Statement of Moscow bureau for human rights on the Day of memory and grieve

More than 60 years passed since the time when fascism that brought incalculable sufferings and millions victims to the world was conquered with joint efforts. After 1945 peoples of all the countries and first of all those who suffered most of all hoped that not just the fascist military armada was conquered but also the fascist ideology itself was eradicated – the ideology that is impregnated with hatred towards the other, that calls upon for killing people basing upon their religion, ethnic belonging, skin color or sexual orientation. It seemed that the world that lived through the most terrible catastrophe in the history would wake up and never admit the suicidal ideas and slogans. 

Alas, this didn’t happen … 

Globalization of the world economy, migration of many million people from most various countries of the world to the regions with higher level of economic development (first of all the countries of Western Europe and USA), dissemination of nationalistic and religious views of extremist orientation and growth of international terrorism connected with this – this all causes the growth of xenophobia that was not avoided even by most developed states. Most often the nationalist tendencies are based upon the ideology that was already tried-out in the past. As a result, early in 21st century manifestations of xenophobia, nationalism, anti-Semitism, racism became more frequent in various regions of the world – and this is all included into the notion “fascism”. Along the streets of the cities people are going that call themselves differently but their essence is similar – hatred towards the people of another race, another skin color, another religion. They beat, kill, and burn. There are hardly any regions of the world where neo-Nazism does not manifest itself to any extent. The fascist manifestations are urgent both for the countries with steady democratic traditions and institutions and for countries with totalitarian past, both for economically developed and economically backward ones. One must just see the news round-ups of recent time to understand the scale of fascist actions: 

• according to the results of interrogation conducted in Germany in March 2008, a quarter of respondents responded to the question whether there were any positive sides of national-socialism “yes, there were”;
• leader of the French ultra-right J.-M. Le Pen stated early in May 2008 that “gas chambers were just a small part of the history of the World War II”;
• the extreme right received almost 30% of votes during recent election in Austria;
• Hungarian monuments were desecrated with swastika in Trans-Carpathia. 

One can number hundreds of such reports. About 5 thousand websites exist on the Internet propagating violence. One can speak about considerable activation of right radicals during recent years. Nazi assemblages take place and the Holocaust deniers speak in various countries of the world. Czech neo-Nazis arranged a demonstration in Jewish quarter of Prague on November 10, 2007, in Plzen on March 2, 2008, the skinheads walked along the center of Vilnius on March 11, 2008 with slogans “One, two, three, Lithuania is nice without a Russian”, “Juden aus”, “Kill this Jews” On May 1, 2008 a march of neo-Nazis took place in Hamburg. Anti-Semitic, anti-Israeli actions took place all around Europe early in 2009. 

Attempts of rehabilitating Nazism and people who fought on its side are made in Baltic countries, Ukraine, Moldova. Accomplices of Nazi regime turn into national heroes. Xenophobic and nationalistic moods notably affect the political life here (like, though to a smaller extent, in Germany and Italy), they are available in ideology of some political parties and are sometimes exaggerated by high-ranking politicians and representatives of power-holding elites. 

Increase of number of mandates received by the parties of nationalist orientation in European parliament causes special anxiety. Among them: Hungarian party “Movement for better Hungary” (Jobbik) having paramilitary formation “Hungarian guard” within itself (its members wear uniform upon the model of Nazi one), “Danish people’s party” that is famous for its anti-immigrant rhetoric, Italian anti-immigrant “Northern league”. The European parliament included the French National front led by famous radical and migrant-phobe Jean-Mari Le Pen, Dutch Party of freedom of Girt Wilders (author of famous anti-Islamic film “Fitna”) acting with a slogan “For Europe in hands of the Christians”, Bulgarian nationalist party “National union Attack”. 

Such ultra-right groups passed to the European parliament as Finnish party “True Finns” (Perussuomalaiset), Party of great Romania and finally British National party (BNP). The latter, having received two seats in the European parliament, already has plans to create a broad right-radical opposition there. The BNP manifest states that the party “aspires to secure the future for native population of British islands” specifying at the same time that “native population” means those whose ancestors settled here after the last Glacial epoch as well as those “who found themselves here as a result of historical migrations of population from the continental Europe – Kelts, Anglo-Saxes, Vikings and Normans”. The British national party is accused of open propaganda of racism. 

What is the reason for success of nationalist and frankly racist parties at the election to the European parliament? There are several of them: 

1. During the period of acute global economic crisis accompanied by growth of inflation, unemployment, decrease of standard of life, the native population of any country aspires to search for the simplest explanation of their material and everyday difficulties – namely, to put the blame upon the “aliens” – immigrants, gastarbeiters. The latter are accused of depriving native residents of the workplaces, introducing their norms of behavior, and destroying the cultural traditions. Many parties and leaders who are spoiling for power use these moods for their own political purposes, cultivating and rousing them. 
2. Mistakes made by leaders of West-European countries during several decades and repeated by governments of new independent states on the territory of the former USSR in their immigration policy now. Hundreds thousand immigrants from the third world countries got the right for residence in European countries, without considered policy of recording and provision of workplaces, acculturation, development of corresponding educational programs. As a result, strained and estranged relations are formed between native population and immigrants that sometimes turn into direct collisions, and also xenophobic and racist moods grow in the society again making right-radical politicians-nationalists popular. 
3. General growth of racist, xenophobic, and anti-Semitic moods in the world caused by various objective circumstances: growth of aggressive Islamism, complicated situation in Near and Middle East, gap between wealth of leading economic states and third world countries etc. 

The fact is most regretful that neo-Nazi moods grow in Russia – the country that played the principal role in victory over fascism and lost millions of its people during the war. Psychological, economic, social consequences of decades of Communist regime are not yet eradicated. Objective problems of economy and mistakes of authorities, gigantic corruption level in the country, consequences of collapse of USSR, weakness of democratic movement and liberal parties, current economic crisis promote awakening of meanest manifestations of ethnic hatred, desire of a “firm hand” and, as a consequence, forming of youth radical groups of the most right orientation. Hundreds of skinhead groups are acting practically openly in Russia, and their nationalism comes to a simple formula – to kill all the “non-Russians”. Veterans and all the sensible people feel shame and terror when they read the reports like these in press: 

• on the building in Moscow where the Jewish anti-fascist committee worked in 1942-1948 a portrait of “raging fuhrer” appeared and an inscription “Hitler was right”;
• in Khimski near Moscow the nationalists drew swastikas on specimens of arms and combatant technique displayed on the Victory square;
• in Nizhniy Tagil on the night of April 20 a fascist swastika appeared on the tower of the monument to legendary Soviet tank “T-34”, and date of Hitler’s birth – on the cast-iron plaque;
• in St. Petersburg an attempt to launch a cloth with drawing of swastika tied to the balloons was recorded. 

One of recent facts of expressing the public sympathy towards Nazism was the appearing of a banner saying happy birthday to Hitler at a football match. 

And these are just the facts of direct expression of sympathy towards fascism. But one can cite many more monstrous facts that can hardly be called but fascist manifestations: burning of an aged man on Eternal flame by hooligans, murder of little Tajik girl like that of dozens of other migrants. During the period since January till December 300, 2008, according to MBHR data, 293 attacks at least were recorded motivated by xenophobia and 122 dead and 380 wounded at least were their results. Just during the period since January till June 15, 2009 103 attacks and attempted attacks motivated by xenophobia were committed and 34 dead and 102 wounded at least were their results. 

Neo-Nazis grew so bolder that started attacking not just “aliens” but also representatives of the authority called “non-Russian” by them. Thus, in May radical nationalists set fire to a building of Directorate of home affairs of Leninsky district in Nizhniy Novgorod within the “revenge day” announced in advance, an attempted arson of militia station was committed in Cheboksary and that of military commissariat - in Moscow. 

Lists of “enemies” of Russia are placed on Nazi and nationalist websites, with addresses and telephones of human rights activists, judges and investigators, public figures who stand for democratic and liberal way of development for Russia. They try to frighten the society, create an atmosphere of fear to realize their most abominable misanthropic plans in it. 

Fascism, xenophobia, racism – this is an international phenomenon. The misanthropic ideology can be conquered only when anti-fascism and anti-racism would become a mass phenomenon and get a real united international character. 

But certainly special attention should be paid to the events happening in our own country, and all the efforts in combat against the most dangerous phenomena should be united. It is not enough just to reason about damage of extremism now for changing the situation. It is necessary to make considerable efforts on the part of the state, public organizations, socially responsible citizens to change the moods, establish the culture of joint residence of people with various ethnic belonging, various culture and religion. 

The offensive of chauvinism is promoted by imperfection of legislation, sometimes by indifference towards criminal and provocative activity of nationalists on the part of authorities, by lack of efficient educational-enlightenment programs in secondary school, and by general corruption in state structures. 

Our country urgently needs the new youth policy. A strong protest potential is accumulated among the young people, the intolerance and hostility is concentrated to a great extent. Aggression of street gangs and their ideologists is caused most often by spiritual-moral bankruptcy and their incapability to self-actualize. Maximal efforts should be made for upbringing of citizens in a spirit of tolerance and mutual respect from childhood. 

Such upbringing requires long time and serious efforts. Growth of xenophobia, popularity of practice of ethnic discrimination is a serious challenge for today’s Russia. Combat against these phenomena must become a priority of social policy. Development of broad National plan of counteraction to threats of extremism is necessary for this purpose. 

Just in case of realizing the whole monstrous danger of current situation in the society, concentrating on combat against neo-Nazism and chauvinism, uniting the efforts of authorities, NCOs, human rights organizations, and mass media for this purpose, it would be possible to stop the growth of fascism.