In the U. S. there are no laws against xenophobia. Just as there are no laws against racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. Whether some people agree with it or not, people are allowed (at least for the present) to form opinions for themselves. These opinions may be considered awful by the majority of the people but that really doesn’t matter.
On the other hand, if you act in a malicious manner or you take some discriminatory action, based on these opinions there may be laws against those actions.
So while there is no law saying you can’t be xenophobic, if you lynch a person for the sole reason he/she is from another country you have committed at least two crimes. The first being murder. The second being a defined as a hate crime.
The preservation of human rights in any part of the world plays a key role in maintaining the peace and liberty of its citizens. In this case, equality under the law plays a key role in preserving these rights. The government and its citizens are obligated to honour and respect the Bill of Rights and the constitution for the country to run smoothly.
According to Section 9 of the Constitution of South Africa,
Everyone is equal before the law and has the right to equal protection and the benefit of the law. Prohibited grounds of discrimination include race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth.
In section 12 of the constitution, everyone living in South Africa has the right to freedom and security. Therefore, no one has the right to violate or mistreat citizens for whatever reasons they presume to be right. Consequently, it is to paramount for every citizen of the country to abide by this law. The jurisdiction protects citizens of the country. For the government and other governing bodies to get to amicable solutions, it is imperative to hold dialogues to get to the root of these discriminatory acts against its people.
