Thursday, August 05, 2010

The global reach of neo-Nazis

From Israel to India, Taiwan and Chile … far-right groups are spreading

Jason Rodrigues, The Guardian/UK, August 2, 2010


A young Israeli neo-Nazi points at a religious Jewish man, as if to shoot him at a shopping mall. Israeli police later broke up a neo-Nazi group amd arrested members Photograph: Israeli police/EPA

Israel: In 2008, four suspects were charged with neo-Nazi activities. They were members of a gang called Patrol 35 which targeted other minorities and desecrated synagogues. Some of the gang were Soviet immigrants who refused to accept their Jewish ancestry.

Chile: Patria Nueva Sociedad (New Fatherland Society) is a well-organised neo-Nazi group in Chile. Its leaders claim to adhere to Nazi economic and labour principles but say the group is against xenophobia, racism and discrimination.

Russia: Neo-Nazi gangs such as the White Wolves have resorted to lethal violence to get across their message of white supremacy. Gang members were jailed this year after several central Asian migrants were attacked and killed in Moscow’s back streets.

Taiwan: In 2007 university students formed the National Socialism Association. The group claimed to have 800 members and a spokesperson said: “We want to study Hitler’s good points, not study his massacres.”

India: A growing trend for Hitler memorabilia in India has caused shock. One publisher claims to have sold more than 100,000 copies of Mein Kampf (left) to Indians in the last 10 years. Some Indians have claimed to be inspired by Hitler’s “discipline and patriotism”.

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