Disadvantage,
Discrimination, Detention
the Responsibilities of the States
9
November 1998
International Day Against Fascism and Antisemitism |
Why
November 9th?
November 9th 1938 was the date of the "Kristallnacht"
pogrom in Nazi Germany. Three days earlier, on November 6th,
a Jew, Herschel Grynszpan, who was angry at the increasingly
repressive measures being adopted in Germany against Jews took
revenge by shooting the diplomat Ernst vom Rath at the German
embassy in Paris. The diplomat died two days later and news of
his death reached Germany on November 9th. This started a massive
nationwide pogrom, secretly organised by a section of the Nazi
party, which left many Jews dead in the streets, and hundreds
of Jewish businesses and synagogues burnt, smashed and destroyed.
It marked the beginning of the Holocaust, the systematic murder
of 6 million Jews, over a million Roma and Sinti, gay people
as well as communists, trade unionists and many others.
Europe today
At European level, commemorations of November 9th have taken
place since the 50th anniversary in 1988. The commemoration has
taken on a new meaning as we remember not only the victims from
1938, but also campaign against the rise of neo-nazism and racism
in Europe today, and show support for the recent victims of racist
and fascist attacks.
November 9th 1997
At the UNITED conference 'Solidarity with Minorities' in
Bratislava delegates from 74 organisations decided they want
to remind European governments of their responsibilities to protect
people against all kinds of racism, including institutionalised
discrimination and to combat social exclusion. Of course we are
not saying that in 1997 democratically elected European governments
are deliberately pursuing racist and antisemitic policies of
genocide in the way that the Nazi regime did. Nonetheless, our
governments have major responsibilities which, when neglected,
can have dangerous and even fatal consequences.
According to the United Nations "International Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination"
states should
Despite the fact that most European governments have signed this
Convention, disadvantage, discrimination and detention of minorities,
migrants and refugees are still common in Europe. We challenge
the governments to show us that at the end of the European Year
Against Racism, they have taken their responsibilities seriously.
That is why we are focusing the activities of the International
Day Against Fascism and Antisemitism around: Disadvantage, discrimination
and detention are part of everyday life for millions of people
across Eastern and Western Europe.
DISADVANTAGE
Ethnic
minorities may face racial harassment in every sphere of life:
in the labour market, the health service, housing and education.
Across Europe police and criminal justice systems have a shameful
record of discriminating against ethnic minorities. Roma, Gypsies
and travellers are socially excluded and are often denied proper
education and decent sites to live on. Minorities do not have
the same chances, they are disadvantaged.
DISCRIMINATION
Discrimination
is to judge or treat someone on the basis of irrelevant characteristics
such as race, color, gender, sexuality. One example: lesbians
and gay men face discrimination and prejudice. In Romania it
is still illegal to be gay and across Europe many people and
states do not recognise homosexuality as a legitimate and equal
expression of sexuality. In many countries gays and lesbians
do not have equal access to marriage, adoption and fostering
of children.
DETENTION AND DEPORTATION
Hundreds
of refugees fleeing persecution and trying to enter "Fortress
Europe" are facing death, detention and deportation. Because
of racist immigration policies in Europe more than 850 refugees
(documented by UNITED as at June 1997) have already died from
hiding in aeroplanes and boats, drowning when thrown overboard,
being shot by border guards, etc. If they do manage to seek safety
in European countries many face a life in prison, without having
committed any crime and are then deported back to the danger
from which they fled.
SOME
EXAMPLES
Disadvantage
- Black people and employment in Britain
Many
people in our societies are disadvantaged in different ways.
Their quality of life, and opportunities are affected because
they are part of a minority group. Racism and homophobia are
an inherent part of our societies. This sort of disadvantage
operates within institutions such as the police, justice system
and health service - all parts of the state. As part of a commitment
to tackling racism and xenophobia governments must ensure that
they examine how their own departments treat minorities.
A report published in June 1997 shows that it is three times
harder to get an interview for a job if you are Asian and five
times harder if you are black. The report shows how employers
are putting black people at a disadvantage in the jobs market
which means that unemployment among the black population is disproportionately
high.
In one case a Scottish bank was sent the same letter from a black
applicant and from a white applicant inquiring about vacancies.
The white job-seeker was sent an application form for a job;
the black job-seeker was told that there were no job vacancies.
In the Liverpool region a shop told black and Asian people that
a job vacancy had been filled but on the same day white applicants
were invited for interview.
Black people still earn less than white workers in comparable
jobs and are significantly under-represented at management level.
(source: The Guardian, Commission for Racial Equality, June 1997)
Discrimination
- Roma in Central and Eastern Europe
In
many countries in Europe, especially in Central and Eastern Europe,
Roma people face discrimination, harassment and attack.
Parallels have been drawn between the current situation facing
the Roma people and the experience of Jewish communities in Nazi
Germany. One academic recently stated, 'the situation in Poland
seems similar to that in Germany in 1937-38 when attacks on Jews
were commonplace.'
The majority of the violence against the Roma community comes
from organised groups of young people, especially in Poland and
the Czech Republic, wanting to vent their frustration on an easy
and vulnerable target. However, the state (the police and justice
system) has shown a total lack of willingness to deal with the
problems which the Roma people face. Although no evidence exists
of the state being directly involved in these acts of violence,
the attitude of the state is responsible for the vulnerability
of the Roma people.
The lack of protection given to the Roma community by state agencies
leads to a situation in which conflict is encouraged as the perpetrators
know that they are unlikely to be punished for their actions.
"FEAR"
In
Debice in Poland, leaflets with swastikas and the phrase, "Gypsies
to the gas chambers!" appeared in the town.
After an attack, local Roma people were very afraid.
One Roma said "There were 60 of them. They threw stones
at us, broke the windows. Earlier, they had grabbed my boy and
beaten him up. He's in hospital...now everybody's afraid. How
can we live with such fear? We've got wooden sticks to hand,
but how are we to defend ourselves if more of them come next
time ? It wasn't the first attack of this kind. I'm afraid there
may be a repeat. What frightens us, Roma, the most is that the
authorities are doing nothing. Nothing to calm the worst fear,
the fear in the night."
Detention
- Asylum seekers in Britain
In
December 1995 Abiodun Igbindu arrived in Britain having fled
persecution in Nigeria. Mr Igbindu had been arrested more than
ten times in Nigeria and tortured. On arrival in Britain he was
taken to Campsfield House Detention Centre. Campsfield House
is surrounded by barbed wire and the asylum seekers are held
there as prisoners with access only to basic facilities. They
rely on visitors from refugee support groups for contact with
the outside world.
In 1997 asylum seekers felt unable to put up with the situation
any longer. Their desperation was brought to public attention
when seventeen asylum seekers from Algeria, Nigeria, Romania
and Zaire went on hunger strike in protest at being held in Rochester
prison. After 40 days of hunger strike many of them needed emergency
medical attention. One hunger striker was finally released and
given only a travel ticket and £2, he was not given medical
attention, housing or food.
The former Conservative Home Secretary, Michael Howard MP, said
that the treatment of asylum seekers is "fair, reasonable
and generous". The reality is that the British state denies
refugees basic human rights such as housing, sufficient food
and any form of income. One judge stated "The plight of
asylum seekers should provoke deep sympathy. Their plight is
indeed horrendous."
Deportation
- Protests Against Air France
On
20 February 1997, some passengers on board an Air France flight
destined for Douala in Cameroon, protested against the treatment
of a Zairean youth who ought to have been dropped off at Kinshasa
while the aircraft was on a stopover there. He was being deported
from France. He was not accepted as either an asylum-seeker nor
as an immigrant. The young boy was placed behind a curtain, but
the passengers could hear him screaming. When the curtain fell
back, some passengers were shocked to see a policemen beating
up the youth.
One of the passengers said "They (the policemen) told us
that we were helping drug traffickers and that because of us
there would be more and more black people in France".
The flight captain then requested the policemen to disembark
the youth who no longer appeared to be able to walk.
(source: Migration News Sheet, March 1997)
Deportation
is the logical result of the migration and asylum policies in
Europe. These measures are carried out with unusual harshness.
People are deported when waiting for the outcome of an appeal,
during the asylum-procedure. Restraints, tape, anti-biting masks
and other violent methods are used on utterly desperate people.
Private firms are hired to perform tasks that should be the direct
responsibility of the state and its justice system.
How YOU can get involved
We encourage the organisations that want to take part in
the UNITED campaign to cooperate with other organisations.
In 1994, for example, joint activities were planned all over
Europe by Jewish and Roma groups together. In 1995 refugee groups
joined the activities around 9 November to commemorate the closing
of borders around 1938 and to protest against the same thing
happening nowadays. It is important that the victims of persecution
then and now support each other. Think about cooperating with
the following groups: Jewish organisations, human rights and
refugee organisations, minority groups, anti-racist and anti-fascist
groups, Roma organisations, black organisations, organisations
of people with disabilities, gays and lesbians.
You can use the European Address Book Against Racism to find
contacts.
You do not have to be a big and established organisation to contribute
to this campaign. If you don't feel capable to organise an activity
on your own, get in contact with other groups in your region.
But even as a small group, you might be able to organise one
or more of the following activities:
memorial meetings, torchlight marches, infostands, solidarity
pickets, press releases, exhibitions, demonstrations, memorial
minutes of silence, public speaking tours, conferences, discussions,
concerts, info meetings, film shows, blockades, etc.
You can find examples of possible activities in the UNITED report
of 9 November 1996.
It
is the variety and creativity of all the different activities
all over Europe that make the UNITED campaigns unique. You are
completely free to choose your own way of organising, while respecting
- the common theme: the commemoration of "Kristallnacht"
and the responsibilities of the states in protecting people from
racism, persecution and violence.
- the common date: on and around 9/11/97
In
the last years UNITED has coordinated and initiated several succesful
campaigns. Hundreds of organisations have cooperated with each
other, working for activities around the same date and with the
same topic.
There are several good reasons to cooperate in (European)
campaigns, you can:
- get motivated and inspired (working together makes you feel
stronger and makes you more creative)
- learn from each others experience and ideas
- generate more publicity because of the scope and size of the
activity
- mobilise more people (when you cooperate with other organisations
you can combine the amount of participants)
How
UNITED can help
-
UNITED will produce a special "Calendar" of activities,
with a list of all the activities around Europe, which can help
you to make contacts and exchange speakers with other groups.
- A media release will be sent out to all important European
press agencies, newspapers, etc. If you feel that we should include
a specific media contact from your country in our list, let us
know. Journalists who want to know about specific activities
will be informed about events in their country and are referred
to the organisations involved.
- Contact UNITED for details from September 1st. Inform us of
your planned actions before November 9th. We will send a special
edition of our "Calendar" to the active organisations.
- Contact UNITED for campaign material. UNITED has produced 50.000
stickers. All active groups can order 75 stickers for free, and
more for a very low fee. The report on the 1996 campaign and
background information on the history of November 9th 1938 is
also available.
- At the forthcoming UNITED Conference in Slovenia (8-12/10/97)
further co-ordination and preparation will take place. The results
of this conference will be made available to all interested organisations.
How
you can help UNITED
-
Send announcements, invitations, leaflets and posters before
the activities take place
- Send reports, newspaper articles, photographs, etc. after the
event for the report.
Help us to make the media release exciting. Help us make the
report complete. Make sure your activity is included!
Up
UNITED
for Intercultural Action
European network against nationalism, racism, fascism
and in support of migrants and refugees
Postbus
413, NL-1000 AK Amsterdam, Netherlands
phone +31-20-6834778, fax +31-20-6834582
info@unitedagainstracism.org,
www.unitedagainstracism.org
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