Seminar at the Rectorship of the University of Samarra Advocate for Social Peace and Limiting Extremist Discourse

The Rectorship of the University of Samarra organized a joint awareness seminar titled “The Oratorical Platform – Unmoderated Discourse and its Effects on Inciting Violence and Hatred”; with the aim of reducing hate speech and extremism, in collaboration with the Permanent National Committee for University Psychological Awareness and Guidance.
The symposium was presented by Assistant Professor Dr. Adnan Telfah Mohammed, Head of the University Psychological Guidance Division, and Colonel Abd Alkarim Omar Hamada, Director of Community Police in Samarra, on Monday, October 27th.
The symposium was attended by the vise Assistant to the Rectorship for Scientific Affairs, Professor Dr. Kamal Hussein Ahmed, along with some deans of colleges, heads of scientific departments, directors of administrative divisions, university staff (employees and faculty members), in addition to some members of the Community Police in the city.
Telfah defined the concept of hate speech, violent language, hatred, its effects and basis, in addition to incitement to violence. He reinforced his points with Quranic verses and Prophetic hadiths that refute hate speech and promote the concept of moderation and centrism.
In the same context, the Head of University Guidance added some examples of unbalanced discourse, including extremist religious and extremist political discourse, and the role of extremist discourse in inciting violence, fueling conflicts, and straining social relations.
For his part, the Director of Community Police explained the role of the Community Police in reducing hate speech and confronting extremist ideas, and their efforts to prevent hate and extremist discourse, especially during these days witnessing election campaigns, the presentation of ideas and orientations among candidates’ supporters, and bias in their orientations.
Omar called for supporting Community Police members, especially by the university youth community, by reporting suspicious cases involving hate speech and intellectual extremism, and submitting complaints through the Ministry of Interior’s unified emergency number 911.
The symposium concluded with several recommendations, most notably strengthening the role of youth and the university community in curbing the phenomenon of extremist discourse, confronting all types of extremism, spreading the concepts of moderation and centrism in words and deeds, refraining from being drawn into extremist political and religious rhetoric, and maintaining a society that thrives on peaceful coexistence.