Human Rights Council - 28th Regular Session
Clustered Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief and the Special Rapporteur on protecting human rights while countering terrorism
Australian statement
10 March 2015
Australia thanks the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief for his report. Australia, agrees with the characterisation of violence committed in the name of religion as a complex phenomenon. We condemn such violence and support the recommendation that both state and non-State actors have a role to play in its elimination.
Australia acknowledges the role the media can play in both fuelling and diffusing violence in the name of religion. We have witnessed with concern the growing use of social media to spread messages of hate and encourage radicalisation. However, we have also witnessed the use of these platforms to generate tolerance and share collective empathy.
In the wake of the Martin Place Siege in December 2014, Community Groups reported a spike in hate messages against Australia’s Muslim community on social media. However, simultaneously a spontaneous twitter based campaign with the hashtag ‘I’ll Ride with You’ (#i’llridewithyou), allowed ordinary Australian’s to publically pledge their support for this same community. Within hours this hashtag had been used in over 120,000 tweets.
Australia believes it is vital for the Human Rights Council to maintain a focus on these issues. We ask the Special Rapporteur to comment on how States can encourage private media outlets to portray positive messages that encourage freedom of religion and belief, particularly in the face of violent acts.