Dedieu, J. P. (2014) “Greece, a front line for state-sponsored racism in Europe“, AlJazeera America, 29 September.
Once the cradle of European civilization, Athens is now the center of a continental decivilizing process
On Aug. 2, a group of unidentified men savagely attacked a Pakistani immigrant in Athens, leaving him hospitalized with a broken jaw and multiple bruises. Five days later, Ashkan Najafi, a native of Iran, was severely beaten and stabbed 12 times in Piraeus, a port city south of Athens. He required at least 60 stitches.
These are but two reports of the criminal xenophobia bubbling across Greece. While the anti-Semitic, ultra-right-wing members of and sympathizers with the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party are largely responsible for the violence, Greece’s political leaders, law enforcement and judicial system have clearly failed to stem the tide.
Greece is not the only European Union member facing a surge of ultra-right-wing, anti-immigrant groups. However, its deep economic slump, dire poverty, massive unemployment fostered by austerity policies and lack of comprehensive immigration laws have turned Greece into an advanced laboratory for institutionalized racism in Europe.
Relevant posts:
- B. C. (2014) “Greece, racism and the church – Your genocide or mine?“, The Economist Blog, 29 August 2014.
- FRA (2014) “Fundamental rights: key legal and policy developments in 2013. Highlights 2013“, European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, July.
- Roubini, N. (2014) “The Great Backlash“, Project Syndicate, 31 May.