Posted on 01/24/2005 10:57:24 AM PST by anotherview
Jan. 22, 2005 22:39 | Updated Jan. 24, 2005 18:18
German party protests tribute to victims
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
BERLIN
A top leader of Germany's main Jewish group called on Germans to fight more strongly against far-right groups on Saturday, a day after legislators from a nationalist party walked out of a state parliament to protest a tribute honoring victims of Nazi aggression.
All 12 members of the National Democratic Party stood up and headed for the door of the eastern state of Saxony's parliament Friday after parliament president Erich Iltgen called for a moment of silence to mark the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz next week.
The presence of a far-right party in Saxony's parliament shows "that anti-Semitic and xenophobic ideas long ago became presentable again," said Stephan Kramer, the general secretary of the Central Council of Jews.
Bans, memorials and symposiums aren't enough, Kramer said. There must finally be "a political confrontation with the grimace of anti-Semitism in the 21st century."
The far-right party's walk-out also drew criticism from across the political spectrum Saturday, with Social Democratic lawmaker Dieter Wiefelspuetz telling the Netzeitung on-line newspaper that the move was "a painful act because all borders of respect and civilization were lost."
The party – known by its German initials NPD – won 9.2 percent representation in Saxony's state parliament in elections last year, capitalizing on discontent with Gerhard Schroeder's drive to cut social programs and drawing immediate concern from mainstream politicians.
A government attempt to outlaw the NPD, accused of fomenting hate crimes against foreigners and Jews, failed in 2003 when Germany's supreme court threw out the case after it emerged that the government's evidence was partly based on paid informants.
And America is the problem? When will the world wake up?
Are we hearing all the backstory on this? Besides, when someone says:
"a political confrontation with the grimace of anti-Semitism in the 21st century."
I think of that character from the McDonaldland ads wearing a swastika.
The spirit of evil is still alive in Germany, Just the uniforms have been altered, a little.
"I think Germany is strong enough to cope with that Nazi shit."
I agree with you.
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