Fight
Fascism Together
9
November 1999
International Day Against Fascism and Antisemitism
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A
SHORT HISTORY OF THE "KRISTALLNACHT" POGROM
9 November 1938
In Germany on November 9th 1938, the Nazis started a pogrom against
the Jews. After the Nazis came to power in 1933, Jews were subjected
to harsh laws against them - being forced to hand over their
businesses to 'Aryans', only being allowed to shop in Jewish-owned
shops, children only allowed to go to Jewish schools etc. This
was accompanied by much organised violence against Jews in the
streets and elsewhere. But, until November 9th 1938, these attacks
had the appearance of being unplanned and not sanctioned by the
leadership of the Nazi Party, the government of Germany.
On November 6th, a young Jew living in Paris, Herschel Grynszpan,
received a postcard from his father Zindel who had been deported,
along with 18.000 other German Jews, on October 27th to the Polish
frontier. The postcard described the terrible conditions that
the deportees were living under. Herschel Grynszpan was so angered
by what he read that he went to the German Embassy in Paris and
shot the first German official that he saw, Ernst vom Rath, a
diplomatic assistant. Vom Rath died of his injuries on November
8th and the news of his death reached Germany the next day. The
Nazis and Hitler denounced the killing as part of a Jewish world-wide
conspiracy against Germany.
The pogrom started in Berlin on November 9th 1938, organised
unofficially by Hitler's SA storm troops. Hitler never officially
commented on the pogrom, but he must have given his approval.
Goebbels certainly ordered the violence to begin. Synagogues
were set on fire. Jewish shops had their windows smashed across
the country, which gave rise to the name "Kristallnacht",
which freely translated means the Night of Broken Glass. Many
Jews were physically attacked too. More than 7000 Jewish businesses
across the country were attacked. Fires were lit in every Jewish
area and the Nazis burned religious books. Around 200 synagogues
were destroyed.
The violence lasted 24 hours and 91 Jews were killed. More than
30.000 were arrested and sent to concentration camps. Many of
these were killed in the following two months.
The "Kristallnacht" pogrom is usually seen as the symbolic
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.
The word "Kristallnacht" was given by the Nazis themselves
to the pogrom, because it mocked what had happened. German anti-fascists
today prefer to describe the events of this night as Reichspogromnacht,
although in most other countries, the term is still used as it
is more well-known.
NEVER
AGAIN
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.
We commemorate how the fascist regime came to power, we commemorate
how violence against minorities became commonplace, we commemorate
how the borders of the European states were being shut for Jewish
refugees escaping Germany.
We protest against:
- the extreme-right and the incorporation of their ideas into
mainstream politics
- violence against minorities
- the policies that shut refugees out
Of course we are not saying that today's democratically elected
European governments are deliberately pursuing racist and anti-Semitic
policies 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
"undertake to pursue by all appropriate means and without
delay a policy of eliminating racial discrimination in all its
forms"
and it continious:
"each state party undertakes to engage in no act or practice
of racial discrimination against persons, groups of persons or
institutions and to ensure that all public authorities and public
institutions, national and local, shall act in conformity with
this obligation"
Although there is only one Holocaust, genocide has taken place
in several places on several occasions after World War II. "Never
Again" does not mean that it has never happened again. It
means that we commit ourselves to do everything in our power
to make sure that it does not happen again.
IT
DID NOT START WITH GENOCIDE...
Most of the people who lived in the Nazi era and who testify
about it today, say that they never thought that the Nazis would
actually try to exterminate the Jewish people, murder the Gypsies
and homosexuals. The murders were the last stage of a long process
of exclusion and dehumanising.
The nazi ideology contained many elements of today's intolerant
ideologies. Officially the nazi party only wished to protect
the nation against the 'unnatural' influence of Jews and other
'enemies of the German people'. In order to create national unity,
all alien elements had to be eliminated, either through chasing
them away or by exterminating them. Racist and fascist movements
today rarely argue for the extermination of minorities (except
maybe during the war in former Yugoslavia), but most argue for
deportation.
How can a person think that he has a right to destroy the life
of another? He might come to think that way if the other person
has been stripped of his humanity. The other person is no longer
human, but "only a Jew, a homosexual, a handicapped person
or a gypsy". They are labelled, literally by forcing them
to wear a yellow star, a pink or a black triangle, or in a more
subtle way. Does this ring a bell? Does this resemble how Jews
are seen in Russia, how homosexuals are seen in Britain, how
Roma are treated in Romania, how Turks are treated in Germany
and how refugees and asylum seekers are seen in the Netherlands?
Or for that matter, how all of these groups are treated mostly
everywhere in our Europe today?
HOMOSEXUALS
AND THE HOLOCAUST
Most people do not realise this, but in around half of the pre-literary
cultures homosexuality was accepted. It was only in the Hebrew
culture that it was violently opposed, as a result of the laws
that Moses received. These laws were taken over by Christianity.
Just before World War II homosexuality had begun to be accepted
a little more in European societies. In the 1920's homosexual
meeting places, books and films became more visible. However,
according to the Nazi ideology homosexuals were a threat to the
nation and the 'race'. The Nazis were convinced that homosexuality
was promoted by Jews to undermine the 'master race', as homosexuality
was seen as a threat to the required family size and birth rate
of the German people. Homosexuals were arrested and deported
to concentration camps, where they were very harshly treated
by both the guards and their fellow prisoners. They were often
used as guinea pigs for experiments by camp doctors. Very few
survived more than two months.
The Nazi period is certainly the worst period in modern history,
concerning the treatment of homosexuals. However, after the war
homosexual former concentration camp inmates were afraid to testify
about their treatment, fearing the homophobia that still permeated
European societies. In fact, the laws on homosexuality that were
installed during the Nazi era in Germany were only repealed in
1969. Until now homosexuals suffer harsh discrimination in many
countries, in some countries supported by discriminatory legislation.
In the struggle against fascism, racism and other intolerance,
we should not forget the issue of homophobia. Intolerance can
not be overcome until all forms of discrimination are rooted
out.
RESCUE
AND RESISTANCE DURING WORLD WAR II
One of the most tenacious myths about World War II is that Jews
went to the gas chambers like sheep. They did not. Many resisted
and most paid for it with their lives. Resistance was also organised
in the occupied countries of Europe, and also outside of those
countries. Resistance could mean striking, it could mean fleeing
and joining the allied forces, it could also mean publishing
information against the propaganda in the official media.
Historians often divide the actors of the war into three categories;
perpetrators, victims and bystanders. Bystanders were the people
who knew, but did not do anything. Bystanders were to a certain
extent also the countries that knew about the violence against
the Jews - at least from 1938 onwards - but closed their borders
to Jewish refugees. The Gestapo, the secret police in Nazi Germany,
could not have worked without tens of thousands of willing informants,
that did nothing except tell what they saw or heard. However,
judging the actions of all those normal people during the war
should not be taken lightly. If resisting means the death of
your children, which choice is morally right?
CLOSED
DOORS
How should we judge the democratic countries around Germany who
did not let Jewish refugees in? In July 1938 33 governments attended
a conference in Evian in France. The topic of the conference
was Jewish refugees fleeing Germany. Almost all countries found
reasons why it was not possible for them to allow more refugees
to enter their country. Only Holland and Denmark very slightly
increased the existing quota. After the "Kristallnacht"
pogrom it had become clear that organised violence was threatening
the lives of all Jews in Germany. Still, the doors remained closed
to all but a few refugees.
How should we judge the countries that are closing their doors
on refugees nowadays?
RESISTANCE:
ASKING A QUESTION, TO YOURSELF AND OTHERS
Luckily most of us are not in a position in which we have to
risk our lives to resist fascism, racism and other forms of intolerance.
We do not live in an authoritarian dictatorship. A Dutch poet
once said that 'resistance is asking yourself a question, and
then asking that question to others'. For example: "Why
is homosexuality seen as something bad? And why are homosexuals
discriminated?" Questioning, being aware of the world around
you, that may well be the most important step to ensuring that
no more people are killed in the name of 'purity of race'. Everyone
has a role to play and a contribution to make to the struggle
against intolerance, according to their own skills and ambitions.
FASCISM
AND RACISM IN SCHOOL
In some schools there are racist or fascist organisations that
try to recruit more members, but in most schools there is no
such organised activity. Who said that children are innocent
and not capable of racism surely did not have in mind the sixteen
year olds in high schools today. Schools have a responsibility
to make their class rooms safe for all pupils. Racism threatens
that safety, so do other forms of intolerance such as homophobia
and discrimination of handicapped people.
There are different forms of racism to be found in schools. Not
all of it comes from school mates. The material in schools can
be racist too. Books on history, geography and religion, but
also other books, often contain stereotypes of minorities. Taking
a critical look at school material is something all pupils can
do.
Taking action against different forms of racism is a responsibility
that pupils, teachers and parents can and should share. There
are lots of examples of successful school action. For instance:
in some schools pupils have taken the initiative to make their
school a "school without racism" (contact: School Without
Racism, Belgium). They have organised a variety of activities,
a.o. collected signatures, formulated anti-racist policies on
different levels, organised discussion meetings, etc. Your first
step: organise a coalition of the organisations already in place,
including teacher's organisation, pupils council, anti-racist
organisations, minority organisations, etc. Cooperation can make
the impossible possible.
WHAT
YOU CAN DO
Around 9 November the UNITED network organises each year a European-wide
campaign to commemorate the past, protest against the present
and build the future. There are several good reasons to cooperate
in (European) campaigns. Together we:
o motivate and inspire each other
o learn from each other's experiences and ideas
o generate more publicity
o mobilise more people
If you would like to take part in this campaign, keep in mind
that it is the variety and creativity of many different simultaneous
activities all over Europe that make the UNITED campaigns unique.
There is a common date, on or around 9 November. Every year a
theme emerges that gets special attention, in the past these
themes included for example Roma and Sinti, refugees, violence
and state responsibilities. Other ideas include: resistance in
past and present or racism in school. Special care should be
taken to develop activities with and for young people and school
pupils.
So: get organised! Find like-minded groups and start planning.
In the past years activities included: drawing competitions in
schools, discussion meetings, demonstrations in the street, commemoration
meetings, conferences, poster action, media actions, cultural
events with minority music groups, action weeks, etc. etc.
HOW
UNITED CAN HELP
We will produce a special calendar of activities taking place
all around Europe, which can help you to make contacts and exchange
speakers with other groups. It will be updated several times
and will be published on our website http://www.united.non-profit.nl.
Call UNITED if you cannot find a partner for your activities.
We might know of other NGOs in your country who are planning
something.
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.
UNITED will produce a European report after 9 November, including
as many of the activities that took place as possible.
We can only do this with your help!
HOW
YOU CAN HELP UNITED
Help us make the media release exciting! Announce your activities
to us! Send us your announcements, invitations, leaflets and
posters before the activities take place.
Help us make the report complete. Make sure your activity is
included! Send us reports, newspaper articles, photographs, etc.
after the event for the European report.
WHAT
IS UNITED?
UNITED for Intercultural Action is the European network against
nationalism, racism, fascism and in support of migrants and refugees.
Racism, nationalism, fascism, discrimination, restrictive asylum
policies... These issues have a European dimension. It is important
to fight intolerance on all levels. Linked through UNITED, hundreds
of organisations from a wide variety of backgrounds, from all
European countries, work together on a voluntary basis. They
base their cooperation on common actions and shared activities
on a mutual respect. UNITED is and will remain independent from
all political parties, organisations and states, but seeks an
active co-operation with other anti-racist initiatives in Europe.
Through the UNITED network organisations meet each other, work
on common actions and share information. European-wide action
weeks, campaigns and such are planned and discussed on UNITED
conferences. Like-minded organisations find each other on such
conferences and work together on specific projects and on specific
topics. The workers in the secretariat are in constant contact
with the network organisations, ensuring that information and
proposals for action are transmitted rapidly. Information is
received from more than 1700 organisations and mailings go out
to about 2000 groups in Europe.
If you want to get involved... Discuss the ideas and aims of
the UNITED network within your organisation. Let us know that
your organisation would like to join or receive information.
And add us to your mailing list!!
More
information on the following webpages:
www.unitedagainstracism.org
www.magenta.nl/crosspoint
www.icare.to
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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