Racism Report 2003 - Zara

Racism Report 2003 Cases: Media Page 23for Austria‘: ‚Yesterday my friend and I were so shocked about the behaviour of the S. family that we could not getit off our minds and I would like to apologise to the Turkish family for the primitive and racist behaviour of the S.family‘ was a typical statement on the ATVplus homepage. There was also criticism of the fact that the young boyhad to remain in a hostile environment. The tenor of many comments: this programme should not have been allowedon the air.ATVplus pointed out that ‚the six year-old son of the Turkish family was promptly removed from the Viennesefamily after half a day of shooting‘. However, on Wednesday it was stated as a matter of policy that ‚Tausche Familie‘is a reality format ‚in which the editorial office consciously does not intervene‘, the series is not scripted (there is noscreenplay) and the protagonists speak the way they normally do‘. However, the protagonists can decide to end theirparticipation at any time. There is another episode with this controversial family mixture, which according to currentplanning is going to be broadcast.The fact that the show caused such strong reactions is seen as ‚positive‘, according to ATVplus. However, ATVpluswould ‚expressly like to point out‘ that it is ‚against any form of racism, xenophobia, exclusion and against any formof violence‘.One is also not amused at SK Rapid (Rapid Vienna football club). After all, the S. family were portrayed as ‚typical‘Rapid fans. Asked by the Austrian Press Agency (APA), press officer Peter Klinglmüller reported numerous outragedcalls and e-mails from fans. The club did not react officially because the club did not want to ‚give this programmeand this TV station even more publicity‘. However, with respect to its fans the club distanced itself from racistcomments. ‚Rapid and I find it sad that something like this still exists in our society. But it is even more sad thatthere is a platform for it on a TV station.‘ The SK Rapid fan club homepage distanced itself from the Viennese family:‚Unfortunately, today a negative story has been written about the best football fans in Austria! We find it irresponsibleof the private TV station ATVplus to bring such a misanthropic family into public view. It is also sad that thename of our beloved club SK Rapid has been dragged in the dirt. There are already anti-Rapid postings on the ATVplusforums. www.sk-rapid.at expressly distances itself from this family.‘In addition, a user of the ATVplus forum set up a guest book where messages can be passed on to the Turkishfamily. (APA/red)“(Source: http://derstandard.at/standard.asp?id=1487529)ZARA wrote a letter of complaint to ATV plus with a request for a statement. ZARA received no answer and reportedATVplus under the terms of private television law to the telecommunications authorities at the Office of theFederal Chancellor.R. sent to ZARA anti-Semitic and threatening postings which he had read over several days in DecemberMr.Zivilcourage und Anti-Rassismus-Arbeit2003 on the homepage of the daily newspaper Die Presse. They related to a Burgtheater premiere („Bambiland“ byElfriede Jelinek). Example 1: „Do we again have to pay our taxes for this Jewish swine?? And didn‘t Jelinek, who‘s alsoone of the same mob, want to leave the country in 2000???“ Example 2: ‚Why doesn‘t the piss-Elfi also let piss-Paoloappear on the Burgtheater stage. After all, it would be interesting to see who could piss further... We just have tohope that Jelinek is also afflicted with the Jewish hereditary disease (rampant madness) and will soon commit suicide.The former cultural city of Vienna does not deserve these creatures.“A ZARA staff member reported these and other postings to the Forum Against Anti-Semitism and requested DiePresse to delete the anti-Semitic comments. There was no reply.90commentary by two ZARA staff members entitled „The Phenomenon of Racism in Austria“ appeared 91AZivilcourage und Anti-Rassismus-Arbeitin the daily newspaper Die Presse 26 March 2003. Subsequently numerous reactions from readers appeared on thenewspaper‘s homepage. Some of them were extremely racist, anti-Semitic, aggressive and playing down racism -there was one positive reaction.Racism was rationalised: (Example: „Races simply exist, and the progressive left also cannot change that. And it isgood and fine that races exist. With all their advantages and disadvantages. And all their differences (of a biologicaland mental nature).“) And racism was denied: (Example: „What does ‚racism‘ mean here? It could never develop inAustria because we never had Niggers here. And the Jews aren‘t a race at all!“) and toned down through comparisonswith other countries: (Example: I really don‘t understand why it‘s only Austria that‘s denounced. Have you neverqueued up at a French office?“).There were numerous anti-Semitic innuendoes: (Example: The economy measures affect everyone, but thanksto Wolfi‘s [Trans. note: Wolgang Schüssel, Austrian Federal Chancellor] untiring efforts he managed to entice theEU racism authorities to Vienna because, understandably, no other country wanted to have the French Jew Kahnand the Kraut bimbo, Beate Winkler, only then to be denounced abroad as a Nazi country by the two dear asylumseekers. The colonisation of this rare species of sidelock crab louse was only achieved because Wolfi, as generousas ever, guaranteed that the Austrian tax payer would bear all the costs. In return, he and the vicarage cook, AuntBenita [Ferrero-Waldner, Austrian Foreign Minister], were sent out of the hall straightaway at the opening reception!