Regarding
the recent entry of far-right Golden Dawn party in Greece's Parliament
after the May 6 elections, prominent politicians and intellectuals from
across Europe have signed an open letter warning of the rise in neo-Nazi
groups in the continent.
The letter appeared in different dailies, such as the
British The Guardian, the Polish Gazeta, the French Le Monde and the
Greek Kathimerini. The signatories underline the importance of raising
awareness amidst the people of Europe in view of the current conditions
nurturing the rise of far-right parties in power.
According to the letter, the austerity policies
adopted by European countries in the past years have paved the way for
the rise of extreme right parties, while Europe's post WWII social
welfare system must be reinvigorated with the 'pursuit for democracy,
social progress, and the promotion of equality, together with the
protection of those citizens who – even more so in times of crisis – are
the target of racial and social violence.'
Listing a series of different phenomena reviving the
Nazi ideology lately, such as the rise of extreme right FPO Party in
Austria, the first ex-Waffen SS parade in Latvia and the activity of the
Hungarian Guard Movement, which is responsible for attacking and
terrorizing Roma and Jewish people in the country, the open letter
criticizes the cultural propaganda against the 'Islamization of Europe',
which is only favoring the spreading of racist ideals and behaviors.
"We refuse to accept that, whether in Greece or
elsewhere in Europe, Jewish, immigrant, Muslim, Roma or black people may
fear for their lives because of who they are. We invite all citizens,
political parties, unions, civil society, intellectuals and artists to
fight the extreme right by promoting and bringing to life the European
dream," reads the letter.
The letter, titled 'We are all Greek Jews', is signed
by Benjamin Abtan, president of the European Grassroots Antiracist
Movement (EGAM); Dario Fo, Literature Nobel Prize; Jovan Dijvak, general
defender of besieged Sarajevo; Svetlana Gannushkina, Memorial leader in
Russia; Anthoy Giddens, sociologist; Amos Gitai, director; Bete et
Serge Klarsfeld, president of the “Fils et filles de deportes juifs de
France”; Bernard Kouchner, former French minister of foreign affairs;
Bernard-Henri Levy, philosopher, writer; Adam Michnik, historian,
essayist, journalist, former member of Solidarnosc; Amelie Nothomb,
writer; Dominique Sopo, president of SOS Racisme; Oliviero Toscani,
photographer; Elie Wiesel, Peace Nobel Prize, writer; AB Yehoshua,
writer, essayist.
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