miércoles, mayo 24, 2006

Duele Belgica (Parte II)

Paseando por Amberes, una de cada tres personas que se cruzan por sus vibrantes calles vota a la extrema derecha.
El Vlaams Belang, partido heredero del ilegalizado por racista Vlaams Block, es el más votado, pero una coalición del resto de partidos, en forma de cordón sanitario, evita que gobierne.
Desde hace más de una década, la extrema derecha nacionalista flamenca no hace sino ampliar su base electoral. El odio a la inmigración y a la parte francófona de Bélgica son sus mejores bazas. El discurso incendiario y la retórica alejada de la corrección política, sus formas. Parecen rugir a través de la figura del léon negro sobre fondo amarillo: la bandera de Flandes.
La integración urbana no se ha producido en Amberes. Hay un barrio donde viven negros; cerca, otro donde viven asiáticos; algo más lejos, magrebíes y turcos; existen barrios para los estudiantes, muchos Erasmus; distritos de clase media belga y lujosos residenciales. No hay mezcla.
Es fácil ver adolescentes de origen magrebí, tal vez nacidos allí, deambular sin nada que hacer por el centro de la ciudad. Parecen desear las prendas de ropa deportiva de marca que no pueden comprar, así como los teléfonos móviles de última generación. No tienen trabajo, pero tampoco irán a la universidad.
Cerca, en una tienda de ropa perteneciente a una cadena europea de Pret a Porter se pueden ver mujeres musulmanes buscando prendas que combinen con su chador verde primaveral.
La mayor intensidad de la mezcla se observa en los autobuses urbanos que circulan a primera hora. Madres inmigrantes y autóctonas suben al transporte público con sus niños en dirección a la escuela. Los pequeños, de uniforme, juegan entre ellos sin importar su origen. Tal vez sea la última esperanza de Bélgica para crear una sociedad diversa en armonía.
El 11 de mayo de 2006, un joven, sobrino de una diputada del Vlaams Belang, asesinó en pleno centro de Amberes a una mujer negra y a la pequeña que ésta cuidaba. Luego, dispararó contra otra joven de origen turco.

2 Comments:

At 2:09 a. m., Anonymous Anónimo said...

Hola Bert,

Duele Inge tambien. Que miseria! :-(

Nice despcription of this city. Here some more information, from my point of view:

April 17th, the 17-year old Joe was stabbed in the heart in Brussel Central station, because he didn't want to give his MP3-player. In the middle of rush hour! The country was shocked. The murderers were 2 young guys with North-African roots. Or so, everyone assumed. A gift to Vlaams Belang! You can imagine the comments. Analyses went from 'this was the result of our failing immigration policy' to 'islam is not compatible with our society' and so on.

But then the muderers were found. They were Polish. The one who had the knife didn't even live in Belgium. Immigration has nothing to do with it. This is just a brutal, useless murder.

How did we get this far, that every crime that happens is automatically linked to immigration and to islam? Off course, Vlaams Belang has a big responsibility in this. But there is more. It has become normal to make these associations. All conventional political parties and the media have to take responsibility. The retoric of the Vlaams Belang has become accepted and even taken over.

There was a silent mars organised for Joe. 80 000 people came to Brussels to pay their respect to Joe, and to say no to useless violence. And to ask for a dialogue between the different communities. The last part was added by the parents and friends of Joe. The stopped it from being politically recuperated by intolerant thoughts.

2 weeks later, some crazy guy shoots 3 people in the streets. Why them? Because they are immigrants, and that is bad he believes. Again, everyone is shocked. The big question everyone ask: is Vlaams Belang in any way responsable? Their voters seem to think not. I think they are wrong. Off course this is a crazy guy, and off course Filip Dewinter (the idiot who leads the party) will not shoot people because they have the wrong colour. However, they created a climate. A climat where everyone just assumes that when a crime is committed, the killer is from Morocco. That migration is a bad thing. That we have to be scared of young men with a different colour. That islam is the root of all the problems in our society (together with lazy Walloons off course). They might not have pulled the trigger, that doens't mean that they have no responsibility. The ties the killer has to this party are even irrelevant to me.

Thursday there was a silent mars for these victims: Luna Drowart (the 2-year-old girl), Songül Koç, Oulemata Niangadou en Mohamed Bouazza (who's dead is still unclear). 18 000 people came to Antwerp to support to slogans: 'the pain is ours' and 'stop racisme, diversity is a reality'. A big manifestation (Antwerp is not known for big manifestations), but not that much as the 80 000 for Joe. Do we think racisme is not so bad? Or was it just the rain? Or are we just sick of silent marses? Maybe it is time to stop this and to take some real action!

One thing is clear, our society is divided. For many, racism is a horrible thing. For many, racism is normal. I don't like were our society is going. Hatred is growing, despite all the marses and festivals and so. And I don't see it changing fast. Duele Belgica de verdad. Que mierda!

for pictures:
http://www.indymedia.be/en/belgium?from=160
http://www.indymedia.be/en/belgium?from=0

 
At 3:24 p. m., Blogger A. M. Salanova said...

Inge, with people as nice and smart as you, Belgium is able to get a good future.

 

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