Anti-imigrant opinions rising in the Czech Republic

The biggest issue which fills the headlines of newspapers and about which people discuss around the country is the refugee crisis which hits Europe hardly this year. The problem is that in the predominantly homogeneous Czech Republic where (especially out of Prague) people are not used to meet strangers this topic was captured by populists and open racist politicians who abuse people´s fears and (as we say in Czech) "put oil into the fire". The Czech media, who still doesn´t know how to deal with the open xenophobia in the Czech society also did not help much to keep calm the situation.

In the Czech Republic lives a tiny minority of Muslims now and maybe this is the reason why lot of people have a big fear of them. The facebook group "Islám v ČR nechceme" (We don´t want Islam in the Czech Republic) have more than 150 000 likes. Leader of the "Bloc against Islam" is Martin Konvička, entomologist from University of South Bohemia who takes lot of media attention despite lies and inaccuracies.

There were several antiislamic demonstrations this year. Some were organized by Konvička´s group, but some of them were even more radical, organized by openly nationalistic and neonazi groups. Leader of the openly racist and nacionalistic party is half Czech- half Japanese Tomio Okamura, who tries to take attention from the refugee crisis by violating anger to them every day. On one of his demonstrations some people takes gallows to illustrate what they want to do with their opponents. There were also reactions to this demonstrations. People who don´t agree with rising xenophobia in our country attends antidemonstrations (on 18. 7. there were about 500 people) and some of them actively block neonazi parades.

The atmosphere in the country is getting worse with the dividing society into two groups- those who are against accepting any refugees and those who wants to help them. Unfortunately, the first group is bigger.

On 12. 9. there will be another nationalist demonstration in the center of Prague. The number of nationalists and antiprotesters against them is balanced on both fb events so we will see what is going to happen. One thing is clear- that I will be there an will do everything to stop neonazis marching my home city.

Young girl is arrested after she actively blocked the neonazis in the center of Prague.

What to do with disgraceful president?

If there is  a big theme in Czech Republic in these days it is our president Miloš Zeman (the first one elected in direct presidential elections) and his interview in radio show „Hovory z Lán“. In this interview Zeman used profanity words few times, mainly when he tried (badly) to translate the word „pussy“ into Czech (he translated it as a cunt).  Zeman criticised Russian punk band Pussy Riot for their exhibitions  and compared their actions to pornography. In this radio interview he also said that politicians „fucked up“ new service act.

Many people were really shocked by this hard words from mouth of the highest representative of the state. However,  it was the last drop into the sea of many more fouls which the Czech president made in last weeks.  Zeman´s predecessor and famous first Czech president Vaclav Havel as a former dissident many times articulate the need of pressure to authoritarian regimes in case of human rights. He also never made official visit of the communist China.

Zeman´s foreign policy is in some way total opposite to that. Zeman on his state visit to China makes an interview for the Chinese television where he said that “we have to learn from you how to stabilize the society”. On his way back Zeman used the private jet paid by the Czech billionaire Petr Kellner and his financial group PPF which have interests in China. Zeman also attend conference in Rhodos organized by Vladimir Putin´s close friend Vladimir Jakunin.  Zeman in this conference called for cancellation of western sanctions against Russia.

As a reaction to this lot of mostly young Czechs start to organize themselves against this presidential policy on Facebook which resulted in demonstrations on 17. 11. (Czech national day, celebration of ending of communist regime). Those demonstrations attended about 10 000 of people which symbolically lifted red cards to Zeman. Some of the protesters also attended the meeting in Albertov district of Prague, where Zeman and four other presidents of Central European countries celebrated 25 years from fall of communism. People booed to Zeman and some of them throwed eggs and tomatos to him.

What does all this mean? Prezident Zeman is trying to divide the society between provinces  (who support him) and big cities (which liberal citizens are mostly against his policy). Most of main media are also against current president and stoke assault atmosphere against him. Zeman is also known for wallow in hard drinking (he was many times drunk in some official ceremonies) so maybe he just couldn´t control it anymore and maybe he was drunk even in those interview. Anyway, the next presidential elections are after three years, so we´ll have even more fun with this person I guess...

Have Czech dissidents suffered less than Latin American?

This question is now hot theme in the Czech media after visit of famous American writer and linguist Noam Chomsky.




In his speech in Olomouc on 5. 6. 2014 he compare the East European dissidents to people who opposed to authoritarian regimes in Latin America (most of this regimes were supported by US). By Chomsky's view those dissidents suffer much less than those in Latin America and recommend that they received support from West as well.

This speech was followed by lot of reactions in pages of Czech newsapers and magazines. The critique was mainly from right wing intelectuals. For example former dissident and defence minister Alexandr Vondra said that he:"Absolutely not understand how those anti-semitic and anti-capitalist opinions of this wretch can someone take with respect in our country. At time when there people like Havel were arrested for freedom in communist prisons, He in the Boston cafes advocated genocide of Pol Pot in Cambodia," 

The other former dissident, Jan Ruml was much more conciliatory, when said that: "We (dissidents) have never claimed that we suffered terribly."

My point of view is closest to outlook of third former dissident Petr Pospíchal, who in his article criticize both Chomsky and his Czech critics. In first part of his article, he describes terrible conditions in communist prisons and other repressions by state apparatus in 70´s and 80´s:

"At that time I was arrested in the České Budějovice. Two men who arrested me took me in a typical unmarked zhiguli car about twenty miles away, on the edge of a forest ravine, a kind of rock perhaps twenty meters high. Yes, I know today, we know that they did not overthrow me down, I do not write article apparently from beyond the grave.

But for me to find out I had to wait. First they took my papers and everything out of your pockets that my dead body could not be easily identified. Then I have been shoved to the edge of the cliff.

Finally, it ended by a few punches. Have I had to be calm and say that elsewhere in the world, worse things happen to people? Yes, thank you for the advice, and you are welcome to continue swing your chair!"   

He end his text with statement: "It happens that a person gets help and support from someone who has ulterior motives. But it is not a matter of anyone other than the person who provides such assistance. We arrested and persecuted can not control who have appeared or will seek the support of our release. And we were grateful for such support."

(...)  

"We are satisfied with the black and white reduction to good and evil, while in reality the black and white players were confusingly mixed. It's hard to blame Noam Chomsky for abbreviated and saggy interpretation of the past when between ourselves this saggy interpretation became the norm."

Noam Chomsky should be more sensitive to local (Eastern European) context and understand that not only US did and do "dirty great power policy" (including support for local authoritarian regimes when it is advantageous) in the world. 

Czech intelectuals, on the other side, could more listen what Chomsky wanted to say and not shout hysterically when someone calls into question how much was previous regime in Czechoslovakia totalitarian or compare it with other regimes around the world. Because this is normal procedure in political sciences study.