Archive for August 2008

Fascism very much alive in Europe


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:

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May the Force be...diluted


The recent allegations of excessive police aggression against an African immigrant and a Dutch convict do not augur well for our country's democracy and respect for fundamental human rights. The police force is rightfully endowed with legal power to uphold law and order and to deter crime. However, they are not afforded the power to punish those that break the law through brute force. Unfortunately, these allegations - which seem to be well founded - may give rise to the fact that there is a grave abuse of power in our police force. Also shocking is another revelation by Fr. Mark Montebello who sincerely believes that an innocent immigrant is being kept in jail for a crime that he possibly could not commit for biological reasons.

  • The police force may enjoy the benefits of a union that represent their interests in working conditions and rights to afford better conditions to the police force. Better conditions can only give rise to less frustration and perhaps a slight mitigation to these problems. Check out this particular police union based in Queensland Australia as an example: Queensland Police Union of Employees
  • I believe that a solid shakeup of our police force is needed; a parliamentary committee should be appointed to analyze the issues through tabled discussions, seeking domestic and foreign expertise on the matter and implementing harsher rules aimed at deterring police brutality.
  • This committee should also draft other legislation aimed at improving the judicial system and the workings of the police force. For instance, I think it is a great shame that suspects are not afforded the right to an attorney during police interrogations. Such interrogations should also be taped and filmed in the interest of transparency because the police should have nothing to hide during interrogations.
  • The legislators should consider the shift to a civil law or inquistorial system where the Magistrate is afforded with more power to administer and enforce the law. Instead of being summoned/authorised by the Attorney General to start criminal investigations, a magistrate should enjoy his own investigatory power. The reason for this shift is obvious in that it makes the State more accountable to the public at large.
  • Another interesting suggestion is that judges should no longer be appointed by the State after having served for a minimum of 12 years as an advocate - rather they should undertake special further courses after obtaining their law doctorate. This makes it a career choice and not a political appointment - in this way, judges are better trained and more importantly do not have any political ties and favors with the State that appointed them.




These flaws in our judicial system may give rise to the fact that racial equality is being given a blind eye by the State and that noble articles of Law on our Constitution that should safeguard fundamental human rights are merely fancy words to keep everybody smiling.


The police force may not have it all and understandably poor working conditions may give rise to flared tempers. But still, this is no justification for any excessive force and brutality. Faced with these grave problems, one must seek solutions. One should not bury his head in the sand and acknowledge this as a world-wide problem with no effective solution. Even more perturbing are those who actively seek to justify brute force in the so-called "interests of our great nation." Perhaps, our parliamentarians should consider the following:
This issues should not be taken for granted and should be included with other initiatives for strengthening democracy such as the FoI Act and party financing.

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