Holland: Turkish community protest murder
01 January 1991
Holland: Turkish community protest murder
artdoc June=1993
A 12-year-old Turkish girl, Zulbiye Gunduz, has been murdered
outside her house on her way to school by a local resident whom
the police had been called to deal with on numerous previous
occasions.
The man, who was living in a hostel for the homeless, and who
residents had repeatedly reported to the police for his violent
behaviour, killed the girl with a broken-off table leg. Although
it is not clear from press coverage whether the murder was
racially motivated or not, Zulbiye's family had repeatedly asked
to be moved from the area and the Turkish community feel strongly
about the inaction of the police and the local authority (
Volkskrant 24.3.93).Indeed, when police representatives attended
Zulbiye Gunduz' funeral in her village in Turkey, the Immam
refused them permission to put flowers on the grave, asking,
instead `What happened to Zulbiye in Holland'.
The day after little Zulbiye died, the local authority offered
the family a new house. `My child is dead, what must I do with
another house' replied Mr. Gunduz (Het Parool 29.3.93).
Centrum Party official jailed
W. Beaux, a Centrum Party '86 councillor, has been jailed for
three weeks and fined 2,000 guilders for being in possession of
racist and anti-Semitic pamphlets (Volkskrant 1.4.93).
Meanwhile, a 20-year-old member of the Centrum Party from
Horst, found guilty of a racist attack on a Somali youth, has
been released from prison after serving just over four months of
a 12-month sentence. A psychiatrist had concluded that Den Bosch
was not responsible for his actions (Volkskrant 15.4.93).
Dissension within the Centrum Demokrat party
There seems to be dissension within the Centrum Demokrats about
the future direction of the party, following the expulsion of two
members with extreme racist views, one of whom had tried to make
links with the Vlaams Blok.
Although CD leader, Hans Janmaat is critical of the two members
who have been asked to leave, he had previously announced that
in the 1994 European elections the Vlaams Blok and the CD will
be putting forward a common list (Volkskrant 3.3.93)
IRR European Race Audit no 4 1993. Contact: Liz Fekete, Institute
of Race Relations, 2-6 Leeke Street, London WC1X 9HS. Tel: ++ 071
837 0041
Norway: Crime linked to refugees
artdoc June=1993
Press and politicians in Norway have used the recent release of
police crime statistics, as well as two recent murders, to engage
in a heated public debate, linking immigrants to crime.
Prime minister Brundtland launched a seven-point offensive
against crime, including a stricter selection process for
refugees, and more information for refugees on Norwegian laws and
culture. The leader of the Conservative Party, responded to these
measures by going even further, demanding more police action
against `illegal immigrants', including extended use of custody,
and the deportation of immigrants found guilty of crime.
Induction courses on Norwegian society and language should be
made compulsory for refugees and linked to the right to a
residence permit.
[*The information in this section has been taken from the Samora
Newsletter, March, April 1993]
The response of the far-Right was to announce even more
outlandish measures. Mr. Hagen, leader of the Progress Party has
stated that from now on all refugees should be considered
criminals and that society should consider asylum-seekers
`fitness for freedom' before letting them out alone on the
streets of Norway (VG 18.3.93; 19.3.93; Afterposten 25.3.93).
Stereotypes reflected in recent surveys
In a TV-debate on immigrants and crime, 93% of the 20,000 callers
to a programme poll, wanted an immediate closure of the Norwegian
borders. (TV Norge 17.3.93). Over 40% of the 2,200 people
interviewed in another survey demanded that `foreigners who come
and settle down in Norway, should learn to live like Nor