MINELRES: UNITED E-NEWS 11/12/04: Solidarity Needed
MINELRES moderator
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Wed Nov 17 07:53:55 2004
Original sender: UNITED <[email protected]>
E-NEWS 11/12/04: Solidarity Needed
UNITED E-NEWS 11/12/04: Solidarity Needed
The recent days and weeks - just after the successful conference of the
UNITED network in Oslo, in the run-up to the International Day Against
Fascism and Antisemitism, 9 November - have been marked by extreme
difficulties for anti-racists in several European countries.
We encourage supporters and sympathisers of the European movement
against racism to express solidarity with those who are threatened with
violence and intimidation. Below some concrete examples of recent
attacks against multicultural society.
The Netherlands
In the wake of the assasination of the controversial film director and
journalist Theo Van Gogh by an islamic extremist in Holland, there has
been an ongoing tension between communities in a strongly islamophobic
climate. The extreme right has used the opportunity to launch a campaign
against the whole Muslim community in the country. As a result of the
clashes several mosques, churches, schools, community centres have been
threatened or even set on fire, arrests of alleged extremists have been
made. Anti-racists, including members of the UNITED team, have been
trying to show solidarity with stigmatised communities through public
demonstrations and appeals.
Germany
In Wurzen (eastern part of Germany) the office of the 'Network for
Democratic Culture' - NDK, part of the regional anti-racist network
"Tolerantes Sachen" ("Tolerant Saxony") was the target of a bomb attack
on the night of 6/7 November. Activists of "Tolerantes Sachsen" were
hosts of the UNITED conference on new right-wing extremism in Zittau
earlier this year. The attack came in the wake of the recent success of
the neonazi party NPD in the regional parliament election (12 seats),
six days before the annual meeting of members of "Tolerant Saxony".
Azerbaijan
On 4 November a member of the Helsinki Citizens Assembly of Azerbaijan
was interviewed by national TV about prospects for peace in the
Azeri-Armenian relations. The interview was subsequently cut,
manipulated and misinterpreted which opened the way for a campaign
against the HCA resulting in physical attacks on its offices. HCA has
been at the forefront of efforts to build bridges between ethnic and
national groups in the Caucasus and it has cooperated with the UNITED
network.
These events show the need for determination in the European-wide
activities against racism and nationalism. UNITED calls for solidarity
with our brave colleagues and friends - you can send messages of support
to NDK ([email protected] and [email protected] in Germany)
and HCA Azerbaijan ([email protected]), please CC them to
[email protected].
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UNITED is the pan-European network against nationalism, racism, fascism
and in support of migrants and refugees, supported by over 560
organisations in 46 European countries.
How to join the network: see http://www.unitedagainstracism.org 'joining
the network'
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contact persons active in the working fields: anti-racism, refugee
support, anti-fascism, against antisemitism, migration, minority issues,
intercultural youth work, against nationalism etc.
Regular postal mailings, containing publications such as Addressbook
Against Racism, Calendar of Internationalism, Campaign reports, Posters
etc. are sent to over 2200 European organisations. If you also would
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'joining the network'
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UNITED for Intercultural Action
European network against nationalism, racism, fascism and in support of
migrants and refugees
Postbus 413 - NL 1000 AK Amsterdam
phone +31-20-6834778 - fax +31-20-6834582
[email protected] - http://www.unitedagainstracism.org
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