Police use mosques to control hate speech

SHOs of various precincts read awareness messages before Friday sermons

RAWALPINDI:

Law enforces in the city have decided to use the convincing power of prayer leaders to prevent people from posting sectarian and hateful messages on social media.

Instead of guns, SHOs of police stations in the Rawalpindi Division on Friday picked up the microphone before the weekly sermons and gave social awareness lectures about hate speech on the internet.

On the orders of Regional Police Officer (RPO) Sohail Habib Tajik, police officers spoke to congregations in all four districts of Rawalpindi including Attock, Jhelum, Gujjar Khan and Chakwal. Assisted prayer leaders through their sermons, the officers spread awareness about religious hatred and sectarianism.

They also highlighted the standard operating procedures (SOPs) prescribed by the government on preventing the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) from spreading.

The officers took help from scripture to convince people that hate speech on social media not only hurts the feelings of those from sects but could also lead to a bigger tragedy.

Besides, they said, posting material fanning sectarian or religious hatred on social media was against the law and that legal action will be taken against those who indulge in such activity.

Use social media for positive purposes and prove that you are a responsible member of the society, police officers told the people at the mosques

Published in The Express Tribune, July 4^th, 2020.