«Jewish Observer»
ANTI-SEMITISM
17/36
September 2002
5763 Tishrei

TO BUY «MEIN KAMPF»? NO PROBLEM!
SERGEY VINOKUROV
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Decrees and laws on the struggle against political extremism are strict. But, as it turns out, they can be neglected?!

A loud voice of a newspaper seller wakes up passengers of a morning local train Pushkino-Moscow.

- Fresh newspapers! "Limonka" and "Duel", 5 roubles apiece. Let's support Russians!

- Why do you read it? - an elderly woman asks her neighbour. - You think, you can believe this newspaper? The paper, they say, is to be shut down for stirring up something bad...

- I have read it and will read it, - the neigbour shrugs his shoulders.

- I can't say I treat Jews and Chechens badly, not at all, - steps in a country holidaymaker returning to town. - But they should be limited in something, this is for sure. Just look: only Jews occupy the government and leading posts!

True, issues chewed over by newspapers with swastikas fall onto the prepared ground. If you dare to openly declare here, in a local train taking a "labour landing force" to Moscow, that reading fascist periodicals does not go in line with normality, I am afraid, you'll find no support. I try to question the woman - initiator of this discussion whether she has anybody in her family who died during the Great Patriotic war in which we paid an enormous human price to win over fascism. But she has no time even to open the mouth.

- Hitler? He consolidated Germany and took it out of the crisis. No one could have helped Russia better, no kidding. He only went too far when he attacked the USSR.

- Ilya Glazunov was right. He said Hitler's main mistake was he had destroyed the German-Slavonic fraternity!

Yes, such was Hitler's "trifle mistake"...

The Russian State tried to put an end to similar "discussions" with one mighty blow. President issued the decree "On measures to ensure coordinated actions of government agencies in the struggle against manifestations of fascism and other forms of extremism in the Russian Federation". Though, no one knows for sure what concretely to struggle against. Militia's role in this direction, consequently, is confined exclusively to confiscating extremist literature. Though, it is on sale everywhere in Moscow. Those who consider themselves skinheads can acquire the magazines of the "right-wing youth": "Pod nol'" ("Skinhead"), "White resistance", "Street Fighter" and "Screwdriver". They are frequently on an open sale in rock shops, metro crossings and famous Gorbushka...

One of the famous shops selling fascist literature is located, ironically, in Revolution square. One can buy here practically everything.

"Case N 69" by Klimov, "Protocols of Red Wise Men", "Reminiscences of Ober-Procurator of the Sacred Synod Duke N.D.Zhevakhov", "The nature of Zionism" by V.Stepin, "Jews and Talmud" by F.Brenje, "The ABC of Russian nationalism" by A.P.Barkashov, the booklet "The faces of Power". This is what was on sale yesterday. However, the bestseller of this bookstall "Mein Kampf" by A. Hitler was not on sale already. It disappeared. May be, the Decree has come into affect? Can it be true?

- "Mein Kampf"? - The seller looked at me as if assessing the customer. - "Can't stand any more? Let me have a look...

He looked somewhere beneath and, naturally, found the book. However, he couldn't supply me with dozen copies of this book, and directed me to the sport complex "Olympic", to the book fair with a wide choice of whatever you want. It was not difficult to find the fascist "bible" at this fair. From beneath the counter one can find any book there.

- Buy it! This is a very good book, you'll never regret. The price is the lowest in Moscow, only 150 rubles, - says Mitya, a 23-year old seller

- What is the difference what to sell? - Mitya's partner came into the conversation - I think that "Mein Kampf" shall be on a free sale as any other book without any restriction. It is customers' consciousness that will make the choice. Well, this is a familiar point of view. The fascist literature is freely sold in Noviy Arbat and near the Book House.

- Go your own way, guy! - snorted the seller at first. Then, having X-rayed me with his pierce glance, he changed his anger for mercy and gave me "Mein Kampf" and "Jewish terror in Russia." At police headquarters I was told that the bigger part of fascist literature is printed in Moscow, Novosibirsk, Krasnodar and Volgograd. The publishers, in effect, can't be sued. Until now, there are no relevant laws against this crime.

The police only collect records for reports with reference to the fact that the relevant legislation of the Russian Federation has not been concerted with the Presidential Decree.

In all countries the special service is engaged in catching extremists who propagate their ideas in different forms. In our country, the FSS (Federal Security Service) does not even answer the police inquiries asking for support in finding those who ordered and distribute the nationalistic literature. According to the existing legal norms, the Procurator's office should be the coordinating agency to unite the efforts of the FSS and police in this area. However, such "trifles" are still beyond the view of this agency.

Many people thought that the introduction of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, more rigid against national, racial and religious hatred, would bring the publishers of "Limonka", "Duel", "Russian Host" "Our Fatherland", "Public Observer" and others to legal and practical responsibilities. However, as it is customary in Russia, the strictness of laws is being compensated by the possibility of spitting on them.

"Tribuna", Russia
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