Racism Report 2003 - Zara

Page 22 Cases: Media Racism Report 2003Austrian has been involved in the composition of the homepage. He has been under investigation for many yearsunder suspicion of breaking the Verbotsgesetz. We reported this man to the police in 1996 when he tried to place ahomepage with neo-Nazi content on an Austrian server. Because the Ostara homepage is on a US-American server,unfortunately nothing can be done against its existence since in contrast to Austria and Germany in the USA thereis no legal hold against Nazi agitation.“8586878889July 2003 in the online edition of the daily newspaper Die Presse an article appeared about victims ofInZivilcourage und Anti-Rassismus-Arbeitdiscrimination in Vienna and the work of ZARA etc. ZARA representative Dieter Schindlauer was also quoted in detaildescribing how in the first half of 2003 there were twice as many clients at ZARA as in 2002. The readers‘ postingsbelow the article were aggressive. ZARA was described as an „Austrian traitors‘ association“ which, if required - itwas implied - would invent cases.an online debate on the question „How safe is Austria?“ on the ORF homepage. A ZARA staff memberInZivilcourage und Anti-Rassismus-Arbeitsaw the following comment: „If they hadn‘t let all the druggy Niggers and heroin dealers into the country by theshipload we would have 38% fewer bandits on the streets of Vienna. Petrovic and Häupl should go on the beat, theywere the ones who started the whole shit steaming with their goody-goody blindness when they came out with ‚lesspolice state‘.“ZARA requested the ORF online editorial office to delete these comments. On the same day the user was blockedand the posting deleted. ZARA sent its thanks for the quick reaction.A. sent ZARA comments from the Kurier-Online-Forum. All of them posted about the articleMs.Zivilcourage und Anti-Rassismus-Arbeit„Omofuma Stone Moved“ on 17 November 2003. They are racist and insult and disparage both Omofuma (not a drugaddict) who suffocated under the hands and eyes of the police while being deported in an aeroplane, as well as thedesigner of the memorial stone and „Africans“ in general. Example 1: (...) Nobody wants this stone for a completelyunknown Nigger. All black dealers should be taken there en masse so that they know what will happen to them ifthey go on a rampage in the aeroplane.“ Example 2: „I‘m in favour that from today there should be memorial stonesput up for all drug addicts in Austria who offer resistance against the police. (...)“ Example 3: „This stone should be awarning for every single refugee, especially for every drug Nigger, to behave well in the host country and not incurour disapproval with wicked deeds. It should serve as a warning that not every justified deportation can or must passoff without a hitch. (...)“A ZARA counsellor wrote a letter of complaint to the Kurier which answered: „Thank you for your information.We will delete the postings immediately. Due to the large number of postings it is unfortunately not always possibleto read all contributions and if necessary to take action. Therefore we rely upon the help of our users. Best regards,The Forum‘s Admin.“N. and Mr. T. saw the programme „Tausche Familie“ („Family Swap“) on the ATV channel on 31 JulyMs.Zivilcourage und Anti-Rassismus-Arbeit2003. (Idea: two very different families swap a family member for several days. This can be the father the motheror one or more children.) This programme involved a family originally from west Africa and an Austrian family. Theviewers complained to ZARA: the Austrian family often made racist remarks. (Example: „The foreigners anyway onlyeat grass and are rich because they live 20 to a flat and every one of them goes to work.“ „I dunno, I just basicallydon‘t like Niggers.“) Both witnesses were outraged because these and other comments were broadcast without commentby the programme makers.In addition many viewers made racist remarks about the African family in postings in the internet forum „EureMeinung“ („Your Opinion“) at www.atvplus.at. („I don‘t want to let it annoy me but the Ngoy family has lived inAustria for 3 years and lives in such a palace (although only one daughter works) and I have lived in Austria for 25years and I live in a hole! That‘s a real cheek!!!“) - Once again without comment from the ATV editorial office.A ZARA staff member wrote a letter of complaint to ATV, which remained unanswered. All the same, in furtherepisodes no further racist comments were broadcast.once again (see above) received more complaints about the ATVplus programme ‚Tausche Familie‘.ZARAZivilcourage und Anti-Rassismus-ArbeitThis time it was about an Austrian and a Turkish family, whereby the Turkish family were felt to be very likeable andthe Austrian family made numerous racist remarks. A ZARA staff member made a detailed record of the programmesbroadcast and documented 15 concrete examples of blatantly racist comments. (E.g.: „To me he‘s a Kanak and he‘llalways be a Kanak.“ „You‘re a Turkish woman, that automatically makes you a slave.“A very critical article about the programme appeared in the daily newspaper Der Standard on 21 November 2003:„(...) The current series was begun with Gerda S., from the ‚absolutely typical‘ - according to ATVplus - Viennesefamily of Rapid Vienna fans and Melike G., ‚likeable Turkish mother‘. In addition Ms. G. took her young son with herto the Viennese family. The way in which she was received there outraged viewers. Many even spoke of a ‚Disgrace