"Racism Report 2004" is available for free - Zara

Racism Report 2004 Cases: Against ZARA Page 27
everything can be talked about. Yours sincerely, xxx.” When the District Court informs Mr. A. that there is nothing
he can do about his violent neighbour, a ZARA member of staff sends a report of the circumstances to the Public
Prosecution Office in Vienna asking to start investigations due to dangerous threat. In addition, the District Support
Centre and Wiener Wohnen are contacted. The Support Centre takes on the case and tries to arrange a meeting for
conflict settlement with Mr. A. and his neighbour. The neighbour refuses to take part. With the support of the District
Support Centre which agreed to do so after ZARA inquired Mr. A. applied for a new flat at Wiener Wohnen.
Ms. R. is of Yugoslavian origin. She lives in a block of freehold flats in the 14th district in Vienna. Among 142
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the app. 80 flat owners only three are not of Austrian origin. Ms. R’s children often play in the block’s yard. This is
explicitly allowed by the property management’s rules provided certain requirements such as rest periods, using a
fenced off area etc. are met. Although the children stick to these rules, one of the neighbours keeps trying to stop
them from playing and calls them “stupid Tschuschn” (translator’s note: a derogatory term in Viennese dialect for
foreigners). ZARA advises Ms. R. about the legal possibilities. Ms. R. turns to the property management and asks ZARA
to document the case.
Mr. A. and his wife live in an apartment which was found for them by a refugee organisation. Several 143
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months ago a new neighbour moved in and shares the toilet in the hall with Mr. and Ms. A. The new neighbour causes
problems from the very beginning; he leaves the toilet soiled, listens to loud music all night long and shouts on top
of his voice. He keeps abusing Mr. A. and his wife with racist remarks. Mr. A. makes several attempts to solve the
problems by talking directly to the neighbour but eventually he decides that he has no other option but to contact
the property management. Still, the situation doesn’t change; the neighbour draws swastikas on the toilet’s walls
and writes “Nazi” on Mr. A’s door. Ms. A. feels increasingly threatened by the neighbour and his behaviour. When the
police was called for the first time, the harassment stops for a short while. One evening—Mr. A. is not at home—the
neighbour is having a party. He blocks to apartment door of the A’s and hinders Ms. A. from using the toilet. She
calls the police but the officers take the neighbour’s side. A month later the situation escalates when the neighbour
punches Ms. A. in the face. Other neighbours are standing in front of Ms. A. to protect her. The police arrive and
tell everyone to go back to their apartments. Ms. A. is taken to hospital. Currently criminal proceedings against the
neighbour are pending. ZARA documents the case and recommends to Mr. A. to protect himself by means of an
injunction.
Against ZARA
For many people ZARA is a source of information. The ZARA counsellors are contacted because of their expertise and
experience in dealing with various forms of racist discrimination. Sometimes such contacts and/or inquiries take on
rather ambiguous forms—either because they’re provocative challenges or because allegations are raised with the
request for commenting or invalidating. At ZARA all these attempts of contacting us are seen as an opportunity to
start a dialogue. In recent years ZARA as the organisation as well as the people working for ZARA have increasingly
become the target of aggressive and threatening messages. They are directed at us either anonymously or nonanonymously
by telephone, letter or e-mail. The following is a selection:
INTERNET
In March 2004 the following e-mail is sent to ZARA and subsequently forwarded to the Dokumentationsarchiv
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des Österreichischen Widerstandes (DÖW, Documentation Centre of Austrian Resistance): “PiSS off you ZARA pigs.
All of you should be exterminated or gassed!!! Just like all the nigger pigs, Saujuden (Jewish pigs), Turks and all the
other scum. Do you know the difference between a pizza and a Jewish pig?? No. The pizza doesn’t scream when it’s
shoved into the oven!!! HA HA HA!!! Just you wait. We’ll get you all. SKINDHEADS 88 WIEN”
In August 2004 ZARA receives an e-mail abusing and discrediting one of our members of staff. Although 145
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the e-mail is sent anonymously, a technical investigation enables us to identify the sender via the IP-address.
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