CJM OWALJUSIKWHS JEW HATRED Anti-Semitism in emulate the growth and influence of its European counterparts. Groups such as Britain Today the British National Party are scorned by the vast majority of Britons and are Anti-Semitism is, in many ways, the relatively powerless in the mainstream precursor of the racist attitudes now political process. projected by European societies on the The Far Right's influence, however, visible ethnic minorities within their on racial and political tension and midst. Jews remain the primary, violence, is manifest in localised areas of ideological, target for hard-core racists, power across the country. Racial attacks but the vast bulk of societal racism, in Tower Hamlets increased by over prejudice and actual physical attacks are 300% following the BNP's Millwall Edmonton Cemetery April 1990 directed against visible minority groups council seat election success in of Afro-Caribbean, India sub-continent, September '93. The Millwall victory (Nov '92); and the initial Allied air strikes or North African origin. This is confirmed (since overturned in the May '94 local against Iraq (Jan '91). by a number of recent opinion polls elections) gave an unprecedented boost The next highest increase followed conducted throughout Europe and Britain to the BNP's morale and public profile. the highly publicised desecration of the by the American Jewish Committee in Jewish cemetery in Carpentras, France which Jews were consistently viewed Anti-Semitic Incidents and Attacks (May '90). This is an indicator of the more favourably than other minority Anglo-Jewry's representative body, the influence of publicity on racist attacks, a groups. (It is worth noting that Europe's Board of Deputies of British Jews, defines charge more recently levelled against other traditional scapegoat group, an anti-Semitic incident as a physical, the media's coverage of the BNP prior to Gypsies, polled especially badly in these written, or verbal attack against Jews, or the May '94 local elections. surveys). Jewish owned property, motivated by Today, racist attacks across Europe Jew-hatred. This does not include anti- Jews - The Ultimate Enemy have reached unparalleled levels. Those Semitic statements such as those Jews remain the primary ideological who dared hope that the Holocaust of regularly made in publications or target for the Nazi inspired Far Right. European Jewry would be a terrible end meetings by members of anti-Jewish These groups call for the repatriation of to racism, and especially anti-Semitism, groups, such as the BNP, Combat 18, or non-Whites to their supposed countries were to be sadly mistaken. Hizb ut-Tahrir (Islamic Liberation Party). of origin. Their solution to 'The Jewish Anti-Semitic incidents recorded by Question' is not so clear cut. Their the Board of Deputies have risen in ideology is fiercely anti-Israel, but does tandem with the recent increases in not countenance encumbering other overall racist attacks. Over 300 anti- 'White nations' with exiled Jews. Semitic incidents were recorded in 1993, Some radical US neo-Nazis have a 15% increase on the 1992 total, and an proposed the establishment of a huge 80% increase since 1989. The 1993 Jewish ghetto in New York. Most neo- statistics are categorised as follows. (1992 Nazis are less imaginative than this. The statistics are given in brackets): ultra-violent BNP offshoot Combat 18 Physical assaults - 11.8% (12.7%); (1 = A For Adolf, 8 = H for Hitler) aptly damage and desecration of property - summarised the prevailing view 23.5%(23.1%); threats-10.5% (10.5%); ('Redwatch' issue 3),"... our view on the abusive behaviour - 38.4% (37.3); anti- Holocaust is if it didn't happen it should Semitic 'literature' mailings - 15.9% have, if it did happen its a pity they didn't (16.4%). KILL THEM ALL (sic), the subhuman Annual analysis of these statistics Jew must die if our race is to survive". reveals that they are composed of a Most European nationalist parties Blakely Cemetery, Manchester, gradual rise in incidents, influenced by strongly deny that they are anti-Semitic, July '90 the level of racism in society as a whole. lest they be tainted with Hitler's legacy. Racist Attacks and Far Right Groups Monthly analysis also reveals the more Nevertheless, parties such as the French Police forces in England and Wales sudden influence of national, and Front National, and the German recorded8779'racial incidents'in 1993, international events on incident levels. RepublikanerPartei, consistently belittle almost double the 1988 total of 4407 The relationship between anti-Zionism the Holocaust, oppose War Crimes incidents. Home Office minister Peter and anti-Semitism has always been a legislation, oppose Jewish religious Lloyd MP admitted the actual total was vexed issue, particularly on the Radical practises, make thinly-veiled accusations perhaps as high as 130,000 or 140,000 Left. It is worth noting therefore, that the of 'Jewish power', and deliberately incidents per annum. highest monthly increases in recent years provoke anti-foreigner sentiment of Notwithstanding Britain's relatively have followed the terrorist bombing of which anti-Semitism is a near inevitable high levels of racist attacks, the British Israel's Argentinian embassy (March by-product. Far Right has conspicuously failed to '92); the El Al plane crash in Amsterdam The success of European nationalist

22 CJM CRIMINAL JUSTICE MMRS INTERPRETING FOR JUSTICE parties also creates particularly fertile Deaf people and same message but using a different lan- socio-political conditions for more guage' (CACDP Directory, 1993). radical neo-Nazi groups to thrive in. criminal justice Due to the shortage of fully-trained Today, this is especially evident in interpreters, it is often impossible to find Germany and Russia. There has been a lot of concern expressed an interpreter at short notice, much less by the British Deaf Association and the one who has the skill that is necessary to Jewish communities, however, do not Association of Sign Language Interpret- interpret in court. Consequently, signers only suffer anti-Semitism from the Far ers that,'... deaf people accused of serious are often used who are only of Stage I or Right, and neo-Nazis are not the only crime, including theft, rape and fraud, II standard, meaning that the deaf user ideological extremists calling for the may be denied a fair hearing because may not receive a full and accurate trans- killing of Jews. The wave of radical lation. Problems Islamic extremism in the Arab and can occur where Muslim world, has an increasing the signer does not influence on alienated Muslim youth in understand the many Western countries, including jib deaf person's signs Britain. and vice versa. Ob- Britain's leading radical Islamic viously, this can group is Hizb ut-Tahrir (Islamic have severe impli- Liberation Party), which has grown to cations for the dominate many Islamic student societies outcome of any in recent years. (London, Birmingham, trial for a deaf per- and Manchester in particular). Openly son, as somebody distributed Hizb ut-Tahrir leaflets can be acquitted or regularly repeat Koranic commentaries convicted on the that call for all Jews to be killed. The sole basis of the distributors of these leaflets have not ability of the inter- been prosecuted, despite repeated British Sign Language - The Double-handed Alphabet preter to translate referrals by the Board of Deputies. court room interpreters are not up to precisely what is said or signed. scratch.' (HEAR MAGAZINE, February Although a police register of approved Legislative Issues and Proposals 1993). This may also apply to deaf people interpreters does exist, and a set of guide- The Board of Deputies has made who are victims or witnesses. lines have been introduced by the Crown proposals to the Home Affairs Committee Deaf people are one of the few minor- Prosecution Service, the situation of un- on Racial Attacks and Incidents ity groups who have to rely on another der-qualified sign language interpreters (questions 319 to 431, 8th Dec '93), and group of professionals to facilitate com- being used in police stations and court has worked with representative and munication in the court room. The rooms continues. legislative bodies on issues currently experience of deaf people can vary greatly According to the CACDP within the being debated in the Criminal Justice according to the sign language interpreter area of Surrey in South-East England, Bill. that is supplied for them. there is a population of approximately In general, the Board would like The majority of the deaf community in 2,500 deaf and hard of hearing people; yet existing legislation to be strengthened Britain use British Sign Language (BSL), there is only one registered qualified and but regards the present legislation as which is a language in its own right. It is two registered trainee interpreters to cover being very poorly applied. Racism should rich in grammar, syntax and structure; the whole county. (1993 figures). and is based on a visual combination of be regarded as an aggravating factor in These figures are similar throughout signs, gestures, facial expressions and physical attacks, and those who seek to the whole of Britain, and deaf people are body language. incite race-hatred should be prosecuted. being deprived of their rights of access to Current legislation is rarely, if ever, In order to achieve a national standard information and of their rights to equal applied. In 1993, twenty-nine different of BSL interpreters, the 'Council for the treatment. Advancement of Communication for Deaf anti-Semitic tracts were sent, unsolicited, Until better provision is secured for People' (CACDP) has established three to thousands of Jews and non-Jews - the training and qualification of sign- examination stages, from Beginners to only three were prosecuted to conviction. language interpreters, deaf people will Advanced, which assess the fluency and have to endure the possibility of sub- The Board fully supports the passing accuracy of sign language. standard interpretation in police stations of new legislation in the hope that this Both deaf and hearing people use in- and court rooms, and thus the risk of their increases the likelihood of conviction, terpreters to aid communication between lives and reputations being damaged for- and signals genuine Parliamentary them, and according to the CACDP, the ever due to information being support for the countless thousands of role of the interpreter is to '...pass mes- misconstrued. British citizens who live in daily fear of sages from people using BSL to English violent racist assault. and vice versa. Interpreters will use their skill and knowledge of the two different Jemina Napier is a registered trainee MarkGardner is Assistant Spokesperson languages and cultures to pass on the sign language interpreter for defence and group relations at the Board of Deputies of British Jews 23