Who ever thought that the extremist right-wing political ideology termed as 'fascism' would be alive in Europe after the grave horrors witnessed during the Second World War and the eventual downfall of Hitler and Mussolini? Think again. What should be a dead and buried political extremity for the very sake of human dignity and social justice is still very much alive in Europe. It may not be there on paper but events are happening around us that are brutally shocking to say the least.
One need only take a look at what has and is happening in the vibrant, beautiful and passionate country - Italia.
Date: 21 - 07 - 2001
Prime Minister: Silvio Berlusconi
Deputy Prime Minister: Gianfranco Fini
Subject: The Police State
Genoa is hosting the G8 Summit held at each calendar year. For those who are not exactly what a G8 summit is, it is an international forum of eight major industrialized countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, UK, USA) which discuss global concerns such as the environment, health, economy so on and so forth. It is therefore quite common that these summits are met by significantly large protests by people who perceive that these country are only meeting to pursue their own hegemony and interests over the entire world through multi-national corporations, the international bankers and serious political machinery.
Around 200,000 of these anti-globalization protesters amassed at Genoa, a handful of which were radical anarchists known as the 'black bloc' who caused mayhem. The rest were ordinary citizens who exercised their right to protest peacefully. Amongst these protesters was the international press exercising their right to gather information. A protest of this caliber is naturally met by riot police, simply to keep law and order, whilst allowing people to protest peacefully. But the Italian riot police under the control of the deputy PM, Gianfranco Fini who was the former national secretary of the neo-fascist MSI-DN (Movimento Sociale Italiano–Destra Nazionale) party were not there to simply keep law and order.
The riot police entered a school were other non-radical protesters were permitted to stay and amongst whom were members of the press. 'Black Bloc, we're coming for you' they said. And then it began. These innocent human beings were subjected to brutal punishment, rape and torture, literally being treated worse than pigs in a slaughter house. "Uno, due, tre, viva Pinochet!" they were forced to sing after there bones were broken and were beaten to a blood pulp. "Who is your government?" they asked. "La polizia" they were made to reply.
Prime Minister Berlusconi, who was happily dosing in luxury whilst this brutal behavior was being adopted by Italian riot police, is currently making political maneuvers to delay court cases dealing with issues that happened prior to 2002.
Date: 17 - 07 - 2008
Prime Minister: Silvio Berlusconi
Deputy Prime Minister: Franco Frattini
Subject: Ethnic Profiling and Cleansing
It is a sunny July day at the beach in Naples. Men and women are basking in the sun, catching up on their tan. A couple is enjoying a quiet picnic. Beside them lay the bodies of two dead Romani (gypsy) sisters, Cristina and Violetta, covered with towels. They have unfortunately drowned. Yet the couple keep enjoying their wine and treats as if nothing is the matter. It took 3 hours for them to be collected by the authorities.
Meanwhile the Italian government goes on with its policy of racial and ethnic profiling of the Romani people by compiling a fingerprint database. They have been singled out as Italy's main source of crime. Italy was shocked that a gypsy was caught stealing a baby earlier in May. But according to Interor Minister Roberto Maroni this is ample justification for Mafia thugs to destroy and burn their camps in an orgy of violence. The Romani people who are spread around Europe live to this day below the poverty line.
Umberto Bossi, the leader of Lega Nord, a fascist party and Minister for Institutional Reform in Berlusconi's cabinet. is one of the masterminds behind this racial discrimination.
This is what is happening in Italy today, a prime member of the European Union.
I am glad that this is not the case with Malta and I hope that it shall never come to be. But I dread that we are slowly moving in this direction. The racial hatred overtones amongst the public is very strong against migrants as witnessed on online journals. Not to mention recent allegations of police brutality against an African migrant (see my article below). Admittedly such a small country cannot possibly handle such a great influx of migrants single-handedly. We need help. But yet there are many who overlook this fact and simply attack migrants. Little do they know that many of these people are suffering great injustice, opression and abuse of human rights in their homeland. Little do they know that they are being detained in shoddy army barracks for several months, living in fear and anxiety literally to the point of insanity. How do I know this? Because I have been there for a brief period of time giving legal aid voluntarily with the NGO - JRS.
I sincerely hope that our people open their eyes as to what is happening around us.
Sources:
Posts
