I am just a modest citizen, a nobody, but this time I believe it is important for all the nobodies that feel concerned to react on what is happening in Belgium, on what took place in Aalst last weekend.
This complain from the Unesco bothers me. It really does.
Why ?
Not because I find that one may joke about the death of Millions of people. Of course not.
Not because I accept that the Shoa and the whole context of the Nazi movement is treated "lightly". No.
Not because I have forgotten that my Gran Father has been fighting among the resistance to keep this continent a free place where I could grow up and raise my own kids free. Certainly not.
What happens in Belgium today has much more in common than one might think with what took place in Germany 80 years ago.
What happens in Belgium today REALLY IS the raise of a fascist movement under cover of a democratic party.
In its propaganda, this movement, the N-VA, is using the French speaking community as THE plague, source of all the bad things happening to the Flemish community… As the Jews were in the 30's in Germany.
(The leader of this movement even implied, recently, that the closing of the biggest car assembly factory in Flanders was caused by the French-speaking people, stating that the Flemish economy was "Walloonising"… Sic !)
This movement is based on the strong and charismatic leadership of ONE man… As it was for the NSDAP, and almost always is in totalitarian movements…
After winning the elections in Aalst, this movement appointed a special alderman, dedicated to "Flemish affairs"… (read "Nationalist propaganda")… And proposed, among other measures, to remove all French books from the shelves of the public library… Just like the Nazi's did in the 30's, banning all "subversive" books from libraries, starting with the Jewish ones, but we all know it didn't stop there : all books offering a chance to open the minds of the subjected people were soon removed and burned… This is one of the first steps to install thought control of the mass and assure a limited protest against the regime on a longer term…
Of course, I know that, being a French speaking Belgian in 2013, I will not be imprisoned and taken to camps where I would spend the rest of my life.
Of course, I know that the N-VA will not start slaughter all French-speaking Belgians… Or should I say non-Flemish people…
By this, I want to make clear that what happened in Aalst last weekend wasn't just treating "The Holocaust" with humor.
By this, I want to make clear that what happened in Aalst was, in my opinion, the highlighting of the smooth installation of a fascist movement throughout Flanders.
By this, I want to make clear that, what happened in Aalst was, far from an act of disrespect in regards with the people who sufferred and died from the nazi's, but in contrary, the denunciation of facts and acts that have already been seen in the past and should never be forgotten. Never !... And it all started with a democratic election in 1933…
This "nazi-masquerade" was no less than a democratic scream to awaken the community and warn about the danger of the ideas defended by the N-VA.
The danger of an ideology that leads a community to consider another community for being responsible of all the bad things that happen
Dear people at Unesco, this "nazi-masquerade" should be seen as a mark of respect to the memory of those who suffered and died in this dark period of Europe's history, and not a disgrace or lack of respect…
Using these memories to point out the new fascists of today sounds more like an appeal to remember these terrible facts and not, as you seem to understand it, as an invitation to laugh about it…
