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Europe Shelves Ban On
Nazi Symbols

The Globe and Mail
2-24-5
 
BRUSSELS (AP) -- European Union justice and interior ministers shelved on Thursday proposals to ban the use of Nazi symbols after failing to agree on how such a ban could help fight racism and anti-Semitism.
 
Officials said Britain, Denmark, Hungary and Italy voiced concerns that a ban of symbols such as the swastika could curb rights to freedom of expression rights.
 
On the table was a proposal by Luxembourg Justice Minister Luc Frieden that rules fighting racism should include a ban "on displaying symbols inciting hatred and violence," such as the Nazis' use of the swastika.
 
German Justice Minister Brigitte Zypries told reporters the goal of any criminal rule against the use of Nazi symbols "should only be used to fight neo-Nazis." Such a law already exists in Germany and Austria.
 
She said that because of opposition, the attempt to include a ban on such symbols was dropped. Instead talks resumed to draft common rules to fight racism and xenophobia.
 
During the talks Thursday, officials said Mr. Frieden reiterated his call for countries to "act urgently" to agree to common rules to combat anti-Semitic and racist attacks, talks on which stalled in 2003.
 
Plans to ban Nazi symbols across the EU had been highly contentious. They were suggested by German members of the European Parliament after the publication of pictures last month showing Britain's Prince Harry wearing a Nazi swastika armband at a costume party.
 
EU spokesman Friso Roscam Abbing said EU Justice and Home Affairs Commissioner Franco Frattini suggested that a European-wide ban might go to too far and recommended that 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 for its use in movies.
 
Slovak, Czech, Hungarian and Lithuanian EU lawmakers urged that communist symbols such as the hammer and sickle be included if the swastika were banned.
 
Officials said, however, that 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 fighting racism says that "instigating, aiding, abetting and attempting to commit racist and xenophobic crimes are punishable" and suggests "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 that its neo-fascist roots could bring it in violation of such rules.
 
The party's leader, Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini, has been trying to rid his party of extremists.
 
© Copyright 2005 Bell Globemedia Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved.
 
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/
 


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