Defamation and Assassination of Personalities on Social Media
Ali Taher
The sixty-year-old man erected a mosquito net in the courtyard of his home, fearing mosquito attacks and the deadly female Anopheles mosquitoes. He simply wanted to protect himself from contracting the cursed malaria and avoid the exhausting journey of treatment. At midnight, a stray bullet pierced his chest, taking his life instantly. The mosquito net turned into a burial shroud with him in the righteous graves west of the blood-soaked city of Omdurman. The man who struggled and earned his living honestly in the market, leaving behind a good reputation among his neighbors, was gone. This is how war is—if it doesnt betray you while you sleep, it kills you when youre awake. It also opens the door to other weapons and means that assassinate your character while you are alive, as is happening in the space of social media without restrictions or ethical restraints.
Groups and communities on social media platforms have become active in the organized defamation and assassination of personalities, not with stray bullets, but by hurling accusations that tarnish their reputations. "Asim," a young, robust man and a skilled player who had experiences with famous clubs in Khartoum, enjoyed a distinctive social network, and had a polite and cultured demeanor. However, all these human values did not shield him from an attack on his reputation when unknown individuals posted his picture in a private group in Omdurman on Facebook, accusing him falsely of espionage, ultimately killing his character. The shock of the situation significantly impacted his psyche. The shock spread within the family and among his friends who diligently tried to trace the crime through technological means and uncover the perpetrator, but they failed while Asim secluded himself in his room, fearful of his unknown fate.
As for the young man known as "Jaddo," his family in Bahri city is still searching for him, five months after his disappearance when his identity and description were posted in a WhatsApp group as a thieving agent. When the group discovered the horror of what had happened, the content was hidden, and along with it disappeared the young man who vanished from sight with his friend. Occasionally, news surfaces, all indicating that armed elements took them to an unknown location.
Defamation and character assassination, which have spread across the surface of society in the ongoing war in Sudan, have become frightening. It reveals the danger of social media platforms, especially WhatsApp and Facebook, as an extension of electronic crimes that initially appeared in society with technological advancements, initially affecting family and marital life, destroying several private relationships.
Intisar, my university colleague, went through a harsh experience. It happened in the penultimate year of graduation. She was waiting to receive her certificate and complete her wedding ceremonies. At that time, social media platforms became active, and some crimes emerged. While waiting to complete her projects, an unknown number sent private photos and emotional discussions in the WhatsApp platform to her fiancé, who did not verify the matter and decided to break off the engagement. This step was a turning point, as she suffered shock and depression, became mentally ill, and after a year, she passed away. Some neighbors claimed she committed suicide.
Psychologists and sociologists define defamation as socially unacceptable behavior where harm is inflicted on a person by spreading rumors and untrue lies. The person subjected to defamation may experience psychological distress, embarrassment, negative perception, as well as possible consequences such as social isolation, depression, anxiety, and, in extreme cases, suicide.
