The approach urging hatred was exacerbated due to the exceptional circumstances Syria is going through, the Minister acknowledged during his meeting in Damascus with a delegation of the Syrian Forum headed by Prof. Ghassan Hitto.

Al-Mustafa warned that thousands of fake accounts operate to spread misleading information and rumors with the aim of fomenting social division.

No one is unaware of the imminent danger facing the country on its path to stability and political consolidation, with hundreds of thousands of fake accounts operating day and night to sow division, he explained.

He pointed out that to counteract them, a rational and conciliatory discourse must be adopted, with emphasis on the citizenry.

He clarified that the sanctions imposed on Syria are hampering efforts to combat disinformation and limit the verification of government accounts on digital platforms.

Many countries have developed various strategies, as well as technical and legal tools, to address this problem.

The most effective ones include convincing citizens to peacefully manage political disputes, promoting rational and inclusive discourse, and applying professionalism in media treatment, he clarified.

In the same context, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research issued a decision prohibiting the publication, circulation or promotion of any content that incites hatred, sectarianism or racism, or that undermines national unity or civil peace.

The Ministry affirmed that any violation of this decision by members of the teaching staff, students and employees of the Ministry, exposes the perpetrator to criminal, civil and disciplinary liability, which may lead to permanent dismissal or referral to the courts.

Calls to consolidate civil peace and avoid hate speech intensified after numerous violent incidents of sectarian nature that killed several people in this nation living in an unstable situation.

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