Political (In)correctness and the Cancel-Culture Attitude: The Case of Religious Sectarian Language After the Arab Spring

This study investigated political correctness/incorrectness and the cancel culture attitudes in relation to sectarian language that has been prevalent on Arabic media since the onset of the Arab Spring in 2011, based on an examination of expressions describing religious sects such as Sunni, Shiites, Salafists, Muslim Brothers, Jihadists, Alawites, Houthis, Hamas, Hezbollah and Wahabis; the new lexical coinages introduced by Arab media that reflect hate speech and hostile sentiments against the religious sects that users oppose; Arab college students and instructors’ attitudes towards the different religious sects. The data analysis was based on a sample of sectarian expressions collected and surveys with a sample of students and faculty to find out their religious sectarian sentiments and whether they are tolerant or hostile. The data were analyzed according to the definition of “political correctness/incorrectness” and the “cancel culture” concept. Results showed political incorrectness in the language used by some mainstream media, and social media users, which offends particular religious sects in the Arab society, or treats them differently. The political incorrectness that has prevailed since the Arab Spring reflects discord, tensions, and internal divisions in some Arab societies. It is threatening equality, citizenship, and domestic peace. It is creating conflicts and friction among people supporting and those opposing them. The descriptions yielded by the sample of college students and faculty are characterized by prejudice, hatred, hostility, intolerance, and contempt of the religious sect(s) they oppose. The data collected from the media also shows cancel-culture attitudes as some members of certain religious sects, such as the Muslim Brothers, have been subject to detention, estrangement, animosity, banning from political activities, or forced displacement. Some have immigrated to other countries such as Turkey, Qatar, and Europe. Recommendations for abolishing political incorrectness and the cancel culture attitudes, creating conformity and carefully avoiding forms of expression or actions that exclude, marginalize, or insult people belonging to certain religious sects are given.