Is this the kind of racism they're talking about? I don't know: this group may really be racist. But all too often any discussion of the implications of importing massive numbers of Sharia supporters into Europe is called "racism," thus silencing the much-needed debate. From Deutsche Welle, with thanks to Ali Dashti:
While the Netherlands reels from a spate of attacks against Muslims, Belgium's top court has dealt a temporary blow to one of Europe's most successful anti-immigrant parties, Vlaams Blok, by declaring it racist.Belgium's supreme court on Tuesday voted to uphold a verdict by a lower court in April that found the far-right nationalist party guilty of "permanent incitement to segregation and racism." The justices rejected all 21 arguments put forward by the Vlaams Blok in an appeal case, arguing that freedom of speech had its limits under the country's tough anti-racism legislation.
The verdict effectively shuts down one of Belgium's most popular parties by cutting it off from some €250,000 ($325,000) in annual public funding. Anti-racist activists, who have lobbied to keep the party, which espouses anti-immigrant policies and advocates secession, out of the country's politics, applauded the court's decision.
But Vlaams Blok leader Frank Vanhecke likened the ruling to legislation applied by the former communist states in Eastern Europe. "What happened in Brussels today is unique in the western world: Never has a so-called democratic regime outlawed the country's largest political party," he said in a statement Tuesday.
Vlaams Blok has now vowed to regroup and return with an even stronger voter basis.
"We will establish a new party. This one Belgium will not be able to bury; it will bury Belgium," Vanhecke said....
Although the new version of the party will no longer advocate the forcible expulsion of non-European immigrants (as decreed by the court), it will continue to push for the departure of minorities "who reject, deny or fight against culture and European values like the separation of church and state, freedom of expression and equality between men and women," a statement said....
The current wave of anti-Muslim attacks across the border in the Netherlands following the murder of the controversial film director Theo van Gogh has also added fuel to Vlaams Blok's campaign to keep non-European immigrants out of Belgium if they do not adopt the country's rules and western values. And it is expected that the party will increase its popularity when it relaunches this coming weekend.
Note: "The current wave of anti-Muslim attacks" has added fuel to Vlaams Blok -- not the murder of van Gogh itself. Thus without a shred of evidence, the reporter links the Belgian party to the Dutch vigilantes. Just another day in the life of an "objective" journalist.
Belgium is divided between the Flemish (Dutch) speaking population and the French speakers. Along with the language divide of course is a cultural chasm. Note that it is the Flemish political party that is being quashed by the Francophones.
It was probably a french dominated court, we in Canada know how it feels.
Helegu:
"Along with the language divide of course is a cultural chasm. "
There may be 'official' language differences in different areas but many Belgians are bi-lingual and often switch from French to Flemish and vice versa in the same sentence.
The 'cultural chasm' is actually not that great IMO and has really only developed in the last 30 years or so, promoted by politicians with a self-aggrandising agenda. What unites the French and Dutch speakers for now is their mutual Catholicism.
The Vlams Blok Flemish party has been devisive - for instance, it would like the Flemish areas to break from Belgium and enentually become part of Holland.
The big problem is that while the opposing sides have been totally absorbed in their petty squabbles, muslim immigrants from North Africa and Turkey have quietly been taking over cities like Brussels until Belgians - Flesmish and Wallon - are now in the minority!
The Vlams Blok has taken a stronger stand against immigration than the French parties, which is, of course, the excuse for banning it. My guess is that its successor will not only increase its vote in the Flemish areas but will attract a significant portion of the French vote because of its stance on immigration.
So - far from being a setback, this undemocratic attempt to stifle the VB will probably strengthen it.
Just had a thought - maybe Dutch politician Geert Wilders (now on an islamic hit list) could link up with the revitalized VB - parallel parties with similar agendas in the two countries. An idea that is certainly worth exploring.
Benelux,I share your prediction about the strenghtening of the VB.
I might add that ,while some of the roots of the Vlaams Blok have had some of the old antisemitic plagueing of the extreme right,the party has very strongly departed from that
line and today a large majority of Antwerp
Jews vote and will vote for it at the next municipal election.
The French Front National,who could have
undertaken the same "cleaning "process
but instead regularly chooses to bask in
borderline negationism, is a pathetic sight.
And does not run the risk of a ban,being ,thanks to its old antisemite rash ,a
very effective "disqualifier" of any anti-islamic
national expression.
RomanZ -
Sounds like the French 'Front National' badly needs to get rid of any lingering anti-semitic baggage and concentrate on opposing the real threat - the IDEOLOGY of Islam.
Was criticising National Socialism 'racist'?
Was criticising Communism racist?
These parties need to denounce Islam as a fascist imperialistic ideology to avoid the spurious racist tag.
Benelux: I also understand that parties like Vlaams Blok have been implicated in anti-immigrant and anti-Semitic violence. Is this true?
Kepha1 -
I'm not the right person to ask as I don't read or speak Flemish and haven't followed the fortunes of the party very closely. I only became interested recently.
According to one piece I read the party wasn't accused of actual racism but of 'potentiality' for racism (whatever that means.)
Here's a link to a BBC page that gives an impression of the VB's stance.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3870681.stm
'Mr Vanhecke says they would hold a vote in the Flemish Parliament on Flemish independence and have it confirmed by a public referendum. But this might be some way off as by his own account, only about 30%-40% of the population in Flanders currently supports Flemish independence.
We think people should learn the language and should be prepared to take an oath for their children to become Flemish or European people, to become Flemish people among Flemish people
The next stage in the Vlaams Blok plan is for immigrants who display "criminal behaviour" and those who are in the country illegally to be sent back to their country of origin; to make it harder for immigrants to obtain Belgian nationality; and for those in Belgium "to adapt and respect our laws".
This would mean ditching Belgium's current policy of multiculturalism where different nationalities can live together in the same state.
They single out Arabs or Muslims ("they are the same on the ground") "as the problem. There are no problems with Jews or Chinese people."
Court case
In the meantime, they have more pressing concerns. A Belgian court in April convicted three party associations of breaching anti-racist legislation.
If the ruling is confirmed in November by Belgium's highest court, the Vlaams Blok could lose crucial state funding and could be banned from public media.
In this case, the party would have to make some changes, such as its name and its statute to pave the way for sharing power in local governments, but these would be merely cosmetic, its party chairman says.
"We will keep the programme of the party as it is, but would change the name and alter other 'minor points' (e.g. how the party president is elected)," he says.
When asked his view on whether his party is racist, Mr Vanhecke says: "It is unjust, we do not have any kind of politics on a racial basis, our propositions generally speaking are already policy in European countries (e.g. UK, Sweden, Netherlands)." '
Another unfair , draconian banning of an essential party, a breach of human rights and freedom of speech.
This crap will not be tolerated for much longer, Europe is about to explode in a hail of anti-islamic violence very soon. Mark my words. The BNP were banned in the UK earlier this year for much the same reason, they were branded "nazis" by the media and leftist scum, when actually they are just passionate patriots who are not willing to see their European heritage wiped out by the poison of islam.
Police and civil servants who had ties to the BNP were sacked/fired.
All this has acheived is making martyrs of them , and opening the publics eyes as to how one-sded this anti-racism, anti-discrimmination PC is.People are sick of it. The left is it's own worst enemy.
Kepha1
In Europe,twenty years ago,the only
parties to speak of immigration as a danger to European identity were the extreme right ones,and in them you could find old
catholic antisemites and IIId Reich nostalgics.
The danger of Islam was not seen,and even those extreme right parties were more focused on immigration.
But today,one finds that those parties were right on their predictions.
For bad reasons maybe-pure racism and xenophobia-but still...they were right.
Massive immigration and its high natality
rate will alter the face of Europe,as will Islam,
the most "dynamic"religion on the continent.
So where does it leave people who would just
like to keep their culture and identity in their own land?
And who might have been,have mercy on them,quite opposed to the aforementioned
extreme right ?
It leaves them very often with a "de facto"
alliance with those parties.
The Vlaams Blok has "cleaned"itself of
antisemitism (it might not be a little task,but let us believe them if they say they have.).
The french Front National has not,and does not show clear signs of doing it.
But still,French Jews vote for it,especially when they live in heavily muslim-populated areas.
This painful "contradiction"makes the murder of Theo Van Gogh all the more detestable(if it was possible):
For that red-cheeked enlivelier was never
a racist,never a xenophobian,never a bigot,never an antisemite,just a witty guy
who didn't like institutions when they have or want absolute power.
We should all take example from him.
But we must also accept that the politically
correct european social democracy needs
the incentive of the so -called "populist" or"extreme right "parties.
Without them taking hold of power,because they are themselves believers of absolute power.
We are,in Europe,up the proverbial creek,
and we can't seem to find the dam paddle...