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The Internet Anti-Fascist: Friday, 27 August 1999
Vol. 3, Numbers 69 (#322)
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ONLINE ROSEMARY NELSON PETITION
Irish Republican Socialist Party
To support the call for an international inquiry into the murder of
Irish human rights lawyer Rosemary Nelson please visit the website at
<http://www.RosemaryNelsonCampaign.com/> and sign the online petition
or send an e-mail to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> including
your name and location.
We hope you will also take the time to distribute this mail to friends
and colleagues.
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ACADEMIC QUERY CONCERNING HATE CRIMES
I recently finished my doctoral dissertation entitled "A Case Study of
the Institutional Response to Anti-Gay/Lesbian Violence in Toronto."
The study took place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I am interested in
corresponding with others who are doing research on hate crimes.
Sincerely,
Ellen Faulkner, Ph.D.
Sociology and Equity Studies in Education
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
University of Toronto
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WHY A.R.A. CONFRONTS RACISTS WHEN THEY ORGANIZE AND RALLY
This article, by Jamie of Louisville Anti-Racist Action, is one of the
best explanations of the confrontational school of anti-fascism.
You can get it in the latest issue of "Turning the Tide," ($US 2.00
from People Against Racist Terror.)
P.A.R.T.
PO Box 1055
Culver City, CA 90232
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
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DRIVEN FROM KOSOVO: INTERVIEW WITH CEDDA PRLINCEVIC,
CHIEF ARCHIVIST OF KOSOVO AND LEADER OF PRISTINA'S JEWISH COMMUNITY
via <http://www.emperors-clothes.com/>
The interview is divided in two parts, conducted at different times.
Jared Isael is the interviewer in Part One. Note that KFOR essentially
means NATO.
Jared: So you are the President of the Jewish Community in Pristina?
Cedda: It was a small community. We have all left.
Jared: Why did you leave?
Cedda: Because the political settlement became a military resolution.
Pressure was on the citizens. They didn't ask which nationality you
are, you were pressed to leave the apartments and the city. Even if I
had a paper which said I am the President of the Jewish Community of
Pristina in English and signed by the President of the Federation of
Jewish Community from Belgrade, Mr. Singer, the officers from KFOR
[NATO], refused to recognize that paper and I was kept imprisoned in my
home for one week.
I gave it to another KFOR officer later and he said "I have other
business to attend to."
The powers from Albania came inside the country. Their main purpose was
to get all the non-Albanian population out. With help from Eliz Viza
from Israel and from the Chairman of the Jewish Community from Skopia I
was rescued, taken by Taxi together with my wife and my mother to
Macedonia and from Macedonia I came to Belgrade. The whole rescue
operation of my family was given to Israeli TV. Altogether there were
40 people of Jewish origin in Kosovo. They are of mixed marriage,
Jewish-Albanian, Jewish-Turkish and Jewish-Serbian. All are prepared to
go to Israel. To go back to Kosovo for us is too late. Even though we
got a guarantee from Thaci which is the head of the UCK [KLA], that our
homes would not be touched we have information that all our apartments
and our houses were completely robbed and demolished. Which means UCK
and Thaci do not have control.
Jared: Or they are lying. What did you do in Pristina?
Cedda: I was public employee, director of archives of Kosovo and
Mutohija. There is documentation there which gives the story about
Serbians and Turks and Albanians and Jews, whoever lived in Kosovo and
the system which was there.
Jared: Did you ever experience anti-Semitism from the Serbs?
Cedda: Never. Neither from the Albanians. I was manager, both to
Albanians and to Serbians. We were not driven out from Kosovo by
Albanians from Pristina but by Albanians from Albania.
Jared: In other words a lot of the people we saw cheering German troops
on the street were not the local residents?
Cedda: The same people who were demonstrating in Albania a few years
ago and demolishing the whole country - they are in Kosovo now.
Jared: They have been brought in intentionally by the KFOR?
Cedda: I cannot tell you.
Jared: Put it this way: they haven't been stopped?
Cedda: No one is stopping them. And with the KFOR assistance, actually.
KFOR is there, saw it all, allowed them to do what they did.
Jared: How did it happen? Were threats made after which you went to the
KFOR and they said "we won't help you?"
Cedda: They came to our home and threatened they would kill us. They
would slaughter us. My wife was defending me. My wife is Serbian. And
she was defending me in front of the door.
Jared: How was she doing that?
Cedda: They said we will slaughter you, and she said to them "Kill me!
Slaughter me! I will not go out of my home!" Then officials of Jewish
community come to my home and put me in a taxi.
Jared: Your wife is a very brave woman. You have made tears come to my
eyes.
Cedda: And the same happens to me here. She is very brave and I am
proud of her.
Jared: OK. OK. Getting back to the people who came to your house. Had
you ever seen them before?
Cedda: Never.
Jared: Were they armed?
Cedda: With machine guns. They completely cleared up the building and
the whole area where we lived.
Jared: Cleared up?
Cedda: The whole area of 30,000 people, they completely cleared it.
Jared: 30,000? Emptied it?
Cedda: Emptied it. Went from house to house and building to building.
Jared: Did they kill anyone.
Cedda: Initially one person, family named Kompic, a Serbian family,
they killed, which was an obvious reason for us not to resist.
Jared: In other words they made an example of one family and then they
said if you want to die -
Cedda: All night they were banging the doors and slamming the doors and
going inside the doors and from apartment to apartment.
Jared: Was that private houses?
Cedda: Apartment buildings. Many of the people who lived there are of
prominent status and social position in the city. Even Albanians who
lived in the same buildings were also running away. It was not only
Serbian, it was mixed nationality. This was something completely
unknown in history of Kosovo. Since Kosovo is multinational, multi-
confessional [i.e., multi-religious] society which lived 500 years
together, there was no such level of hatred as now.
Jared: But you are saying they have sent in Albanians in large numbers
from Albania?
Cedda: This is a pogrom toward non-Albanian population all around
Kosovo area, Djakovica, Pec, Kosovska, Microvica, all over Metokia.
Metokia and Kosovo both.
Jared: But it is not being done by the local Albanians?
Cedda: Yes, the foreign Albanians. They differ in language. A different
dialect. All over Kosovo it is the same situation. I cannot give 100%
that it is done exclusively by Albanians from Albania. But I have not
seen revenge taken on a man from his next door neighbor who was
Albanian -
Jared: Did you try to go to the KFOR?
Cedda: The KFOR was in my house when they came to there.
Jared: WHAT?
Cedda: When Albanians started to destroy apartments one person called
KFOR and KFOR officer came inside the house, he was there with his
squad. There was a whole bunch going up and down the stairs, 24 hours
pressure of people going up and down the stairs, banging, entering,
demolishing… they break down the door and pour in tear gas in some
places and they were robbering -
Jared: Excuse me?
Cedda: Robbing, robbing.
Jared: Now, you said the KFOR men were there? Did they actually witness
it?
Cedda: Yes.
Jared: What did they say?
Cedda: They didn't react at all. They didn't protect nobody.
Jared: For God's sake, what did they say?
Cedda: They said this is for civil authorities to regulate the problem.
They were only concerned with killings.
Jared: Who were the civil authorities?
Cedda: They were not formed yet. There were none.
Jared: How did you know whether you were going to get murdered when
someone banged down the door? I guess after you were murdered, you
would know?
Cedda: Yes. They were just there to put documents if you were murdered.
Jared: So. Archivists?
Cedda: Yes. Last month a number of very heavy crimes and murders
happened in Kosovo. Instead of getting 'European democracy' we got a
non-defined form of power and - power is not the right word...
Jared: Fascism?
Cedda: No. Not fascism. Force. Power. Probably the historian will
invent a new word for this...
Jared: It needs a new word...
Cedda: Jews have the word which is called pogrom.
Jared: Yeah. It's a pogrom, that's right. It's a pogrom. Indiscriminate
brutality against a group - in this case defined by anybody who is -
but wait, you say it includes Albanians -
Cedda: The population expected real security from KFOR and that's why
they didn't leave where they lived...
Jared: Ahh. Boy. You were set up.
Cedda: And that's what surprised us the most. Instead of defending the
population they just stand by and looking what's happening like it is
not a relevant situation. During June and July 300,000 people left
Kosovo which are non-Albanian population, Serbians, Turks, Gorani
[Slavic Muslims] , "Gypsies," that is the Romi, also people from
Montenegro. 300,000.
Jared: What about - you said Albanians from Kosovo were being harassed
too -
Cedda: Yes. Those who were pro-Yugolsav oriented. Who were loyal
citizens of the system.
Jared: So the people who were living -
Cedda: They could tell from the person's work.
Jared: So the people who were living in the area with you, were
considered by these gangs to be collaborationists because they were
living in a mixed area?
Cedda: No. Only the position of power.
Jared: I'm not sure what you mean.
Cedda: They attacked those who were not for their seperatistic
movement. Not supporters of the separatists.
Jared: So they knew which neighborhoods?
Cedda: Yes. They knew. Every loyal citizen of Serbia was punished.
Doesn't matter which party he belongs to, opposition or ruling party,
doesn't matter. Different parties have different ideas and different
religious or national characters but -
Jared: They didn't care about any of that?
Cedda: No. They have realized the plan of Greater Albania in Kosovo.
>From World War II, from Fascism.
Jared: During the bombing the US press says the Serbs attacked the
Albanians. What did you witness?
Cedda: The war was very dirty, between the army and the
secessionists...35 members of my family are here with me now. And my
mother is here. And one pregnant lady, 8 months. 20 of us are without
work. Left everything in Kosovo. 7 apartments and 3 houses that we
owned. Some land. And all my life. All my life and I am penniless. I
didn't have time, I wasn't ready to go, I didn't even have a suitcase
to pack.
Jared: So for all you know some people didn't get out and are murdered.
Is that true?
Cedda: Yes. All I brought was the Talmud. My mother Bea is 81 years
old. And my wife. I would prefer to stay in Serbia. First I have a
problem with my mother she is old and sick and what am I going to do
with her in Israel now? I love Israel I was there many times but it is
very hard for me at 61 to settle there.
Jared: My heart goes out to you.
Cedda: Thank you very much.
Jared: Thank you for being brave to give me this interview.
Cedda: It is very difficult but we have to say the truth. I think that
people of good heart and good will, will take this interview in the
best manner.
Jared: I hope so.
Cedda: And this interview should be a beginning of a different kind of
thinking and nobody should be a victim in the life.
Jared: I agree with you. Before, I asked you a question but you didn't
answer. The Press said the Yugoslav Army committed atrocities against
Albanians during the bombing. You said the war was dirty. Could you
tell us more?
Cedda: Why? Even if I speak about this, nobody trust the Serbians. Even
if I say no, it did not happen, nobody will trust the Serbians.
Jared: But I don't know exactly what happened, we need to know exactly
-
Cedda: Even if I say no, even if one Jew coming from Pristina would say
this charge is not true, it is very hard to believe because he can be a
person who has some reason, he can be accused of -
Jared: So what? So they won't believe you! Let them believe what they
will but at least if you say the truth it is being said. Don't you see,
the truth must be -
Cedda: I was completely out of the fighting between Army and KLA -
Jared: But you were in Pristina. You are the Chief Archivist of Kosovo.
And you know! I am sure that you know! You know if there were people
going around massacring people, you know from Albanian friends what was
going on, you know if the Army was involved, if CNN was telling the
truth or lying, you know a thousand times more than I do and if you can
just tell the truth - somebody has to tell the truth for God's -
Cedda: Alright.
Jared: And if bad things happened, say that - just tell the truth -
Cedda: Bad things did happen. But Serbians as a people as a nation were
not a nation which from the beginning of its history till this day were
doing genocidal atrocities. But there were individuals who did certain
things that should not have been done. But somebody is taking this,
exaggerating, trying to make us the black sheep and - look, the Serbian
people had no problems with the ethnic Albanians and as much as they
saved Albanians the Albanians saved them especially in the latest
period, but as soon as KFOR came inside and the border was opened to
Macedonia and Albania lots of outside Albanians came inside and the end
of it is a mess, killings. So what I'm saying is during the bombardment
in the places where the people lived there was no massacre by the local
population. The Serbs were defending the Albanians from the
paramilitary troops.
Jared: Not from the Yugoslav Army? They didn't have to defend them from
the Army?
Cedda: Never from the Army, not from the police, not from the regular
Serbs. No. But with the withdrawal of the army there were paramilitary
groups that existed on both sides - and that was when there was dirt.
Jared: But during the bombing?
Cedda: Then there was no massacring at all. For example in Pristina we
were sitting together with Albanians in the cellar, in the basement.
Jared: From the bombs?
Cedda: From NATO. All of us together, "Gypsies", that's the Romi
people, Serbians, Turks, Albanians, Jews, tenants of the same building.
Together. We were together.
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WHAT'S WORTH CHECKING
stories via <ftp://ftp.nyct.net/pub/users/tallpaul/publish/story4/>
Emil Shaw (People's Weekly World), "Hundreds are arrested in nationwide
civil disobedience," 16 Aug 99, "Actor Martin Sheen was among 400 anti-
nuclear protesters who rallied outside Los Alamos National Laboratory
on April 9, the 54th anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki, Japan.
Sheen, with a long history of anti-nuclear protests, and 75 others were
handcuffed and taken away for crossing into a restricted area, but will
not be prosecuted. The group protested the lab's production of a new
plutonium pit." <1091.txt>
James McCarty (Cleveland Plain Dealer), "Klan rally dispute still alive
in court after latest ruling," 14 Aug 99, "Cleveland and the union that
represents its patrol officers have one week to devise a new security
plan for a rally by the Ku Klux Klan scheduled for Aug. 21. The change
became necessary yesterday after U.S. District Judge Patricia A.
Gaughan threw out the original plan, which called for the Klansmen to
change into and out of their hoods and robes in the Cuyahoga County
Justice Center lobby." <1092.txt>
Lee Leonard (Columbus [Ohio] Dispatch), "Bill would monitor hate
groups: Public should be informed of dangers, lawmaker says ," 14 Aug
99, "Targets of hate groups should have up-to-date information on their
tormentors, a northern Ohio state legislator said yesterday. Sen. Eric
D. Fingerhut, D-Cleveland, said he wants an Ohio database on 'fringe
groups' that preach hate and include members who have demonstrated a
willingness to act out the message in violent ways." <1093.txt>
Peter Y. Hong and Ken Ellingwood (Los Angeles Times), "A Trip to the
Birthplace of Racist Ideologies ," 13 Aug 99, "Buford Furrow's journey
from Washington to Southern California was a kind of pilgrimage back to
the birthplace of his racist creed. The hate group to which Furrow
belongs and the broader religio-political movement linking white
supremacist groups across the country began in Southern California and
was centered here for decades before moving to other states."
<1094.txt>
Peter Y. Hong and Ken Ellingwood (Los Angeles Times), "Hate Group
Ties", 13 Aug 99. Please note this is a binary .gif file. <1095.gif>
Stephen Braun and John Beckham (Los Angeles Times), "On Hate-Filled Web
Sites, 'Wake-Up Call' Gets a Volatile, Divided Reaction," 14 Aug 99,
"On the Web pages and in the Internet chat rooms that serve as all-
night echo chambers for the rants of white supremacists, Buford
Furrow's "wake-up call to America" may not have roused racists quite as
passionately as he had hoped. At WhitePrideNet--a Web site that carries
a monolithic black graphic of a steel cross and a fiery quote from
German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche--a recently added "news flash"
was blunt in its response to Furrow's alleged shooting Tuesday of three
children and two staffers at the Granada Hills Jewish community
center." <1096.txt>
San Francisco Chronicle (no author), "Hate-Group Surveillance Limits
Reviewed ," 13 Aug 99, "President Clinton launched a review of
regulations yesterday that critics say restrict federal surveillance of
hate groups and called on the nation to renew its commitment 'to our
common community and our common humanity'." <1097.txt>
Associated Press (no author), "Former Ill. Detective Convicted [of Roma
Shakedowns]," 17 Aug 99, "A former police detective has been convicted
of conspiracy and extortion for taking part in more than a decade of
shakedowns and payoffs in corruption-plagued Cicero in suburban
Chicago." <1098.txt>
Associated Press (no author), "Australia Recruited Nazi," 16 Aug 99,
"Australia secretly recruited Nazi scientists, including former members
of Hitler's SS guards, for defense projects after World War II,
Australian newspapers reported today. The allegations come from
information in previously classified documents from the country's
National Archives...." <1099.txt>
Karl Penhaul (Reuters), "Colombia Death Squad Said To Plot Against
Peace," 15 Aug 99, "The murder of Colombia's best- known comic last
week has exposed the existence of a new ultra- fascist death squad set
up to kill high-profile backers of peace talks with Marxist rebels, a
top political analyst said. The comments, based on first-hand
information, echoed those of Antonio Navarro Wolff, congressmen and
former rebel ideologue, who said at the weekend that Friday's slaying
of Jaime Garzon, 39, may mark the start of a "wave of aggression"
against top peace activists." <1100.txt>
* * * * *
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is
distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a
prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research
and educational purposes only.
___________________________________________________________________
FASCISM:
We have no ethical right to forgive, no historical right to forget.
(No permission required for noncommercial reproduction)
- - - - -
back issues archived via:
<ftp://ftp.nyct.net/pub/users/tallpaul/publish/tinaf/>
