"Racism Report 2004" is available for free - Zara

Page 12 Cases: Public Space Racism Report 2004
55 Ms. K. lives in a block of council flats where she is known for not putting up with racism and xenophobia—
��������������������������������������
a recurrent issue at block in question. On July 5, 2004, someone ruins the hood of her car by scratching a swastika
of 50 x 50 cm in size on it. Mr. K. asks ZARA to document the case and doesn’t contact us again.
56 On September 6, 2004, in an article in the daily newspaper “Kurier” the head of the FPÖ’s Viennese branch,
��������������������������������������
Heinz-Christian Strache, tries to explain to the public the meaning of the foot and mouth disease (translator’s note:
the following is a word play on the disease’s German term “Maul- und Klauenseuche”, “maulen” meaning to complain
and “klauen” to steal): “Wenn osteuropäische Arbeiter im Westen arbeiten müssen, maulen sie. Wenn sie nicht arbeiten
können, klauen sie.” (“When Eastern European workers have to work in the West, they mouth complaints. When
they can’t work, they steal.”) This is reported to the Vienna Public Prosecutor’s office by the lawyer H.; on October
13 they respond saying that the charges were dismissed “because the behaviour reported is not punishable in court.”
Mr. H. asks ZARA to document the matter.
57 The magazine “Wir Wiener—Das Bürgermagazin” (Us Viennese—the Citizens’ Magazine) which is published
��������������������������������������
by the “Association for Citizen Information” devotes its entire October 2004 edition to Heinz-Christian Strache, the
head of the FPÖ Vienna. Almost every single page features “reports” of a racist, discriminating and inhumane nature.
A thorough investigation by ZARA’s legal experts concludes that legal proceedings were not possible because all the
statements in question remained “just about” within the legally allowed framework. Since the City of Vienna had
placed an advertisement in the magazine ZARA sends a letter of protest to the City Council for Integration. In the
reply we’re informed that the City of Vienna will never again place an advertisement in this publication.
58 On Shrove Tuesday 2004 the community of Ybbsitz, district Amstetten, Lower Austria, declared itself a
��������������������������������������
“Negadorf” (nigger village) for the day; one of the events that day was a concert on the main square called “Negamusi
Ybbsitz” (nigger music Ybbsitz). A storm of protest reaches the mayor. According to the Niederösterreichische
Nachrichten the mayor doesn’t have a problem with the term “nigger village”; he says: “The discussion around the
naming of the event shouldn’t be exaggerated—it’s carnival time.” The event takes place as planned and only afterwards
he sends a letter to the protesting organisations and individuals apologising for the terms “Negadorf” and
“Negamusik”: “Clearly, the choice of terms by the organisers wasn’t fortunate. Also there was never an intention to
hurt people’s feelings because of their colour of skin. It is, however, true that we totally underestimated the abusive
dimension of these terms. In order to prevent prejudice and polarisation between people of different colours of skin,
I will in future take particular care within my responsibilities with regard to the choice of such terms.”
59
The following are excerpts from an OTS mailing on February 16, 2005 by the “Ring Freiheitlicher
��������������������������������������
Jugendlicher” (FPÖ youth organisation) entitled: “Statements by Caritas President Küberl cruel and contemptuous.
The left-wing Catholic’s latest demands are impertinent”. “… The fact that last week Küberl, the self-proclaimed
upholder of moral standards, once again patronised Austrians in terms of “their lack of helpfulness” can only be
seen as the impertinence of an arrogant personality (…) Küberl continuously calls the negative attention by daring
to vilify those who finance thousands of fake asylum seekers with their arduously earned money (…) Küberl needs
to be asked whether he sees Austrians as second class citizens and what happens to his compassion as a Christian
when it comes to those who fall victims to black African dealers or other criminals. Frankly, the population’s patience
has reached an end, the boat is full and refugees from Muslim states ought to seek asylum in places such as Saudi
Arabia. It’s a wealthy state of the same religion and thus it would be ensured that the Christian character of Austria
is maintained—something which also ought to be in the interest of the Caritas President, provided he still considers
himself a Christian. In ancient Rome those who sinned against the people’s wellbeing were banned. It is a shame that
ancient customs such as this don’t exist anymore (…).”
60
At a press conference on February 16, 2004, the FPÖ vehemently voiced its opposition against the right
��������������������������������������
to vote for foreigners in Graz and Linz. “Beware of the beginnings”, Magda Bleckmann, the F’s General Secretary,
said in a call for vigilance and warned of elective foreign dealers. She was supported by the then deputy head of
the Vienna FPÖ, Heinz-Christian Strache. As a negative example the two referred to the active and passive suffrage
of foreign residents on the district level which was adopted in Vienna last year. “In Vienna an African dealer who is
registered with Caritas for a mere five years is entitled to vote and stand for election”, says Bleckmann. This couldn’t
be “in anyone’s interest”. Bleckmann also feared the candidature of ethnic electoral lists. She pointed out that in the
capital soon about 127,000 immigrants would be entitled to vote and that app. 80,000 of them came from Turkey.
“The Turks occupied Vienna already twice before, now they have their foot in the door.” In Strache’s view suffrage “is
the obligation and the right of the citizen and it must stay like that.” ZARA writes a letter of complaint to Bleckmann
to which she doesn’t reply.