Nikki Haley, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, has told her staff that they must be prepared to fight back against hate. In an email seen on Friday by Reuters, Nikki said that everyone must stand up and condemn hate speech.
Nikki's statement comes as United States President Donald Trump faces criticism both at home and abroad for his comments after violent scenes were witnessed at a white supremacist rally.
Charlottesville violence was 'horrible'
The U.S. President said that both the white supremacists and counter-protesters were to blame for the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.
White supremacists were voicing their displeasure after the removal of a statue of a Confederate soldier when violence broke out between them and protesters opposed to them. A 34-year-old woman lost her life after a neo-Nazi sympathizer plowed his car into a crowd opposed to the white nationalists.
In her email, the United States official said that the people spreading the message of hate are few but loud. Nikki said that said that her staff at the U.S mission to the U.N must denounce hate-mongers at every turn. She went on to write that the people spewing hate must be made to feel like they live on an island; that they should be isolated in the same way they wish to isolate others.
Haley stated that the 'horrible acts' witnessed during the Charlottesville protests took her back to the 'sad days' dealing with the 2015 Charleston tragedy.
Ms. Haley, a former South Carolina governor, rose to the attention of U.S. citizens when she successfully campaigned for the removal of the Confederate flag from her state's capitol grounds after a white supremacist murdered nine black worshippers in Charleston.
Respect diverse views, but shun hate
In the email, which did not directly mention U.S.
President Donald Trump, Haley said that people are not born with hate. She added that everyone has a responsibility to stand up against acts of hate. The Ambassador added that people should respect divergent points of view, it's equally important to challenge hate with the values they hold dear.
Trump's comments after the Charlottesville violence have been condemned by people in his own Republican backyard, corporate figures, and countries allied to the United States.
His remarks have also led some to speculate that some senior administration officials could quit.
Trump on Monday finally denounced white supremacists and neo-Nazis by name, but only after he came under intense political pressure. Senior U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, have since condemned racism.
