A Critical Discourse Analysis of Hate Speech

Mahdi I. Kareem al-Utbi

Mahdi I. Kareem al-Utbi University of Baghdad, College of Languages, Department of English Language.

Keywords: CDA, hate speech, social media, Facebook, freedom

Abstract

Online communication on social networks has become a never-given-up way of expressing and sharing views and opinions within the realm of all topics on earth, and that is that! A basis essential in this is the limits at which "freedom of expression" should not be trespassed so as not to fall into the expression of "hate speech". These two ends make a base in the UN regulations pertaining to human rights: One is free to express, but not to hate by expression. Hereunder, a Critical Discourse Analysis in terms of Fairclough's dialectical-relational approach (2001) is made of Facebook posts (being made by common people, and not of official nature) targeting Islam and Muslims. This is made so as to recognize these instances of "speech" as pertaining to freedom of expression or to hate speech. It is concluded that the language of the posts and their semiotic details signify that the texts therein represent hate speech which may amount sometimes to call for genocide, and not a mere freedom of expression.

Author Biography

Mahdi I. Kareem al-Utbi, University of Baghdad, College of Languages, Department of English Language.

Dr. Mahdi I. Kareem al-Utbiwas born in Baghdad 1975, got his BA in English Language and Literature from the Dept. of English, College of Arts, University of Baghdad in 1998. From the same Department, he got his M.A. in 2001 and Ph.D. 2008. He has a number of published and accepted-for-publication papers nationally and internationally. He is a co-author of "The Guide: A Dictionary of Linguistic Terms, English-Arabic". His areas of research are mainly Discourse Analysis, Syntax, Morphology, Lexicography, and Translation.

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