Swastikas and other Nazi symbols nay be banned in Germany, but at least you can fly the Confederate flag freely... *g
Posted on 02/24/2005 9:00:12 AM PST by rightwinggoth
BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Union (news - web sites)'s justice and interior ministers on Thursday shelved proposals to ban the use of Nazi symbols after failing to agree it could help fight racism and anti-Semitism.
Britain, Denmark, Hungary and Italy voiced concerns that a ban of symbols like the swastika could curb freedom of expression.
On the table was a proposal by Luxembourg Justice Minister Luc Frieden that rules to combat racism should include a ban "on displaying symbols inciting hatred and violence."
"The rules must not hinder the freedom of expression," Italian Justice Minister Roberto Castelli told reporters, but he added there could be room for a ban on racist symbols in soccer stadiums.
German Justice Minister Brigitte Zypries said the goal of any ban on the use of Nazi symbols, which already exists in Germany and Austria, "should only be used to fight neo-Nazis."
A ban on such symbols was dropped because of opposition, she said. Talks resumed instead to draft common rules to fight racism and xenophobia.
During the talks Thursday, officials said Frieden reiterated his call for countries to "act urgently" to agree on common rules to combat anti-Semitic and racist attacks.
Plans to ban Nazi symbols across the 25-nation EU have been highly contentious. They were suggested by German members of the European Parliament after photographs surfaced last month showing Britain's Prince Harry wearing a swastika armband at a costume party.
EU spokesman Friso Roscam Abbing said the bloc's Justice and Home Affairs Commissioner Franco Frattini suggested a European-wide ban might go too far and recommended the matter be left to national governments.
"They have their own past and histories," Roscam Abbing said, adding it would be "inappropriate" to ban all use of symbols like the swastika, especially in teaching history in schools or its use in movies.
Slovak, Czech, Hungarian and Lithuanian EU lawmakers also have called for communist symbols, such as the hammer and sickle, to be included if the swastika is banned.
However, officials said not one former Soviet bloc state that is now member of the EU raised a request that communist symbols be included in EU rules to combat racism.
The EU draft on combating racism said "public incitement to violence or hatred for racist and xenophobic purposes" be punishable with at least a two-year jail sentence.
Italy has been blocking a deal on the standards that would define what racism is and set out common aims to tackle it.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's conservative government includes the right-wing National Alliance, which fears its neo-fascist roots could bring it in violation of the new EU rules, if adopted. The party's leader, Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini, has been trying to rid it of extremists.
A win for free speech and expression.
These EU thought Nazi's should reconsider a ban on the Swastika since they'll most likely be sporting one on their own arms soon.
Ah yes, just in time to make armbands for the next Bush protest.
They might need'em when GWB goes back to visit Europe. (sarcasm off/) They wouldn't wanna have to arrest their own friendly protesters.
No, it will be a hammer and sickle underneath the fleur-de-lis.
You're not serious, are you?
These are the same people who "understand" Theo van Gogh's murder.
ML/NJ
Swastikas and other Nazi symbols nay be banned in Germany, but at least you can fly the Confederate flag freely... *g
There was also a push in Germany to ban sale of "Mein Kampf". Personally I would love to see the nazi's disapear from the face of the earth, but banning books and imprisoning people for speech has been done before, including by the nazis. It is a baaaad thing to do in any era.
It will look more like a crescent and a star..
< Mein Kampf is banned from sale in Germany.
best seller in the middle east.
That symbol and Mein Kampf should never be banned, by any nation on earth that wants to remind it's people of the horrors of that war and what the Nazi's did to predominately Jews, but also to ALL people of Europe and Russia alike.
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