The Persecuted Releases Petition to End COVID Shaming

NEW YORK, Dec. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Persecuted is releasing a petition to discourage the discrimination against COVID-19 victims that is taking place as a result of the pandemic.

This discrimination, sometimes referred to as "COVID shaming," has reached much farther lengths than simple cyber-bullying. Many minority groups already facing prejudice are finding themselves in difficult situations: although those who contract COVID-19 ought to be thought of and treated as victims, instead many are being vilified. Beyond mere hateful words, some have been brought to the point of being sued, brought to court, and jailed unrightly.

In China, Uyghur Muslims have been unfairly treated for the past several years already. The government in their region has been guiding many of them to "re-education camps" where they can be integrated into the mainstream Chinese culture and belief system. However, with the recent pandemic it's now being used as an excuse to detain more members of this religious group.

Muslims in India have received a large part of the blame for the virus. Rumors have spread that Muslim missionaries are "intentionally spreading the disease" to Hindus and opposing religious groups. They are being shamed online and in public.

Another instance is the case of the minority Christian and Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, many of whom are facing discrimination of all sorts in the first, second, and third waves of the virus regardless of their involvement.

All groups have previously faced serious discrimination in their respective countries prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic. This will leave a dark stain in the histories of each of these countries, unless something is done right away to rectify the error.

In the U.S. itself, there has been a definite trend towards discrimination on the basis of race and belief. In a recent pew research survey, four in ten individuals of racial minorities have expressed that racist expression has become more common since the beginning of the pandemic. Anti-Asian sentiment has been on the rise in the US, with individuals experiencing discrimination and assault as a result. As with other countries, many individuals are being even more affected by the spread of COVID-19. Cases of "COVID shaming" have become increasingly common.

The Persecuted hopes that this petition will help to show the global opinion against COVID shaming. Like previous petitions and cries for help, we hope and believe that if this reaches the ears of governments around the world it can result in change and corrective legislation.

ABOUT THE PERSECUTED:
The Persecuted is a news source dedicated to the factual research and analysis of human rights violations. For more information, visit thepersecuted.org.

SOURCE The Persecuted