Former U.S. President Barack Obama criticized the language of hate used by some politicians, which he said contributed to a climate that allowed the recent mass shooting in El Paso, Texas. The attack, carried out by a 21-year-old white man, left 22 people dead, many of them Mexican, according to welt.de; Obama’s comments were interpreted as a subtle rebuke of his successor, Donald Trump, whose rhetoric had previously been criticized as racist.

Language of Division and Historical Consequences

Obama noted that some leaders dehumanize others, demonize people who look different, or suggest that the United States belongs only to certain groups, such rhetoric, he said, implies that immigrants or others threaten American values. This kind of language is not new and has historically led to atrocities such as the Holocaust, the genocide in Rwanda, and ethnic cleansing in the Balkans. Obama emphasized that the majority of Americans must make it clear that such rhetoric has no place in politics or public life.

Call for Stricter Gun Laws

Obama also called for decisive action to reform gun laws, acknowledging that no law could prevent all acts of violence, However, he stated that there is evidence that stricter gun laws could prevent some deaths and spare families from heartbreak. He urged all Americans to demand change from their politicians, noting that without such reforms, tragedies like the El Paso shooting would continue to occur.

International Appeals for Justice and Peace

While Obama spoke out on domestic issues, he was also the subject of international appeals for action. In Japan, students launched a campaign in June 2009 to invite Obama to Hiroshima, urging him to support the elimination of nuclear weapons, according to 中国新聞ヒロシマ平和メディアセンター. Meanwhile, in Saudi Arabia, a mother of a 17-year-old boy sentenced to death sought Obama’s help, but the boy, Ali Mohammed al-Nimr, was arrested in 2012 for participating in protests demanding equal rights for Shia Muslims. His mother, Nusra al-Ahmed, described the torture her son endured and called the punishment barbaric and out of step with modern times, according to kor.theasian.asia.

International human rights groups, including Amnesty International and the campaign group Reprieve, called on the Saudi government and the international community to intervene — Reprieve’s Maya Foa urged Obama to act immediately. The U.S. government expressed deep concern over the case and urged Saudi Arabia to respect human rights, calling for a fair and transparent trial, which it described as an international obligation.

Despite these appeals, a Saudi diplomat at the United Nations, Abdulrahman Al-Mouallemi, denied any problems with the trial process and urged international actors not to interfere. He claimed that Saudi Arabia upholds a high level of human rights awareness.