[Reader-list] Fighting Against Far Right in Russia

[Harsh Kapoor]

The Moscow Times
Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2001. Page 13
Fighting Against Far Right
By Boris Kagarlitsky
  The recent pogrom organized by neo-fascists in Tsaritsyno had at 
least one positive consequence: Politicians and the media started to 
discuss the far-right threat. The Russian establishment has talked 
about Russian fascism quite frequently in the past but has always 
reduced the problem to anti-Semitism.

In particular, media interest was roused by the anti-Semitic 
inclinations of the Communist Party leadership. As a result, a lot 
has been said and written about fascism, but all in a rather 
superficial manner.

In fact, the extreme right in Russia today is first and foremost 
anti-Caucasian rather than anti-Semitic. This is not to say that one 
should deduce that those running rascist organizations have suddenly 
been overcome with sympathy for Jewish people. They have simply 
changed their priorities.

Muslims, or so-called chyorny, are enemy No. 1. And to give them 
their due, Russian skinheads are perfectly in step with their Western 
counterparts: In Germany, the pogroms of recent years have also been 
targeted against Muslims rather than Jews.

In Western publications, information appeared that Moscow skinheads 
had originally planned to head for Tverskaya Ulitsa and beat up the 
anti-globalists, but when it turned out that there were no 
anti-globalists to beat up they changed their plans and headed for 
Tsaritsyno. This version, however, does not seem entirely convincing, 
as the pogrom in Tsaritsyno was well organized and must have been 
planned well in advance.

There is a certain symbolism in what happened. The police were out in 
force on Tverskaya to protect expensive shopwindows from leftwing 
radicals, who did not exist in reality. At the same time on the other 
side of the city, rightwing extremists were smashing people up 
unimpeded.

Both city and federal authorities had to vindicate themselves. It was 
not simply a matter of the powerlessness of the law enforcement 
agencies but also that the authorities' own propaganda had prepared 
the ground for the pogroms. The police for some years now have been 
doing all they can to terrorize "persons of Caucasian nationality" on 
the streets -- blatantly trying to demonstrate to us all that they 
are second-class people and undesirable elements in Moscow.

The image of the Muslim terrorist and the Caucasian bandit has been 
systematically cultivated and fostered by the mass media. We may 
remember that the president himself made an appeal not to stand upon 
ceremony with his very public promise to "wipe them out in the 
outhouse." Where is the presumption of innocence? Where are the equal 
rights for all citizens?

After the Tsaritsyno pogrom, the authorities became somewhat more 
guarded in expressing themselves. Also, the public was deluged by 
statements about how racism and nationalism represent a threat for 
Russia, facilitating the country's disintegration. This is, of 
course, true. However, the question that enters my mind is: If they 
were not threats to state unity, would it then be all right to be a 
racist or anti-Semite?

Fascism has not only ideological but also social roots. Those 
involved in the pogroms were mainly from poor suburbs. They are young 
people from low-income families with dismal prospects. These are 
people whom the widely publicized economic growth of the past couple 
of years has passed by.

These people are embittered and acutely feel their low social 
position, but unlike trade-union activists or leftwing organizations, 
they do not feel any strong group affiliation and have a very unclear 
understanding of their own interests.

While the better educated leftwing radicals channel their anger 
against the system as a whole, these youths need a specific and 
visible embodiment of evil. Traders of foreign extraction turn out to 
be the ideal target.

The next stage is that far right groups start to carry out specific 
orders, attacking leftwing organizations, trade union activists, 
liberal journalists etc. Rightwing nationalists are essentially 
conservative. The status quo suits them down to the ground. 
Discontent is mainly caused by hair color, nose-shape etc. of one's 
neighbor.

If the battle against right-wing extremism is to be undertaken 
seriously, then strengthening the police force is not the answer. 
Resolving social problems is.

There are only two tried and tested means of battling extremism: good 
employment opportunities and good-quality education accessible to all.


Boris Kagarlitsky is a Moscow-based sociologist.

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