Skip to main content

Beyond the Hate Frame: When Systemic Violence Masquerades as Hate and Extremism

A PRA Webinar Roundtable
Published on
October 20, 2022
Last Updated
August 4, 2023

From the candidates in 2022 races carrying the mantle of the Far Right to the treatment of anti-LGBTQ persecution as “phobia,” join PRA Research Analysts Ben Lorber, Habiba Farh, and Heron Greenesmith as they name and explore the language and policies that obscure purposeful and concerted programs of social order maintenance. In this conversation, they will answer the questions: “How does the designation of “hate”–i.e. hate crimes, hate groups–and “extremism” or “fanaticism” perpetuate hegemonic The use of violence, intimidation, surveillance, and discrimination, particularly by the state and/or its civilian allies, to control populations or particular sections of a population. Learn more ? And who benefits from this design?”

For security purposes, the recording of this webinar will be released in early 2023. The transcript for this webinar is available here.

For this roundtable discussion, we were joined by:

Ben Lorber: Ben Lorber works as a Research Analyst at PRA, focusing on A social movement based on a belief in biologically determined racial hierarchies, often with the ultimate goal of establishing an all-White nation state. Learn more and A form of oppression targeting Jews and those perceived to be Jewish, including bigoted speech, violent acts, and discriminatory policy. Learn more . Lorber has worked as a journalist, organizer and movement-builder for over a decade. Lorber has published on right-wing social movements, Israel/Palestine, Jewish culture and other topics at The Nation, Salon, The Jewish Daily Forward and more. He tweets at @BenLorber8.

Habiba Farh: Habiba Farh is a research analyst at Political Research Associates monitoring legislation and discourses addressing hate crimes, terrorism, and extremism. She joined PRA with nearly a decade of experience working with researchers, journalists, activists, and movement partners to address mass incarceration, surveillance, structural violence. Habiba has written on intergenerational political Repression occurs when public or private institutions—such as law enforcement agencies or vigilante groups—use arrest, physical coercion, or violence to subjugate a specific group. Learn more on historically marginalized communities in the U.S., Arab-American diasporic politics, U.S. foreign policy on the Middle East, and A form of religious bigotry, with strong racial components, that scapegoats & demonizes Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim. Learn more and anti-Arab An attitude toward social identities that can be mobilized to justify discrimination, state/vigilante violence, and exploitation. Learn more in American policy and law.

Heron Greenesmith: Heron Greenesmith, Esq. is a policy attorney with over a decade of  An umbrella acronym standing for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning. Learn more  advocacy experience. Currently monitoring anti-LGBTQ advocacy, movements, and leaders with PRA, Heron is also an adjunct Professor of Law at Boston University School of Law, an Antibigotry Fellow with the Center for Antiracist Research at Boston University, and an Editorial Board Member at the Bulletin of Applied Trans Studies. Heron has written extensively on the disparities facing bisexual and pansexual people and how to remedy them through public policy advocacy. 

 

Read the full transcript here.

Authors

Political Research Associates (PRA) is a social justice research and strategy center. Since 1981, we have been devoted to supporting organizations, civic leaders, journalists, and social sectors that are building a more just and inclusive democratic society.

Continue Reading

Peter Montgomery
Political Research Associates
Mariya Strauss
Tarso Luís Ramos