Switzerland: Racism and fascism (1)
01 January 1991
Switzerland: Racism and fascism
artdoc April=1995
Swiss approve anti-racism law
Swiss voters have backed a referendum to introduce a law making
racial discrimination, possession of racist propaganda and denial
of the Holocaust illegal. 54.6 per cent of voters said yes to the
law, while 45.4 per cent said no. In June 1993, the Swiss
parliament voted on the new law based on a 1965 United Nations
convention on racial discrimination. But the far Right,
infuriated by the decision, collected 50,000 signatures against
the law, forcing a referendum. The far Right groups, led by the
Freedom Party, said the law would be a `UN muartdoc April=1995le'
on freedom of expression and that foreigners would get an unfair
legal advantage over the Swiss (Guardian 22,23,29.9.94). In St.
Gallen, members of the government party, the FDP, have demanded
the expulsion of a party member and local doctor, Walter
Fizchbacher who made a prominent stand against the bill (Tages-
Anzeiger 27.7.94).
Head of asylum hostel seriously injured in fire
A man who runs an asylum hostel in Lichtensteig is recovering
from serious burns after arsonists set fire to his home. Mr.
Zingg had previously received threatening letters and racist
phone calls at the hostel. But regional police say that the
motive for the arson isn't clear and the fact that the house has
been completely destroyed will make it harder to establish the
real cause of the fire (Woz 22.7.94).
Newspaper condemns complacency over racist attacks
The Tages-anzeiger has criticised weak measures to counter racism
after a group of Tamils received serious injuries after being
attacked by a drunken gang in a Luzern bar. These incidents are
becoming more commonplace says the paper, yet `fewer and fewer
people are willing to stand up and be counted'. Stiffer sentences
and more opposition from political parties are needed (Tages-
anzeiger 5.7.94).
Scandal of African blood-testing
The organisation `Africa Foot' has criticised the state
prosecution service after it carried out blood tests on African
men following the rape of three women. The rapes occurred
between the months of February and July and were apparently
carried out by a `dark-skinned man of African origin'. In order
to `reduce the circle of suspects', the authorities decided to
carry out systematic blood testing. Men of African appearance
were stopped on the streets, approached at their work-places and,
in one instance, the authorities surrounded an African cultural
centre where a disco was taking place. Africa Foot questioned
the legality of the blood testing and what would happen with the
results of the tests - is a permanent file on Africans being
established, they ask. The authorities claim that blood testing
is legal according to s63 of the criminal code but a Swiss MP
disputes this, arguing that blood testing can only be carried
out legally when certain concrete criteria are met. The general
criteria employed in this case did not meet such a qualification.
The authorities claim that the blood tests were carried out on
a voluntary basis is also disputed (Woz no. 30, 29.7.94).
Campaigners denounce commemoration of eugenicist
The Bern section of the Citizens Commission for Human Rights has
demanded that district authorities in Ostermundigen change the
name of Forel Street on the grounds that `it cannot be right that
a pioneer and advocate of mass-sterilisation and mass-murder
should be honoured with a street name'. The theories of Auguste
Forel, a psychiatrist and eugenicist, who lived from 1848-1931,
provided a major influence for nazi theories of racial hygiene.
Campaigners have also highlighted the fact that the figure of
Auguste Forel appears on the 1000 Franc note. The State Bank has
assured campaigners that it will remove Forel from the next
series of notes issued (Bund 4.8.94).
IRR European Race Audit, Bulletin no 11, December 1994. Contact:
Liz Fekete,