Father Dr. Rifat Bader: Let Us Disarm Words, Platforms, and Modern Technologies
Father Dr. Rifat Bader, Director of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media and Member of the Executive Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), spoke during the conference “Countering Hate Speech to Promote Human Dignity and Coexistence” about the need to disarm discourse in today’s world. He stressed that weapons are no longer confined to wars and conventional arms. Words and digital platforms themselves can become tools of harm, exclusion, and hatred.
Father Bader said:
“Disarmament in today’s world is not limited to battlefields and conventional weapons. Words and digital platforms can also become weaponized. A word can kill, a gesture can hurt, and even digital blocking and exclusion can become tools of rejection rather than dialogue. Therefore, as Pope Leo XIV calls for, we need disarmed media, as well as disarmed modern technologies and artificial intelligence, that is, gentle tools that serve affection, dialogue, human connection, and mutual understanding among people.”
He added:
“The challenge before us is to transform social media and modern technologies from tools that may sow hatred or division into tools for life, interaction, and human solidarity. This is where education becomes important, as does the role of Religious Leaders, educators, journalists, social media users, and users of artificial intelligence in raising generations to love their neighbors and safeguard human dignity.”
Father Bader concluded by referring to the Ethical Media Charter launched by the Catholic Center for Studies and Media in 2019. He called on media organizations to adopt the charter and urged that its principles be reflected in the conference’s recommendations, particularly its emphasis on serving the truth, rejecting hate speech, and respecting human beings and their dignity.