By Jo Best, 7 May 2004 16:50
NEWS Websites expressing extremist, racist or religious-hate views have shown a huge increase since the start of this year, according to new figures.
Sites promoting hate against American, Muslim, Jewish, homosexual and African-American people have increased by 26 per cent since this January - almost as much as the 30 per cent rise during the whole of 2003, according to web- and mail-filtering firm SurfControl.
Websites offering anything from scholarships to dating services for white supremacists, sites promoting the murder of homosexuals, revisionist versions of 9/11 history and other extremist content have grown by about 300 per cent since SurfControl began monitoring the sites in 2000.
However, while the increase in such sites may seem astronomical, at least part of the rise can be attributed to an overall rise in internet subscribers - in the fourth quarter of 2003, 12.1 million UK households could access the internet from home, compared to 2.2 million in the same quarter of 1998.
SurfControl has seen the number of sites spike following political or cultural turmoil. The release of the Mel Gibson film The Passion of the Christ, for example, served as an excuse for some extremist Christians to promote hatred of other religious groups.
Law authorities on both sides of the Atlantic have committed themselves to tackling the problem of sites promoting racial or religious hatred, with the FBI announcing a crackdown on extremist sites and Len Hynds, head of the UK's National Hi-Tech Crime Unit, calling for a zero tolerance approach to "abhorrent websites" of all kinds.
However, as the controversy over the anti-Semitic Jewwatch website - which ranks top of search giant Google's ratings for the word 'Jew' - has shown, hate websites can be protected by freedom of speech legislation in certain countries.
In countries where incitement to racial and religious hatred is deemed a crime - the UK, for example - the proliferation of hate sites can be a boon to the fight against extremist web content, Steve Purdham, SurfControl's CEO said.
"There's a lack of knowledge over how the internet works. People using it in their bedrooms have a feeling of security [but] extremists are now much more exposed... these sites mean people are able to be tracked and traced."
While the hate sites may get the average web user spewing bile during a casual surf, they can present a more serious problem for businesses.
Purdham recommends getting an acceptable corporate usage policy in place, depending on the individual needs of the business.
"With content, a company needs to decide what's right for them. If they wouldn't tolerate someone bringing in anti-Semitic documents into the workplace, why tolerate someone reading it on the web?" he said. "It's not a black and white issue. Companies need to put in place a policy reflecting their business needs."
Comments
There are 12 comments. Join the discussion
1. John Q. Public
So now anyone who doesn't buy the government's story on what happened on 9-11 is an extremist and to be lumped in with neo nazis and racist hate mongers? What a load of bull! The Ministry of Truth is alive and well, Orwell!
2. anonymous
What is the basis for this assertion:
"with the FBI announcing a crackdown on extremist sites"
When/where was this announced?
3. Jack Boot
The thought police will prevail over my dead body. Long live the First Amendment!
4. David de Vere Webb
It's OK for Bush and Blair to mass-murder Iraqis, but NG for anyone else, or even for us to speak out against groups we deem evil. Why is that? Too much gas and not enough oil?
5. anonymous
I agree with concern raised by Jo Best in the article on the increasing number of hate sites on the internet.
The article falls on one point. the singling out of Christian websites and lumping them together with Muslim sites and supremacists.
I am a Christian myself and have used websites promoting the Passion of the Christ. Tell me what is hateful about sharing one's faith harmlessly. The sites quoted by Jo Best have done nothing other than offer useful film reviews and offer encouragement for those who need to make life changing decisions.
This smacks of irresponsible reporting on the part of Jo Best considering the calculated attempt to smear christians. Can this type of reporting be checked in future as this seems to be a respectable news source for IT professionals.
6. Jon Scriven
I am also a Christian, but don't think the IT analyst from London read the article properly.
The article states "The release of the Mel Gibson film The Passion of the Christ, for example, served as an excuse for some extremist Christians to promote hatred of other religious groups."
This is not stating that every website about The Passion of the Christ is extremist, but you will always get some people who use religion as an excuse to promote their own selfish agenda.
In the same that the vast majority of Muslim people don't agree with what happened on September the 11th in the name of religion, most Christians don't blame the Jewish people for the crucifixion of Christ.
In fact, if people want to point the finger of blame for what happened in the Passion, people need look no further than the mirror. Mel Gibson demonstrated this symbolically by the fact that it was his hands hammering in the nails.
I believe that the action of the Jews has saved me and I thank them for it, but not as much as I thank God for his sacrifice.
7. anonymous
Thanks Jon
I agree whole heartedly with your point about the hijacking of the passion film for less than honourable motives. But so are the other groups mentioned as victims.
I just think that reporters like Jo find that Christians are an easy target. Why were other so called extremist groups not named.
The problem is that Christians are not expected to react aggressively or violently towards thier oppressors. Just imagine what would happen were she to write the same about Jews or Muslims.
It just sucks.
8. Sean O'Reilly
"The problem is that Christians are not expected to react aggressively or violently towards their oppressors..."
What?
Oh dear... are the poor put-upon Christians starting to feel marginalised?
The juxtaposition of Christianity and non-aggression in this comment is ironic in the extreme. A lot of people here are talking about the current unrest, post-11 September. So count the number of times Bush and Blair reference their Christian values as they justify an invasion of another country. Consider the 'we'll beat them until they're Christian' approach of the Crusaders (...and parallels with Bush's Holy War circa 2003 are apt here as well).
Non-aggression: are you sure? Not against "oppressors" maybe, but certainly against less well-prepared minorites - which is cowardly as well as brutal.
Christianity is an incredible - almost unparalelled - source of war and unrest. Don't think you're so special or spotless. Everybody has spent years blaming Muslims and the Jewish for bloodshed - perhaps it's only fitting the spotlight turns on the (thankfully) shrinking fanaticism of Christianity once in a while.
9. Richard Wells
Sean, I find your comments saddening. Christianity teaches us to be non-judgemental, compassionate, and merciful toward eachother.
You cannot group all Christians under a banner of 700 year old Crusades.
Unfortunately some people use religion as a way to try to excuse their actions, case point - cults such as the Ku Klux Klan, 'Muslim' suicide bombers in Isreal.
Christianity is not the source of any war, people are, humans are the single source of these wars and atrocities you blame on religion.
Food for thought: The term Christian means "To be Christ like", now go and watch The Passion and tell me the character you see there is the source of hatred. If people claiming to be christian act in hatred, anger, and lack compassion, then they are not Christian at all.
Regards
10. anonymous
Sean
When the unprovoked anger is directed at Christians and we are all slaughtered, will that stop the need for all men to accept Jesus as thier Lord and Saviour?
I don't think so mate. When we get killed our blood is used to produce more. You can kill me physically but not my soul.
Jesus is coming again friend.
11. Russell de Pina
Richard, you're on the right track, but not there yet. When Christians act on their own will (i.e. outside of the will of the Father), they are not being Christ-like. That does not mean they've lost their salvation. Salvation/redemption was the whole purpose for Jesus Christ's life and death. He came to die and bear the cost for the sins of all men -- past, present, and future. The only unpardonable sin man can commit is to have heard the gospel of Jesus Christ and choose to reject His gift of grace. Sean, all I can say to you is -- eternity is too long to be wrong.
12. anonymous
How on earth can you mention Christians promoting Mel Gibson's "Passion" movie and "hate" in one breath and not mention in a next breath the vicious, hateful campaign of anti-Christian venom against the movie spearheaded by Abe Foxman of the ADL?