The US Department of State needs to explain its policy on hate speech after reports an Assistant Secretary disputed the idea that leaders must condemn hate speech and tried to eliminate a section on racism from a United Nations document, a letter from multiple Democratic lawmakers, including Eliot Engel, said on Wednesday.
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th September, 2018) The US Department of State needs to explain its policy on hate speech after reports an Assistant Secretary disputed the idea that leaders must condemn hate speech and tried to eliminate a section on racism from a United Nations document, a letter from multiple Democratic lawmakers, including Eliot Engel, said on Wednesday.
"Documents revealed in the press show that State Department Deputy Assistant Secretary [DAS] for Population, Refugees and Migration Andrew Veprek disputed the idea that leaders have a 'duty to condemn hate speech or incitement' and tried to strike an entire section of a United Nations document that links fighting racism with building a diverse democratic society," the letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said. "We demand an explanation and expect that DAS Veprek will be made available to meet with our staffs to explain these baffling actions and the policies behind them."
The lawmakers said in the letter that ensuring hate speech is condemned represents a tool for preventing atrocities, not just basic decency.
The letter said US President Donald Trump's policies, which they characterized as being racist and xenophobic, have closed off the United States to many of the most desperate people in the world.
The policies, along with the perception that some of his advisers are racist, anti-foreigner and anti-Muslim, have hurt the credibility of the United States, the lawmakers added.
