Combatting Online Hate Speech and Disinformation Targeting Religious Communities USCIRF

USCIRF - It was good to be a part of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Hearing hearing that took place in October it was about how some governments use and enable others to use social media platforms to sow disinformation and hate speech that target religious communities and incite violence against them.

During the past two decades, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms have emerged as invaluable tools for connecting people around the world. However, we have also witnessed the use of social media to spread false and discriminatory information that dehumanizes specific groups of people, including faith communities and religious minorities. Online hate speech and misinformation has been

OSCE Conference Human Dimension Meeting (SHDM) II on Freedom of Expression, Media and Information

In July the Michael Trust took part in the OSCE Conference: Human Dimension Meeting (SHDM) II on Freedom of Expression, Media and Information. This was a two day event that was held online.

The Conference was organised by the Albanian OSCE Chairmanship, OSCE Representative on Freedom of Media, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR)


The second Human Dimension Meeting provided a platform for an exchange of views among OSCE participating States, OSCE institutions and other executive structures and a variety of international organizations, civil society and other stakeholders on the implementation of commitments related to addressing the promotion freedom of expression, media and information.

ODIHR says..The power of digital technologies must be harnessed to counter hatred based on religion or belief

ODHIR Article

The Michael Trust is glad to see the continued work by ODHIR and OSCE on protection of religion and belief or non belief. In this latest press release they say..

"Digital technologies can play an integral role in celebrating and upholding freedom of religion or belief when harnessed for outreach and dialogue. At the same time, the rise in intolerant discourse and hate speech directed at religious or belief communities during the Covid-19 pandemic demonstrates the risk of the digital space becoming a forum for incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence on grounds of religion or belief."

As a trust that has worked hard for over 30 years to protect the right to freedom of belief, including the right to change your belief. It has been sad to see the increase of digital platforms being used to single out and target minority faiths such as Jehovah's Witnesses. The MT is always grateful for the work done by the ODIHR. They further state in their article....

Sudan to become 'secular state'

Anadolu Agency website

Government, rebels agree to make Sudan 'secular state'

Transitional gov't reaches understanding with rebel group that opted out of peace deal signed earlier this week.

This was the headline of an article by Mohammed Amin |04.09.2020

Sudan’s government has reached an agreement with a rebel leader laying out conditions for his faction to recognize the peace deal signed with rebel groups earlier this week.

The Michael Trust becomes third party mechanism for reporting religious hate crimes

You can now report a religious hate crime directly to authorities or through the Michael Trust if you are a religious or faith based group that is being targeted.

Religious Hate Crime is on the increase in the UK and other countries some say that the use of the internet is fueling hate against a number of faiths in the UK but also around the globe. We have launched a third party Hate Crime reporting mechanism for hate crimes against religious, sects, groups.

"Hate crime and religious persecution are on the rise - this is how we can stop it It is only when people of different faiths, or of no faith, and from different backgrounds work together that we can truly overcome the prejudices arising from not knowing the “other”

Free Help for Safeguarding and Corporate Governance in Faith Communities

Free Help for Safeguarding and Corporate Governance in Faith Communities

Faith-based groups and places of worship play a major role in the lives of many children, young and vulnerable people. This means safeguarding must be a key consideration in all faith settings.

It is announced that the Michael Trust during it's investigatory report will also be offering limited FREE help and advice on how to approach safeguarding and corporate governance from within the beliefs, teachings and cultural context of faith communities. How to better engage with outside agencies.

IICSA Inquiry What will they learn and possible 18 conclusions from the hearings

I wanted to talk about here what potentially the IICSA Inquiry might learn from this part of the investigation. For those who have just started to read about this some background...

IICSA Inquiry investigation is thematic and will review the current child protection policies, practices and procedures in religious institutions that have a significant presence in England and Wales.

Why the Michael Trust has awoken from it's slumber and the IICSA Inquiry

As Co-founder of the Michael Trust and since my stroke 2015, over the past five years I have been volunteering only when I can as an adviser and researcher for select members of the UK House of Lords and some of you who are on the mailing list will of course know this already. I have been providing OSINT, HUMINT, CYBINT and also carried out an investigatory report.

The Michael Trust will monitor and get involved with IICSA, Independent Inquiry

It has been decided that the Michael Trust will monitor and become involved with the IICSA Inquiry. Our Co-founder has been contacted since December 2019 from a number of people from a variety of faiths including two from the Islamic faith, that showed concerns that the IICSA were looking to regulate religious groups and faith based communities, we had contact from those from the Jehovah's Witnesses faith especially concerned that they potentially were under attack as they felt they were at the Australian Inquiry. Please also see an update to this post.......

Do the religious and faith communities have faith, confidence to engage the police and regulatory bodies?

Do the religious and faith communities have faith, confidence to engage the police and regulatory bodies? A new report be carried out by the Michael Trust.

In light of the recent IICSA Inquiry - The investigation is thematic and will review the current child protection policies, practices and procedures in religious institutions that have a significant presence in England and Wales. Th fact that the Inquiry will look at religions with a significant presence in England and Wales including non conformist Christian denominations, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Baptists, Methodists, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, Hinduism and Buddhism will fall under the remit of this investigation.

The Michael Trust to become a third party agency to report Hate Crimes against religious communities

We hope to become a third party reporting mechanism for Hate Crimes against people or organisations in the UK. A single place where anyone is welcome to report a Hate Crime.

Religious Hate Crime is on the increase in the UK and some say that the use of the internet is fueling hate against a number of faiths in the UK but also around the globe. We are launching a third party Hate Crime reporting mechanism for hate crimes against religious, sects, groups.

"Hate crime and religious persecution are on the rise - this is how we can stop it It is only when people of different faiths, or of no faith, and from different backgrounds work together that we can truly overcome the prejudices arising from not knowing the “other”

No evidence of Westminster VIP child sex abuse ring, finds inquiry, the Michael Trust was right

No evidence of Westminster VIP child sex abuse ring, finds IICSA inquiry the Michael Trust was right!

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) concluded that while there had been individual cases of wrongdoing, there was no organised VIP paedophile ring and no establishment cover up.

The £150million child sex abuse inquiry, that was launched on the back of claims by Labour politician Tom Watson, has found no evidence of a "powerful paedophile network" operating at the heart of Westminster.

Religious Hate Crime and why the Michael Trust has awoken once more

(The MT does endorse any of the additional content on this video )

Religious Hate Crime is on the increase in the UK and some say that the use of the internet is fueling hate against a number of faiths in the UK but also around the globe. In this post we are discussing hate crimes against religious, sects, groups.

"Hate crime and religious persecution are on the rise - this is how we can stop it It is only when people of different faiths, or of no faith, and from different backgrounds work together that we can truly overcome the prejudices arising from not knowing the “other”

A couple of days with activists against Jehovah's Witnesses on Twitter, is it religious hate crime?

Part Two: This Post is one of two about Jehovah's Witnesses who are being persecuted in a number of countries around the world and this post is about the fine line between genuine activism and hateful speech or online content.

The Michael Trust advocates a persons right to believe in anything they like as long as it does not harm anyone we do this in line with Article 18 of the United Nations Charter. The MT, specializes mainly in the United Kingdom where there are currently around 500 estimated cults or sects, closed communities mostly happily coexisting and living peacefully with the many other established religious groups within the UK.

Jehovah's Witnesses logo JW.org

This Post should be read also with the Post: -  Polly explores on Twitter the anti Jehovah's Witnesses activists

The MT has become concerned on the lengths that some activists go to when it comes to a established religious organisation called Jehovah's Witnesses. We have seen over the last ten years an increase in coordinated attacks and criticisms on JW's where they cross the line to potential Hate Crime.

We ask is this criticism of faith or a more of a organised campaign of hate against Jehovah's Witnesses? We let you decide... 

Polly explores on Twitter the anti Jehovah's Witnesses activists

Twitter decided it was hateful conduct!

The Michael Trust advocates a persons right to believe in anything they like as long this belief does not harm anyone, we do this in line with Article 18 of the United Nations Charter.

The MT, specializes mainly in the United Kingdom where there are currently around 500 estimated cults or sects, closed communities mostly happily coexisting and living peacefully with the many other established religious groups and those with no spiritual faith within the UK.

If you were to actively speak out or demonstrate outside mainstream religious premises or attack those organisations and pursue them publicly then you walk a fine line within the law in the UK.

This is why the MT has become concerned on the lengths that some activists go when it comes to a established religious organisation called Jehovah's Witnesses. We will be exploring this in two parts and here is:

Part 1-

We ask is this criticism of faith or a more of a organised campaign of hate against Jehovah's Witnesses? We let you decide...