At a time when the global financial crisis does not seem to be coming to an end, but rather it deepens day by day, the far right and the fascists across and beyond Europe gain more and more power through the employment of racism and nationalism as the standard way of doing politics by most governments. This has become even more evident with the way the governments have handled the cases of refugees seeking refuge in Europe.
In Cyprus, fascist ideas has infiltrated into the public discourse and now that the fascist gang of ELAM has become part of the parliament, they are able to operate behind the mask of a «democratic» party. Those who attack Turkish Cypriots and activists, those who are proudly affiliated with the nazi murderers of the Golden Dawn, those who dream of the EOKA B resurrection and who are dreaming of a new Auschwitz, have no place in any democratic society.
The Cypriot State based itself on aggressive nationalism and intolerance towards Turkish Cypriots, something that was and still is one of the important factors which paved the way to strengthen the fascists. In a State where fascist ideas are being expressed through racist, sexist and homophobic statements and behaviours by representatives of many political parties, in a State based on nationalism and intolerance, which not only allows and encourages the dissemination of fascist ideas but also spreads them itself through many different means. Through increased militarisation but also through an educational system that teaches our children that «the enemy is lurking»; through the State’s close relationship with the church, whose leader declared his appease for the election of ELAM into the parliament without facing consequences for it; through whitewashing and honouring as heroes fascists such as Grivas.
All these issues confront us with a historical necessity: building an anti-fascist front, which will be able to confront racism, and which will not allow the fascists to impose a climate of terror in society. An anti-fascist front which will send the fascists where they deserve, the sewers of history.
The political organisations, groups, collectives and individuals that make up this assembly, decided to work towards this direction. As a first step we are organising an event on July 16, with the aim to establish an annual anti-racist festival, starting next autumn. The choice of this day for our event is not arbitrary. We aspire it to be a first reaction to fascism, nationalism and the racist manifestations of the anniversaries of the invasion and the coup. During the event we will have the chance to discuss not only history, by highlighting a different way to remember that period; we will also discuss the recent strengthening of fascism (and ELAM in Cyprus) and the ways in which we can overturn this situation.
We welcome everyone who wants to fight against fascism, racism and intolerance, to our event on 16/7, at the theatre of the Molos of Limassol.
EVENT SCHEDULE:
DISCUSSION: THE PAST AND THE PRESENT OF FASCISM IN CYPRUS AND HOW TO FIGHT AGAINST IT
SPEAKERS: Giorgos Charalambous, Alexander Alekos
CONCERT: ARCHI DIA TOU REBETIKOU, BERTEDES, JULIO CΟΜPOLOE, STELIOS PELLARAS
