NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #30/NN_1992_30.iso/spool/misc/activism/progress/9518

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From: [e-mail] (Rich Winkel)
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Subject: GERMANY: Neo-nazi measures long overdue
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Date: 20 Dec 92 03:35:27 GMT
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/** headlines: 557.0 **/
** Topic: IPS:NEO-NAZI BAN NOT EFFECTIVE **
** Written  2:49 pm  Dec  7, 1992 by newsdesk in cdp:headlines **
/* Written  6:18 am  Dec  6, 1992 by lang in igc:glasnost.news */
/* ---------- "IPS:NEO-NAZI BAN NOT EFFECTIVE" ---------- */
From: Andrew Lang <lang>
Subject: IPS:NEONAZI BAN NOT EFFECTIVE

/* Written 12:03 am  Dec  6, 1992 by [e-mail] in igc:ips.englibrary */
/* ---------- "GERMANY: Measures against neo-Nazi " ---------- */
Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Area: Asia, eastern
Title: GERMANY: Measures against neo-Nazi barbarity judged long overdue

an inter press service feature

by carlos bendana

bonn, dec 3 (ips) -- the ban on the neo-nazi 'national front' is
too little, too late to stop racism's rise to violence in germany,
say humanitarian groups and experts in terrorism.

the ban on the national front ''is correct, but overdue --
because the reasons for banning it (its stated aim to eliminate
the democratic order) has existed since it was founded,'' said tom
schmidt from the base church communities initiative.

the unashamedly neo-nazi national front was banned friday by
interior minister rudolf seiters as ''a warning signal against
extreme rightist agitation''.

it had little effect, with several migrants' shelters torched
over the weekend in the states of brandenburg in the east and
baden-wuerttemberg and lower saxony in the west. there were fresh
attacks monday night in the north west city of winsen an der luhe.

''the ban is also insufficient because it does not affect other
similar organisations which are still being allowed to continue
their activities,'' said schmidt. the independent institute of
research into terrorism, agreed and could list at least a dozen
groups pursuing identical aims as the national front.

''now they have many right-wing sympathisers, even in the police
force,'' added schmidt. ''these should be weeded out in order to
increase the effectiveness of other possible measures along the
same lines.''

the national front, founded in 1985, has only 130 formal
members, but according to the office for the protection of the
constitution there are 76 extreme right-wing organisations with a
total of 40,000 members active in germany today.

as for the neo-national socialists themselves -- who include in
their ranks two other racist groups called german alternative and
national offensive -- they number almost 6,000 members.

for andrea becher, spokesman for the greens here in bonn, ''the
most important thing is that the parties, with their debate on the
right to asylum, have changed the political atmosphere.

''without this, an association of only 100 members would be a
mere matter for the police or the public prosecutor's office.
(more/ips)

germany: measures against neo-nazi barbarity judged long overdue(2-e)

germany: measures against (2)

''the ministry of the interior and the office for the
protection of the constitution claim that it is easier to control
extreme right-wing groups if they be allowed to operate legally.

''but this view is false because this gives them the possibility
of propagating their ideas and influencing public opinion.''

according to recent polls more than half the germans find the
slogan 'germany for the germans' a ''just'' comment, and 37
percent think it ''fair'' that germans ''in their own country put
up resistance to foreigners''.

there is little difference in these views between the older
generation and the youth responsible for the fire bombings and
murders that have racked germany since august, according to the
latest studies.

there is a wide network of fascist activists who have found
their way into conservative parties, and even into some social
democratic and alternative green sectors, claimed volkmar wolk,
spokesman for the federation of anti-fascists.

these activists are finding places in editorial staffs of
magazines which work in obscurity, and from discussion circles
whose members are recruited from the so-called 'conservative
workers groups' and student associations, wolk explained to a
recent congress of anti-fascist journalists.

these groups were operating in a ''grey zone of the right'' where
the neo-nazis mix with conservatives.

journalist franziska hundseder cited the conservative review
'young liberty' which does not openly support racism, but presents
itself as encouraging the ''protection of german nationality'' --
while members of the ruling christian democratic union backed and
attended a congress also attended by ultra-rightists like david
irving and gerhard frey.

these two are linked with the progagation of the fake 'theory'
that the nazi genocide on the jews during world war two did not
actually happen. (end/ips/trd/sp/np/cb/ego/ica/tt/rj/92)

** End of text from cdp:headlines **