Thursday, October 25, 2007

Vlaams Belang on the Holocaust

Below is an article that was posted on the Flemish Parliament website in 2005 by Filip Dewinter of Vlaams Belang. Rolf Krake, a Dane who lives in Brussels and speaks Flemish, has kindly translated it for us.

Go here for the complete European Parliament Resolution, and here for the Council Framework.

Vlaams Belang approves Holocaust resolution in Flemish parliament

Vlaams Belang disapproves the political abuse of the ‘Green Party’ concerning the holocaust resolution

Filip Dewinter sent an open letter to the Jewish community

In the general policy of the Flemish parliament’s Commission came today the proposal of the Green Party’s resolution! And the Flemish majority parties discussed the commemoration of the holocaust, the concerns about anti-Semitism and racism and approved the bill. The Vlaams Belang adopted the proposal.

Vlaams Belang notes that the text from the Flemish resolution deviates on several points from the resolution voted in the European Parliament in which the Vlaams Belang was targeted directly. In this text an amalgam was made between the tragedy of Auschwitz and the rise of contemporary European parties which are stigmatized as “racist”. Vlaams Belang remembered the incident in the European Parliament.

The Flemish resolution does not make this link, however, and deals only with the Flemish government and each incident of intolerance and incitement to racial hatred, as well as the fact that each action of intimidation and racist violence would continue to be condemned, as well as all forms of anti-Semitism and violent actions motivated by religion — or racial hatred.

Vlaams Belang regrets, however, that the initiative came from the Green Party! Party political games such as this one pretend to be based on showing ‘respect’ for the human suffering of so many millions victims of the Holocaust. Green Party leader Jos Stassen some weeks ago suffered the consequence regarding an interview with the newspaper De Morgen (2 Feb. 2005) stating that its intentions of submitting this resolution the Vlaams Belang would confess its true colors. Vlaams Belang regrets that some find it necessary to make a shameless abuse of the Holocaust tragedy ‘anno 2005’ smearing a number of successful political opponents and attempting to demonize them.

Of course Vlaams Belang bows in deep respect for the suffering of all the victims of the Holocaust. The genocide against the Jewish people committed by the Nazi regime can never be forgotten. The 60th the anniversary of the end of the camp at Auschwitz is an excellent occasion to honor the victims and stands as a warning memory to all the victims of every form of anti-Semitism and racism.
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Vlaams Belang, by approving this resolution, strongly indicate that it will not be equated in absolutely any circumstances with Holocaust advocates and holocaust deniers of all kinds.

Filip Dewinter, President of the Vlaams Belang.

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Filip Dewinter’s Open Letter To The Jewish Community

Brussels, Monday 28 January 2005

Dear Citizens,

As a result of the unfortunate and untrue reports in the media concerning the attitude of Vlaams Belang in the European Parliament regarding a resolution “concerning the commemoration of the Holocaust, anti-Semitism and racism” I would be more than glad to put right what I for one and others would like to clarify.

Naturally Vlaams Belang bows down in deep respect for the suffering of all the victims of the Holocaust. The genocide against the Jewish people committed by the Nazi regime no one can never forget. The 60th anniversary of the release of the prisoners from the camp at Auschwitz is an excellent occasion to honor the victims and stands as a warning memory to the victims of every form of anti-Semitism and racism. I can refer to the MEP elected and party President Frank Vanhecke, who has also put this explicitly in his speech in the European Parliament with the following words: “Vlaams Belang bows down in deep respect for the Jews and for all the other victims of the criminal National Socialistic regime” [Nazi regime].

Unfortunately, some find it necessary to demonize a number of people from a successful and growing opposition with the use of a shameless abuse of the holocaust tragedy in the year 2006.

The resolution voted in the European Parliament is a perfect example. In that resolution we can read that “the European Parliament has provided us claiming concerns with the rise of right-extremism and xenophobic parties and the growing acceptance of their political conception by the public opinion, and with the appeals to the institutions of the European Union, the Member States and all European democratic parties too have understood the manner of the resolution’s underlying message and without reservation proceed with the condemnation of: All forms of racial, ethnic and religious intolerance, inciting to hatred, harassment and violence including all forms of traditional or new anti-Semitism, including denying the holocaust….”

During the discussion of the resolution’s content a certain socialist MEP claimed that Vlaams Belang was explicitly targeted and was named.

The political embrace of the Holocaust leads to a banalization of the facts.

The shameless political abuse of the eradication of millions of victims awakens fellow Jewish citizens to what they can only disapprove of and blame.

It is also a striking point that every reference to it has kept out and steered clear of the Islamic and Arab anti-Semitism in the resolution.

It is clear from the above-outlined the circumstances that it was impossible for Vlaams Belang to stand by, in its very nature and disheartened facts to approve the resolution [leaving out Islamic and Arab anti-Semitism].

If one only paid attention to the core message of the resolution — as it happens, commemorating the victims of the Holocaust — an issue which could carry our approval, Vlaams Belang in the European Parliament have not voted against the resolution but would have marked its standpoint.

I regret that party-political games have gained the upper hand, instead of showing respect for the human suffering of so many millions victims of the Holocaust.

The mainstream [tendentious] announcements in some papers give a dishonest impression that the Vlaams Belang, by abstaining concerning this resolution, wants to scale down the Holocaust or even deny it. Can I draw your attention to the fact that the Vlaams Belang approved previously the anti-revisionism law in the parliament — despite the large doubts about the possible violation. The Vlaams Belang wanted and wants hereby give the signal that it does not want to be at any moment aligned with the Holocaust - deniers and negationists of all kinds.

In recent years I had the pleasure to learn to know several venerable and leading members of the Antwerp Jewish Community. Their battle for the maintenance of the Jewish identity and cultural uniqueness and their persisting efforts to preserve Israel as the outpost of the free Western made a big impression on me.

Obviously the enemies of the state of Israel, who are politically rather on the left than on the right side, will apply all resources to compromise and knock down all the allies of Israel who warn of the danger of Islam and Arabic radicalism. I’m convinced of the fact that the Jewish community will quickly expose the transparent attempts to knock down the Vlaams Belang

Kind Regards,

Filip Dewinter
Faction Leader, Vlaams Belang

14 comments:

Profitsbeard said...

VB sound pretty naive, politically.

Opposing anything to do with a condemnation of the Holocaust leaves you open to condemnation yourself as Holocaust deniers/enablers/abetters.

You have to play the game more cleverly.

Or be tarred as both crypto-Nazis and fools.

Maybe they should dissolve the VB and start over with some more astute and sophisticated leadership.

They got sucker punched for their "purity of principles" when politics is more about "effective results".

No amount of backpedalling, with reasonable explanations about "what you really meant", after the fact, ever erases the stigma of being painted with the "seem to support the Holocaust" brush.

Start afresh.

Fight smarter.

Dymphna said...

PB --

I agree with the "fight smarter." But I think they can beat the rep they've been handed by the far left, which is out to smear them.

It's much like the conservatives here -- the few with spines -- who are always getting tarred and feathered by the Dems, and wildlly discredited at every turn.

Well, they have it worse. Imagine Nancy Pelosi in charge of everything.

Just finished reading Clarence Thomas' bio. The things that Sen. Biden assured him of before the hearings vs. the things he actually did to Thomas in public are amazingly creepy. But such behaviors are in line with a man who lost out on his one and only bid for prez when his plagiarism was exposed.

Of course in the intervening years we've had the Clintons, so Biden's sins pale by comparison.

Back to VB --
You say:

They got sucker punched for their "purity of principles" when politics is more about "effective results".

I agree w/you in the sense that there is a learning curve for newly formed parties and it takes time. They haven't been around that long. The tightrope in Europe is a very thin string with no safety net for those who do not follow the Marxist pc line.

If the lefties can get you on "racism" and/or "xenophobia" then your party can be dissolved. That's what happened to Vlaams Blok and they reformed,this time as Vlaams Belang.

Read The Flemish Republic for their viewpoint.

The rest of the Belgian parties have agreed to form a "cordon sanitaire" around VB, which means, practically speaking, no other party in Belgium will ever, ever enter into coalitions with them on *anything.* It's an attempt to cut off their oxygen.

From the site:

"...The problem in Belgium, however, is that no decisions can be taken unless there is a majority in both parts of the country – in Dutch-speaking Flanders, where 60% of the population lives, as well as in French-speaking Wallonia. Hence, the Socialist-minded Walloons can veto any transfer of powers from the Belgian to the Flemish level.

We in the Vlaams Belang think that Wallonia will never agree to granting Flanders a bigger say over its own affairs. Wallonia lives off Flemish subsidies and does not want decisions concerning welfare, social security and economic policies to be taken on the regional level. We advocate the independence of Flanders, exactly because we do not think that within the Belgian context Flanders can ever be master of its own house.

If Mr Leterme fails in delivering his promise the Flemings will realize that Wallonia leaves Flanders no option but to secede.
We are not prepared, however, to swap Belgium for another multinational construct, a European superstate, which is bound to be even more undemocratic and oppressive than Belgium. We stand for an independent, sovereign Flanders and are opposed to all centralization attempts emanating from Brussels, whether it be “Belgian Brussels” or “European Brussels.”


--Frank Vanhecke, MEP
President of the Vlaams Belang

Even the King refuses to meet with them.

Civil War on the horizon...

Profitsbeard said...

Dymphna-

Instead of concentrating on the corsairs ("guest workers"/"immigrants"/"refugees") boarding their ship of state (the entire EU), they work to fragment their little country even further into a weaker, tinier bloc.

Thinking small never won anyone over.

It sounds like a ideal way to fragment European nations (Basques, Frisians, et al) and make them all easier for the soft Jihad to destroy, piece by piece, and one by one.

A house divided...

This is a fight of our Civilization against a Global theocratic tyranny, not the petty quarrels of fiefdoms.

That nonsense can come after Islamofascism has been repelled back to Mecca.

They should worry more about being Europeans, and less about "Walloons" and such.

"We must all hang together, or we shall certainly hang seperately." seems to be a motto they need to learn.

The Ummah knows it.

The West does not.

Yet.

Mrs. EntryReqrd said...

It appears to me that Vlaams Belang is being smeared. I also agree that they should be able to overcome and move past it (period)

"This is a fight of our Civilization against a Global theocratic tyranny, not the petty quarrels of fiefdoms."

I cannot agree with that at all. There are many issues that need to be resolved. The multiculturalist, welfare state mentality needs to be reformed along with many other things with the governments of Europe. I am not sure that further Balkanization is the answer, but it certainly seems that Belgium is screwed right now. Yes, Islamo-fascism is huge. But talk of ignoring all other issues for the sake of one sounds like the same kind of cut off your nose to spite your face talk that Dr. Dobson is planning to do with the 2008 elections for the abortion litmus test issue in America. Life is more then one issue. This ends all reference to Vlaams Belang.

Moving down a twisted path, loaded with mine fields, solely on my own, I want to say, the Holocaust details have been agreed on, "Consensus History" has been reached - "DEBATE OVER". No more conversation is needed, in fact if you are someone who believes in free speech you might very well be criminally prosecuted for speaking outside of the Consensus.

As for myself, I am not a Holocaust denier and I fully understand that many of the people who speak outside of the Consensus on the Holocaust are in general loathsome. I want nothing to do with them and in fact personally know only one of them and they are back in America and I haven't seen them in more then 25 years. However, free speech to me means free speech. I don't really care, if some group holds beliefs that are outside of the "Consensus" or deludes themselves one way or the other, as long as it does not rise up to liable or can be construed as inciting violence. I do not really care if one religion feels that it is superior or if that religion deems me as a 2nd class citizen. As long as I am treated as everyone else, I could give a flying... what they say or think. The criminalization of thought and speech under the auspices of the racism and xenophobia legislation was just wrong.

What other "Consensuses" will carry with them criminal custodial sentences if debated? What smear will be cast on those that shake the tree of conventional wisdom? How much more will we give up as legislators line us up in nice neat little homogeneous rows? Am I even allowed to say that?

R. Hartman said...

The Holocaust and other past state crimes are only used for political gain, whenever some party feel it can benefit their goals. The West these days is supposed to apologize to about every non-caucasian citizen in the world about its past of slavery, about the holocaust, about the Armenian genocide, about lots of things that lie in the past, were not done under our responsibility (I cannot be blamed for actions of an ancestor a few generations back) and cannot be altered.

The socialists abuse the holocaust for political gain, to smear their opponents, simply because they have no arguments and secretly know their opponents are correct in their assessments. While pretending to commemorate the victims of the past, they abuse them for their own political agenda, and as such they are insulting those victims more than the ones that deny it ever happened.

It all fits nicely into the 'White Guilt' agenda of the socialists, completely ignoring that 'the other side' did the same thing. The Crusades may have been violent, but their main raison d'être was fighting Islam. Muslim countries kept slaves longer than any Western civilization, blacks traded in slaves as well, but that does not fit the agenda.

American dhimmycrats try (and may succeed) to abuse the Armenian genocide to cut off Turkish supply lines to the troops in Irak and that way sneakily force their treasonous agenda on the war.

Unlike PB's claim, there's no way VB can support a resolution that is overtly intended to smear them as it main purpose. Make no mistake: that resolution was not about the holocaust, but about suppressing valid and much needed criticism of the Islamic agenda, by branding those critics 'xenophobes', 'Islamophobes' and 'racists'.

As the Flemish resolution did not link VB to the holocaust, VB could support it and thus made the socialists shoot themselves in the foot. But I truly think that VB's support for the resolution is more sincere than that of the issuers, for whom it was only a means to an end.

X said...


They should worry more about being Europeans, and less about "Walloons" and such.


I definitely do not agree with this. There is no European demos no European identity, no matter how much people try and forge one. People don't fight for "europe", they don't honour "europe". They fight for their valley, their town and their flag. They fight for the ancient kingdoms and duchies and fiefdoms and cities that shaped the place where they live and that their blood tells them to fight for.

The situation in Belgium is a microcosm of the situation in Europe as a whole. Nations crudely stitched together and forced to acknowledge a power beyond their national identity, unable to effectively govern themselves and consequently unable to mount an effective resistance. If Flanders were to secede it would not become weaker, it would become stronger, freed from the constraints of having to look at things through the lense of "what's right for Belgium" and freed of having to constantly waste energy trying to extract concessions from the other side of the partnership.

Yes, united we stand, but united as free individuals and free nations, not as a centralised collective. You cannot unify people with force of arms or coercion without subjugating them, and a subjugated people will not fight for you out of honour and love of freedom, but out of fear and hatred. A subjugated people will ultimately turn to the enemy because the enemy fights against their masters. We're seeing this happen all ready, as people turn to Islam, which fights against the socialism of Europe. That it replaces it with something just as bad has no bearing on the decision, because it's different.

ziontruth said...

Archonix said what I wanted to say but (as is now the invariable situation these days) I hesitated to.

With the obligatory disclaimer, "I could be wrong", and with the caveat that more research is needed to substantiate it, I offer the hypothesis that the European Right's discourse has been subordinated to the Left's anti-nationalist narrative. I surmise that there were many confident nationalisms in Europe until the middle of the 20th century, national identities which held "Europe" to be a geographical and not political whole, and which were not based solely around the issue of race--both for the reason that they were not reacting to Political Correctness, which did not exist yet.

Nationalism has been smeared and thought-outlawed by the PC establishment ever since 1945. The internationalist Marxists have capitalized on the red herring of Nazism ever since. To exclusively talk of "saving Europe" and neglect the issue of individual nations and their sovereignty is to fight the Marxists on their own field. The talk of a "European identity" is just as contrived and fake as the talk of a "Lebanese nation" (Sunni, Shia, Christians and Druzes stitched together) and the talk of an "Iraqi nation" (Sunni, Shia, Christians, Yazdis and Kurds stitched together). The patriotic ideal has failed everywhere, Rwanda being the bloodiest example. Nationalism needs to be resuscitated, its name cleared and presented as a right, as a demand, of the nations, nations that have been robbed of their identities by the Marxists for over 60 years.

PRCalDude said...

Looks like Charles has already gone queasy because there might be some 'racism' associated with Vlaams Belang:
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=27592_Organizing_to_Resist_the_Islamization_of_Europe#comments

I wonder if he ever stopped to consider that most of the anti-jihadists are ethnic Europeans and most of the jihadists are not? At the end of the day, it is an ethnic conflict, whether it's portrayed as such or not. If Charles and his ilk are made a little queasy by that because of PC brainwashing, maybe they should just recite the shahada now and get it over with.

Dymphna said...

Archonix--

That need for one's own space among one's kind is probably hardwired in the human brain. Maybe down in the limbic area somewhere.

When I think of the Kurds, it makes me sad. Betrayed by the Turks' refusal to sign the Treaty of Sèvres, there is still no Kurdistan. But they will never, ever give up. Just won't happen, because that is their identity -- not the cobbled together Iraq, or their 3rd class status in Turkey where they are not allowed to give their chldren Kurdish names, or the ones in Iraq who are mistreated randomly.

Belgium is cobbled together also. Another artificial arrangement. And those who benefit from it -- the Walloons -- will never let the Flemish depart peacefully. The Flemish are reviled. Read Paul Belien's book on it.

Everyone has a need to belong in whatever way they define it. But having an identity that is even partially derived from one's sense of place is considered very un-p.c.

*One place is as good as another.

*Boundaries and fences are bad (so much for you, Robert Frost)

*Wanting to be with those of your own culture is a sin. Or would be if we had sin anymore. Now it's illegal. Unless you're a minority or immigrant. Then it's good.

*People should be free to wander at will, and if they interfere with others, then that has to be tolerated.

*In fact, Tolerance is the greatest virtue one can have.

*You have no right to claim anything.

I think the European Civil War is not that far down the road...

Félicie said...

"That need for one's own space among one's kind is probably hardwired in the human brain. Maybe down in the limbic area somewhere."´

One theory for that is kin selection.

X said...

In fact, Tolerance is the greatest virtue one can have.

It's so much easier to toelrate people when they're on the other side of the hill. That's why all the "tolerant" people in the world usually live in little enclaves where reality never intrudes. I suspect that might be ironic.

R. Hartman said...

Archonix
In fact, Tolerance is the greatest virtue one can have.

In fact Dypmphna and you are both correct.

But you should not be tolerant to intolerance, and that's where the dhimmies go wrong.

diversicult said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
diversicult said...

I am Jewish and Zionist. Most of my grandparents' families were killed by the Nazis during the Holocaust ... and I totally, 100% agree with VB! The Holocaust has been abused by the Left to silence the right. We must remember, however, that it was the left that collaborated with the Nazis, not the right. The Vichy government, for example, was led by a "peacenik" appeaser.