EveryOne Group promotes a campaign to have neo-Nazi or racist movements declared illegal in the European Union.
By Michael Smith (Veshengro)
“We are convinced”, says EveryOne Group, “that it has become necessary to promote a campaign to have neo-Nazi or racist movements declared illegal in the European Union. Otherwise, the risk of irreparable damage to democracy will soon become a reality. These movements spread ideologies that contaminate the entire political system and obtain electoral consensus.
It is absurd that in the Europe of human rights it is possible to initiate campaigns based on ethnic hatred or the criminalization of minority groups. The referendum in Switzerland on minarets is a perfect example. In which country, in the present climate of xenophobia, would the majority vote “yes” in favour of a minority group’s rights? After minarets, we could find ourselves voting in referendums against marriages between people of the same sex; the practice of traditions; books on minority religions and culture; practices like circumcision; the Roma marriage; assistance for the poor and marginalized; Gay Pride demonstrations and marches for human rights etc. We are very close to dangerous forms of nationalism and persecution.
In Italy, the persecution of the Roma people and “clandestini” (illegal immigrants) leads every day to deaths and humanitarian crises - while the dignity and liberty of these minorities are reduced to nothing. The activists and the few non-racist politicians are intimidated by the institutions, while helping the marginalized has become a crime with these news laws in force, laws which have turned refugees and the Roma people into “criminals”.
EveryOne Group wants to ask the European Union to consider the discussion and approval of a document – a directive – against nationalism, intolerant ideologies, propaganda that goes against people’s inviolable rights (through the spread of ideologies, the approval of national and local laws, the use of referendums). What is more, it must be established, once and for all, that neo-Nazi and racist movements must be deemed illegal and criminal, and should be removed from democratic institutions. Therefore they are asking everyone to consider joining the in an appeal to the European institutions to approve a document that reasserts the non-negotiable value of human rights and the dignity of minority groups.
While the ideas and the ideals behind this appeal certainly are laudable this is, however, a slippery slope for, and here the most important consideration, decides which groups falls into the category.
It also could open the floodgates to other groups that could be seen as causing some kind of “hatred” or whatever to also fall foul and the same legislations could be turned against other groups as well.
In addition to that it could push such racist and neo-Nazi groups underground where they could cause more damage than when permitted to operate openly.
However, one see the way that a great number of countries, and especially the most powerful ones, in the European Union have remained fascist to the core, such as Italy and also Germany, though in the latter case not as overtly as in the case of the former.
But, it was obvious, and still is, that, for instance, the Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands (KPD) (Communist Party of Germany) was banned after 1945 and could only, later, re-emerge as the Deutsche Kommunistische Partey (DKP) (German Communist Party) while the Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands (NPD), the successor, and no denial, basically, is made of this, of the NSDAP, the Nazi Party, could emerge immediately and still can carry on to this very day.
The likes of the Young Pioneers and the Free German Youth were declared unlawful, basically, after the “fall” of the wall and reunification of Germany, but the Nazis can carry on without much of a problem. I think that shows from where the wind blows.
Banning any political organization just drives activity underground and could cause more grief than good and must be considered very carefully, in my opinion.
© 2010
