forming effective coalitions at both local and national levels.
- Develop Internal Policies: Establish clear internal policies within CSOs that uphold values of integrity and respect, and prevent any form of discriminatory or hate-inciting behavior by staff.
- Contribute to Legislative Reform: Encourage civil initiatives to draft and propose legislation criminalizing hate speech and submit these drafts to the relevant authorities.
- Revise Intervention Strategies: Reevaluate civil society intervention methodologies to ensure they align with the diverse social and political contexts, while addressing the root causes of hate speech.
Promoting Political Stability and Combating Hate Speech in Syria
- Revitalize Political Life: Support existing political parties and movements while enabling the formation of new entities that reflect the aspirations of Syria’s diverse communities.
- Empower Civil Society Oversight: Enable CSOs to play a watchdog role over political authorities by representing citizens’ interests and advocating for their rights.
- Enact and Enforce Anti-Hate Speech Legislation: Push for the adoption of clear and robust laws criminalizing hate speech, and ensure the activation of relevant existing laws, such as the cybercrime law.
- Guarantee Judicial Independence: Emphasize the importance of an independent, fair, and competent judiciary as a safeguard for justice and individual rights.
- Activate Constitutional Provisions: Implement constitutional articles related to combating hate speech to ensure their practical reflection in legislation and state practices.
- Inclusive and Representative Constitutional Process: Advocate for a final constitution to be the result of a broad, inclusive political process through a national constituent assembly that genuinely represents all components of Syrian society and is ratified by popular referendum.
- Constitutionalization of Hate Speech Criminalization: Include explicit constitutional provisions criminalizing hate speech based on discrimination or racism, offering a solid legal foundation for fostering pluralism and mutual respect.
The Role of State Media and Official Institutions in Addressing Hate Speech
- Adopt a Comprehensive National Media Policy: Develop a clear and ethical media strategy that adheres to principles of neutrality, integrity, and pluralism while actively combating hate speech and incitement across all official platforms.
- Review State Media Content: Conduct critical reviews of government media outputs to ensure they are free from incitement, discrimination, or misrepresentation of any social group.
- Build the Capacity of Public Media Professionals: Implement training programs for journalists in public institutions to enhance their understanding of hate speech and equip them with tools for professional and non-incendiary reporting.
- Enhance Transparency and Accountability: Activate oversight mechanisms within state media institutions to ensure ethical standards are upheld and allow citizens to file complaints against harmful or offensive content.
- Produce Constructive and Educational Content: Encourage the creation of media campaigns and programming that promote tolerance, deconstruct stereotypes, and foster inclusive narratives reflective of Syria’s diversity.
- Foster Collaboration Between the Ministry of Information and Civil Society: Establish communication and partnerships between the Ministry of Information and specialized CSOs to jointly develop media policies and combat hate speech and disinformation.
- Include Hate Speech Provisions in Media Law: Amend current media regulations to explicitly criminalize hate speech and define legal accountability for violations by media outlets and professionals.
Addressing Gender-Based Hate Speech and Promoting Women’s Participation in Public Life
- Criminalize Gender-Based Hate Speech: Demand the inclusion of clear legal provisions criminalizing hate speech targeting women, whether in media, digital spaces, or public life, recognizing it as a form of gender-based violence.
- Protect Women in Public and Digital Spaces: Develop protective mechanisms against verbal abuse, digital harassment, and gender-based incitement, alongside effective reporting systems that ensure legal follow-up and accountability.
- Launch Awareness Campaigns: Conduct widespread media and community campaigns aimed at dismantling discriminatory stereotypes and highlighting women’s contributions across all sectors.
- Empower Women in Decision-Making Spaces: Support women’s access to leadership positions in media, civil society, and politics to ensure their voices are represented and to directly challenge gendered hate speech.
- Integrate Gender Perspectives in Public Policies: Ensure that all national strategies, especially in media, education, and political participation, are gender-sensitive and work to eliminate barriers facing women.
- Build Women’s Capacity to Defend Their Rights: Provide legal, psychological, and advocacy training programs to help women respond to and challenge hate speech effectively.
- Monitor and Document Violations: Establish independent national mechanisms to monitor and document hate speech targeting women, produce regular reports, and recommend effective remedies.
These recommendations aim to foster a unifying public discourse that reinforces values of citizenship and pluralism, while laying a practical foundation to combat incitement and hate. They represent a collective step toward a more just, inclusive, and tolerant future for all Syrians.
