Verbal Violence and Hate Speech Related to Political Conflict

This research seeks to investigate instances of verbal abuse and hate speech on social media platforms in the context of political conflicts in the Kurdistan Region. The primary objective is to understand the use and prevalence of such hostile language among social media users, particularly on Facebook, within discussions related to political issues. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study integrates netnography and content analysis methodologies. A total of five prominent Facebook posts were selected as the sample, with 100 comments randomly extracted from each post using the Export Comments website. The significance of this study lies in its contribution to understanding the prevalence and implications of hostile and disparaging language employed by Facebook users engaging in political discourse. The analysis of 500 comments revealed a high incidence of violent and hateful language, including threats, insults, defamation, and expressions of political hatred. These comments often reflected deep political divisions and animosity among party supporters, frequently dehumanizing political figures and utilizing social stigma to demean and condemn them. The findings demonstrate that the intensity of political conflict is mirrored in the language used by social media users. Most comments not only rejected the content and individuals associated with the posts but also employed aggressive and divisive rhetoric, posing a potential threat to social and political cohesion. According to the theoretical frameworks applied, such written threats carry the risk of incitement, potentially escalating into physical violence, destruction, or even the assassination of targeted individuals or party members in the Kurdistan Region.