NIGDY WIECEJ - NEVER AGAIN, issue 5, summer 1997
SUMMARY:
"NIGDY WIECEJ" - "NEVER AGAIN" is the only magazine in Poland dedicated to the problem of racism and fascism. Issue 5 brings a variety of articles putting the struggle against racism in a historical and international perspective.
Page 2:The "Listy" ("Letters") section includes letters of support from Zofia Kuratowska, Deputy Speaker of the Polish Senate, and from Barbara Labuda, Minister at the President"s Chancellory.
Page 4:"Cytaty" ("Quotations") include excerpts from strongly antiracist statements made by the Pope during his recent visit to Poland.
Page 6:"Przygotowanie gruntu" ("Levelling the Ground") by R. Boruta shows that nationalist and chauvinist views often originate from school education.
Page 7:"Hitlerowiec liderem NOP w Bialymstoku" ("Hitler-worshipper Leads NOP in Bialystok") by M. Kornak tells the story of Marcin Radzewicz, a leader of the far right party NOP (National Rebirth of Poland). Radzewicz has expressed admiration for Hitler and his nazi ideology.
"Black Metal Sydicate", presented on the same page, is a group of heavy-metal fans who oppose the nazis trying to use that music genre.
Page 8:"Nieudana prowokacja" ("Failed Provocation") reveals how fascist activists in Szczecin published bogus "anti-fascist" leaflets encouraging young people to burn churches. The aim of this provocation was to compromise the antifascist movement in the eyes of public opinion.
"Firma fonograficzna AUDIO-FAN" is the main producer of nazi music in Poland. NIGDY WIECEJ exposes the site of their headquarters.
"Katalog wypadków" ("List of Incidents") is a permanent feature in all issues of NIGDY WIECEJ. It is a list of violent incidents caused by fascists in Poland in the recent months. This issue"s list includes two murders committed by nazi-skinheads.
Page 11:"Bilem tak, zeby nie skrzywdzic za bardzo" ("I Beat Them Not to Hurt Much") by M. Slubowski is an account of a trial of a group of skinheads, members of the Polish National Front (PFN), who had aimed at "purification" of their home town of Legionowo. They severely beat more than twenty people and killed two. Their victims were the elderly homeless and tramps.
Page 12:"Przymiarki do wyborów" ("Preparing for Elections") by M. Kowalski shows that far-right parties, eg. PN (National Right) have made some progress at infiltrating mainstream right umbrella organizations such as Electoral Action Solidarity (AWS). They stand a chance of winning seats in parliament in the autumn.
Page 14:In "Faszystowska prasa w Polsce: Szczerbiec" ("Fascist Press in Poland: Sword") M.Warchala analyses the contents of the fascist monthly "Szczerbiec" ("Sword") published by NOP, which is a leading tool of antisemitic and racist propaganda.
Page 16:G. Bogusz points out that "Szczerbiec" was the first magazine in Poland to spread ridiculous Holocaust-denial theories such as David Irving"s. The article is entitled "Nowe oblicze Holocaustu wedlug Davida Irvinga" ("New Face of Holocaust according to David Irving").
Page 17:"Korporanci wracaja na uczelnie" ("Corporants Return to Universities") by K.Swirska sketches out the history of student "corporations" and their part in antisemitic brawls in the 1920s and 1930s. Today these organizations are being recreated at Polish universities.
Page 19:"Czy Pilsudski powstrzymal polski faszyzm?" ("Did Pilsudski Stop Polish Fascism?") is a question posed by J.Hebel. He outlines the rivalry between the hardline Nationalist opposition and the more moderate regime led by Józef Pilsudski in the 1920s.
Page 21:In "Zagadnienie rasizmu" ("The Question of Racism") T.A.Olszanski shows the fallacy of racist ideas and explains their real background.
Page 25:The section "Dokumenty" ("Documents") brings, among others, a formal question to the Minister of Justice by Krzysztof Budnik MP on the failure of the Polish government to tackle the problem of illegal racist and fascist activity.
Page 27:D.Kostyra writes about the demonstration on the International Day Against Racism organized by the Anti-Nazi Group in Zabrze.
M.Kornak reminds about the campaign "Wykopmy rasizm ze stadionów" ("Let"s Kick Racism Out of Football") initiated on the Polish football grounds and run by the "Never Again" Association.
Page 28:"Katalog wypadków - swiat" ("List of Incidents - World") was prepared by A.Paluch and it documents the recent activity of far-right forces all over Europe.
Page 30:"Ugrupowania neofaszystowskie po II wojnie swiatowej" ("Neofascist Groups After WW2") by R.Pankowski shows how fascism has managed to survive as a political tradition after its defeat in 1945 into the present.
Page 33:"Skradziona mitologia" ("Stolen Mythology") by H.Lunde and "Czy podjac walke o odzyskanie symboli?" ("Should Symbols Be Reclaimed?") by A.Enersen are articles dealing with the problem of traditional Nordic symbols being manipulated by fascists for their own purposes.
Page 35:In "Ekofaszyzm i New Age" ("Ecofascism and New Age") Z.Michalczyk warns against attempts by racists to infiltrate the ecology movement.
Page 37:"Kampania oszczerstw" ("Campaign of Lies") by R.Pankowski shows how fascist-sympathisers such as Larry O"Hara have tried to destroy the reputation of "Searchlight", the international antifascist magazine.
Page 38:"Luzyczanie wobec bezprawia faszystowskiego i komunistycznego" ("Lusatians against fascist and communist oppression") by A.Wisniewski tells the story of a small ethnic minority in East Germany subjected to repression under nazi and stalinist dictatorships.
Page 39:"Co to jest Amnesty International" ("What Is AI?") and "Sudanska Organizacja Praw Czlowieka" ("Sudan Human Rights Organization") are articles on human rights abuses in various parts of the world.
There are also reviews of films, books, and magazines about racism and ethnic conflicts especially in East-Central Europe.