Racism Report 2003 - Zara

Page 40 Cases: Housing Racism Report 2003the ZARA counselling talk Ms. M. gave the impression of being very calm and cautious and she is a sensitive woman.She lives in a council flat in the 10th district of Vienna and was having problems with two women neighbours whowere constantly complaining about her, especially about alleged washing up at night - which Ms. M. denies etc.Ms. M. was walking along the street with her daughter when she met the two neighbours together. They beganto abuse Ms. M. with racist remarks, to call her „Yugo“ and told her she should go back to her home country etc. Ms.M.‘s daughter began to cry and was afraid and Ms. M. herself was very agitated. After this incident the daughter wasafraid to leave the flat on her own. Ms. M. contacted the Area Renewal Office in the 10th district and the WIF officewhich recommended that she contact ZARA. During the ZARA counselling talk it became clear how „normal“ conflictsbetween neighbours such as about using the communal laundry etc. became mixed up with racist abuse. Before theincident Ms. M. had already been called „Yugo“ by one of the neighbours in the laundry. The ZARA counsellor explainedto Ms. M. that 2-3 witnesses would be necessary in order to report the abuse (as a close relative her daughter‘sstatement would not be sufficient). It was agreed to send a letter to the neighbours offering mediation. Some timelater Ms. M. phoned to say that she had come to a solution with the neighbours with the help of the Area RenewalOffice. She did not say exactly what solution - but she said that there were no further problems.181182183184185R. has lived in Purkersdorf for two years in what he described in the ZARA counselling talk as a basicallyMr.Zivilcourage und Anti-Rassismus-Arbeitpleasant apartment house. Mr. R. comes from Iran, has lived in Austria for 34 years and is an Austrian citizen. Recentlyhe had noticed increased „insensitive use of language“ and was annoyed about it. For example, the person managinghis apartment house wrote a letter to all tenants with the request to keep to certain rules with regard to the communaldustbins because otherwise it would look „like in the orient“. Mr. R. was very annoyed about this and wantedto know what legal measures could be taken. The ZARA counsellor explained the options. He first wanted to speak tothe woman himself and attempted to do so several times. However, any talk was prevented by her in many differentways and the matter was not cleared. Mr. R. decided to leave it at that and thanked ZARA for the counselling.R. reported a case involving her friend Ms. F. who is married to a man from Argentina. When Ms. F.Ms.Zivilcourage und Anti-Rassismus-Arbeitonce again had to phone her former property management company to clear up a few points the woman on thetelephone said that some tenants had complained about her and especially about her husband. Ms. F. supposed thatthe mood in the apartment house had become hostile towards them because her husband is from Argentina. Theproperty manager responded angrily, „Why didn‘t you tell me straightaway that your husband was a foreigner, thenI could have warned the tenants!“ ZARA documented the case.B., born in Croatia, reported that her neighbour, Ms. G., was always insulting children playing in theMs.Zivilcourage und Anti-Rassismus-Arbeitcourtyard: „Riff-raff, get lost! Go back home where you came from!“, „It‘s half past eight, it should be quiet now youriff-raff, otherwise I‘ll turn you to pulp!“ However, when spoken to she denied these insults and was not prepared toreturn to using a normal tone with the children. She insisted that she could not stand foreigners and especially not„Niggers“ because she was always exposed to their sexual harassment. Ms. G. repeatedly insulted the (mainly Croat)children in the apartment house. The words „Yugo bastard“ and similar occurred frequently and especially often thechildren heard the sentence, „Go back home!“ The mothers were also insulted - they should have brought up theirchildren better because Austrian children are not so loud. ZARA invited Ms. B. for a counselling talk on several occasionsbut she did not take up the offer.K. is an Austrian of Polish origin. She was having problems with a neighbour in her municipal apart-Ms.Zivilcourage und Anti-Rassismus-Arbeitment house in Vienna. Ms. F. was always looking for an argument with Ms. K. She followed her, forbade her to waterthe plants and insulted her as „not normal“ or as „stupid“ because she was a „foreigner“. The ZARA counsellor wrotea letter of complaint and invited Ms. F. for a talk. Ms. F. phoned and said that she was not discriminating againstMs. K. and expressed the suspicion that Ms. K. had health problems. ZARA offered to contact the responsible AreaRenewal Office but Ms. K. said that she would like to wait because she had no longer been harassed by Ms. F. sincethe had received the letter from ZARA.K. was looking for a flat for an African student from Nigeria. When he replied to an advert in Immo-Mr.Zivilcourage und Anti-Rassismus-ArbeitBasar he was answered that flats were not rented to blacks on principal: „When I called, the advertiser was firstlyprepared to arrange an appointment to view the flat. But when he discovered that his potential tenant was a Nigerianhe said that he didn‘t rent to Africans.“ Mr. K. did not inform his acquaintance about the incident because he „didn‘twant to burden him with the xenophobia of many fellow-citizens“. ZARA tried to phone the flat owner. A ZARA staffmember prepared a complaint under the Introductory Provisions to the Code of Administrative Procedure but thename of the advertiser could not be discovered.