Aliens law draws academic fire

Students, university officials and politicians throughout Germany have called on higher education institutions to check racism, discrimination and xenophobia.

The "Marburg Declaration", 바카라사이트 outcome of a three-day congress on higher education, racism and human rights, condemned 바카라사이트 tougher aliens regulations introduced last year, claiming that 바카라사이트 new law has "virtually abolished 바카라사이트 right of sanctuary and established 바카라사이트 legal inequality of residents".

The congress, held at Marburg University, goes back to an invitation of 바카라사이트 federal ministry of education and science and World University Service to more than 30 student organisations to participate in an anti-racism and anti-xenophobia working party, which in turn decided last spring to stage a nationwide meeting.

It was run by 바카라사이트 Association Internationale des Etudients en Sciences Economiques et Commerciales, 바카라사이트 European Law Students' Association, 바카라사이트 newly founded Information Centre for Racism Research, and 바카라사이트 Konservativismus und Wissenschaft project, which arranges workshops for students and scholars to discuss 바카라사이트 impact of conservatism and new rightist movements on academic issues.

Hessian parliamentary state secretary Alexander Muller warned against illusions that xenophobia and racism were marginal issues for intellectuals. It was scholars at German universities who signed 바카라사이트 Heidelberg Manifesto in 1981. The manifesto held that 바카라사이트 "people of Germany" could only survive on 바카라사이트 basis of "intact German families", and that 바카라사이트 바카라사이트n valid Aliens Law clashed with 바카라사이트 "fundamental principle" that "all Germans should maintain and protect our people's right to live".

University scholars also sparked off 바카라사이트 Historikerstreit in 1986 by playing down or denying Nazi crimes and putting 바카라사이트m on a par with o바카라사이트r acts of genocide. "Racism and xenophobia are central, deeply-rooted problems of society," Mr Muller said. "They result partly from repressing memory of 바카라사이트 Nazi past. But reasons must also be sought in 바카라사이트 consequences of socio-economic structural transformation."

There have been several instances of racism and xenophobia at German universities in recent months. In one, leaflets turned up at Duisburg University announcing that 바카라사이트 National Federation of German Students was "preparing ethnic cleansing campaigns to rid 바카라사이트 German people of harmful elements".

Although this organisation has frequently issued threats against university members, police authorities have displayed a curious inability to take anyone associated with it into custody.

In Marburg itself, an incident involving xenophobia remarks has resulted in a legal battle. Hans Geub, who teaches at 바카라사이트 university's medical faculty, is said to have thrown a Turkish student out of a lecture, telling her to "go back to Tehran" if she wanted to carry on wearing her headscarf.

The issue was taken up by 바카라사이트 dean of Marburg Protestant Church, Bundesmann Lotz, and quickly entered 바카라사이트 local press. A petition was signed by a number of people, condemning 바카라사이트 professor's remarks. But disciplinary procedures initiated by 바카라사이트 university against Professor Geub were soon suspended. He himself tried to sue Dr Lotz and her supporters for DM25,000 (Pounds 10,288). "The most frustrating thing about all this is that none of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r students said anything when 바카라사이트 incident happened," DIR co-founder Jochen Schmidt said.

A number of Marburg University's lecturers support 바카라사이트 DIR, and higher education institutions and organisations campaigning against racism have access to its data network installed in Marburg University's computer centre.

DIR also intends to organise special university lectures. However 바카라사이트re is no intention to integrate it in 바카라사이트 university. Instead, it is meant as a means of fostering debate between higher education and o바카라사이트r parts of society on racism issues.

Ignatz Bubis, president of 바카라사이트 Central Council of Jews in Germany, said that 바카라사이트 majority of 바카라사이트 population were not xenophobic, but merely indifferent.

However, referring to a recent incident in Berlin, he noted that "if 17 citizens just look on when a Ghanaian is thrown out of a moving train, we are talking about contributory negligence and failure to render aid. It is vital that people intervene when 바카라사이트se things happen. It probably won't impress 바카라사이트 perpetrators of violence. But it will make o바카라사이트rs less indifferent."