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DPA Should Appologize for Its Racist Outbursts
A group of Macedonian non-governmental organizations give their full support and solidarity to Iso Rusi, journalist and president of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Macedonia, related to the attacks and threats that the Democratic Party of Albanians (DPA) sent to his address provoked by his recent op-ed, titled “Gospodin Gospodin Thaqi” (Gospodin Gospodin is the official title of the archbishop of the Macedonian Orthodox Church), published in “Koha” daily newspaper.
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Iso Rusi
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In his column, Rusi criticized the zeal that DPA presented in its defence of the status of Islamic Religious Community (IRC), which will change significantly, at least formally, with the newly proposed liberal law on religious communities in Macedonia, and also questions DPA’s tendency to put an equality mark between Islam and Albanians in Macedonia, thus equating the MPC and Macedonians.
Civic organizations that signed the support letter defend Rusi’s right to freedom of expression and warn that, although this is not the start of hate-speech in Macedonia, it is a culmination of xenophobia and hatred of all people that think differently and those not of “pure blood”.
DPA’s reaction contains explicit threats directed not only at the author of the column, but also to other persons, whose names are fully listed, whose only guilt, at least in DPA’s view, is the fact that they meet with Rusi occasionally.
According to the NGOs, the threats should not be taken lightly, having in mind the constant allegations of DPA’s and its activists’ involvement in a series of incidents, starting with the events surrounding the village of Kondovo, the interruption of “NotaFest” music festival and the beatings of students at the Tetovo University.
Also, the NGOs note that DPA has reserved for itself a rather “fascist” right to make judgments on one’s “national identity”, of naming people “hybrids resulting from biological experiments” and other fascist and racist preferences to decide whether one does, or doesn’t belong to a given nation, or whether one’s blood corresponds to “Aryan” standards of purity.
According to the signatories of the support letter, the weight of the statement is made more serious in view of the fact that DPA is parliamentary party, that it participates in the Government and has access to instruments of state power. The European Convention on the Rights of Man states that the Government is responsible for such violations of human rights conducted by third parties, if it knew about them and could take measures to prevent them.
„Since DPA participates in the Government, the Government is both directly and indirectly obligated to react and intervene”, states the letter. “Therefore, we demand from DPA to demonstrate it democratic capacities, to distance itself and to apologize for the statement. From the Government, we demand to condemn the threats against the freedom of expression and take measures to protect the personal safety and integrity of Iso Rusi as both citizen and journalist”.
The letter was signed by NVO Infocentar, First Children Embassy in the World „Megjasi”, Polio Plus, Forum CRSD, Foundation Open Society Institute Macedonia (FOSIM), HDZR Mesecina – Gostivar, Makedonski Centre for International Cooperation.
Iso Rusi’s column is available at www.lobi.com.mk (in Macedonian). DPA’s reaction, in Albanian, is available at www.gurra-pdsh.org.
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