Appeal of minority NGOs from Moldova
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From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Date: Mon, 1 Apr 2002 13:43:55 +0300 (EEST)
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Subject: Appeal of minority NGOs from Moldova
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Original sender: IUMA Moldova <[email protected]>
Appeal of minority NGOs from Moldova
Appeal from Non-governmental Organisations of the Republic of
Moldova to the World Society
Today, with stability and interethnic reconciliation in the Republic
of Moldova under threat, we, representatives of non-governmental
organisations, those who share values of democratic society, are
compelled to appeal to all people of good will, to all those who
advocate principles of national minorities protection and who condemn
any manifestation of xenophobia and anti-Semitism. Over half a century
has already passed since the end of the World War II, however, we
regret being forced to witness manifestations of national intolerance
and utmost anti-Semitism propagated and actively supported by some
political movements in our country, and namely by the Christian
Democratic People's Party led by Yuri Rosca.
We are sure that those who underestimate these events, and especially
it concerns politicians, do not care for the future of our state, for
our youth. We consider it an atrocious crime, and the leaders of the
country, as well as powerful international organisations must give
these manifestations their firmest legal disapproval. We, citizens of
the Republic of Moldova, have no right to forget lessons of history.
This is even more true, if we remember that our country was the first
one to see the first Jewish pogroms (havocs) in the early XX. We have
no right to forget about one of the most tragic pages in the World War
II, the Holocaust - an attempt to exterminate an entire people on the
occupied territories. The world knows about the massacre of more than
300,000 Jewish and Roma persons by I.Antonescu's accomplices in a
ghetto on the modern territory of our country during the last world
war. Meanwhile, Moldovan Christian Democrats render active support to
a number of Kishinev historians who write school textbooks without a
single word about this horrible page of Holocaust in the history of XX
century.
It is enough to mention just one of the scholars known for his
anti-Semitic perspective - a historian A.Petrencu. In 1999, he
published a book, the title of which can be translated in English as
"Romania and Bessarabia during the World War II". Works of this
scholar draw attention also due to his political engagement and open
support to activities of the national-extremist Christian Democratic
People's Party. (http://news.ournet.md/iv?iv=29&lang=Ro&page=1). This
scholar uses Bessarabian model in an attempt to reanimate and back
I.Antonescu's "arguments" in support of genocide policy the latter
conducted towards the Jewish of Bessarabia and Bucovina. A.Petrencu
mobilised everything he could draw from anti-Semitic literature to
evidence: the Jewish - the "fifth column" - who were at work behind
the Romanian army, were in fact robbers, thieves, criminals, they were
Soviet agents who used to surrender Romanian patriots, desecrate
Christian churches, they are mean mercenary tribe, etc. All this
anti-Semitic rhetoric from fascist and nationalistic literature is
reproduced by this scholar in his book without any reservations; he
offers these facts as an ultimate truth.
It is necessary to mention as well, that other ethnic minorities who
live in Bessarabia are also depicted negatively in this book. In his
work, A.Petrencu openly glorifies activity of Romanian administration
in Bessarabia during 1941-1944, and does not even mention the world
known fact of Jewish massacre conducted by the authorities. The policy
of ethnic cleansings, mentioned but not condemned by the author, is
treated as part of Holy War "conducted by I.Antonescu against the
Soviet Union to free Romanian national territories".
An utmost cynicism is the fact that both the book and a student's book
of similar contents (Istorie universala. Epoca contemporana.,
Chisinau, 1995) have been published with support from the Foundation
of George Soros, (Moldovan branch - Soros-Moldova), who is known for
his Jewish origin.
These textbooks are published in that very time when Moldova, having
gained independence, managed to get rid of the state-level
anti-Semitism of Soviet type. A lot has been achieved in efforts to
revitalise national minorities cultures, including the Jewish one,
their languages, and their historical studies. It is a pleasure to
see that the current leaders also take specific measures to improve
interethnic reconciliation and civil peace.
We believe that politicians at all levels must realise that unpunished
manifestation of xenophobia, genocide against one people today can
turn tomorrow into genocide against the entire mankind. We draw
attention of the world society to the fact that Moldova is a
multinational country with representatives of over 100 nationalities
living here, a country where any ethnic problem can easily acquire
political flavour and divide the society. We draw your attention to
this in connection with the fact that lately, due to a thoroughly
planned disinformation policy of the Christian Democratic People's
Party, various international political organisations have been
rendering direct or indirect support to its activities. Due to efforts
undertaken by the propagators of this party, their organisation is
seen by the European Commonwealth as the only pillar of democratic
forces in our country. Against the background of alleged "fight
against communist threat", this party managed to divert attention
from itself as extremist organisation directly propagating national
hostility, disseminating interethnic discord. It is doubtless that the
whole anti-communist campaign led by this party and its related
organisations has no other aim but that of earning political capital.
Activities of this political organisation at all stages of its
existence were an evident demonstration to the society of this party's
destructive position and ability to exploit hardships and difficulties
of our people. These are typical manifestations of extremist and
destructive political force having nothing in common with European
perspectives.
To illustrate the position of the Christian Democratic People's Party
and its related movements, we would like to draw the world society's
attention to overtones expressed in those periodicals that take a
liking to the Moldovan Christian democrats. For a decade, the
respective mass media has been publishing articles that stir up
national discord, propagate xenophobia and anti-Semitism. We are ready
to offer the articles supporting our opinion to all those interested
international organisations upon their first request.
Christian Democratic People's Party has skilfully used the issue of
"the Russian language and history" in order not to allow study of our
native state's history in schools. The strikers led by Y.Rosca express
demands, which sound more like ultimatums, to study history of the
Romanians, written under strong impact from a number of scholars who
rehabilitate the marshal Antonescu and his politics in "Jewish
matter". We are sure that to come out from the hard economic,
financial and political crisis Moldova currently lives through, it is
necessary that citizens of all nationalities living in Moldova be
united. It is obvious that works by A.Petrencu, who is openly
supported by CDPP's activists, as well as xenophobic and anti-Semitic
slogans propagated by him, will not contribute to it.
While even the President of Romania I.Iliescu has not once declared
that I.Antonescu was recognised a military criminal by anti-Hitler
coalition, by those countries that fought for democracy, and that
Antonescu remained faithful to Hitler until the former's arrest
(http://www.presidency.ro/discursuri/2002/mes-020325-A_Jewish.htm),
Y.Rosca's ideologists declaring their pro-Romania orientation have
their own view of this odious character of the past. You may make your
own judgement of the following: "I.Antonescu's regime was a modern
dictatorship, tolerant towards democratic opposition (exchange of
opinions with democratic opposition, fight against political crimes,
introduction of universities' autonomy, organisation of two
plebiscites)" (P.Moraru, Regimul Antonescu // Tara , 28 May 1999
[Tara - is a printed medium of Y.Rosca's party]. Or: "...the policy of
atrocious suppression of freedoms incriminated to Antonescu's regime
by the communists did not take place in fact"!. (ibid). And what is
about the recent statement of A.Petrencu that "Bucharest leadership
brought to power by the Soviet Union executed political order
(Antonescu's trial)" ( http://news.ournet.md/iv?iv=29&lang=Ro&page=4).
Or, "I.Antonescu till the very end fulfilled his duty of the Country's
defendant. I consider him the only man who, with a weapon in his
arms, frankly acted for the return of his ancestors' lands, taken away
by the Soviet Union in the summer of 1940". (ibid). We believe that
such provocative statements must stir up concerns with the Romanian
authorities as well, because these persons are active in preaching the
ideas of Romanian identity, values of Romanian state, the idea of the
Great Union with Romania.
We consider it necessary to inform every sound-minded person that the
children are brought to Kishinev's square today by the same forces
that in 1992, one month before the bloody conflict in Transnistria,
widely propagated the "Ten Commandments of a Bessarabian Romanian".
Here are just a few quotations: "The Great Romania is a precondition
of your future existence", "Don't hurry connecting your fate with a
person of different nationality. Cross-breeding only improves the
breed of animals, and is harmful for humans. If you created a family
with representatives of a different nation, do everything possible for
your spirit, the Romanian one, to win in your family." ("The Ten
Commandments of a Bessarabian Romanian" // Tara, 4 February 1992).
These are the forces that back in 1992 supported the initiative of the
National Christian Party of Moldova to rename one of the central
streets in Kishinev in the name of I.Antonescu, as well as to
organise a contest for the best project of the monument to the marshal
I.Antonescu, "martyr and national hero of the united Romania". ("Un
viitor monument al maresalului Ion Antonescu" // Tara, 9 June 1992).
What is it if not prophanation of European values, such activities of
this party, ready to bring to power national extremists uninterested
in existence of our state and disguised behind a mask of the alleged
fight against communism in Moldova.
Writing our appeal to you, we are sure that Europe, of which our
country is inalienable part, cannot be destroyed by territorial claims
of the national revanchists, renaissance of agressive nationalism,
xenophobia and discrimination of any kind. It is our strong belief
that such ideas condemn people of whole Europe to hatred and war. We
cannot understand why the fact of election of the ultra-rights to the
Austrian Parliament caused a wave of protests in the countries of
European Union, while the activities of an analogous party in Moldova
are supported by the same European Union! In connection with the
above, we call on you to take into consideration these facts, shape
your impartial opinion about democratic nature of Yuri Rosca's party
agenda. We call on international organisations, all those who are not
careless of the nastiest phenomena in history of the mankind such as
xenophobia, chauvinism and anti-Semitism, to comprehend situation in
Moldova in its complex entirety and not to make misjudged conclusions
for the sake of someone's political interests.
Non-governmental Organisations:
Association of Jewish Organization and Community of Moldova
Roma Social and Cultural Community "SINTI"
German Community in PM
The Youth Social Organization "IUMA" of Moldova
Azerbaijan Community "ARAZ"
Belarus Community
Bulgarian Community
Tatar Community "IDELI"
Fund of the Russian writing and culture Russian Community
Uzbek Community of Moldova
Women Association "Rossyanka"
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