Death of students and climate of hate

The US is not alone when it comes to white supremecist groups and acts of deadly hate violence. Like the US, parts of Europe have experienced dramatic shifts to anti-immigrant sentiment. This sentiment is raising its head in Russia with threats and attacks on immigrants and foreign college students. This last week a fire occurred Moscow Russia where an arson fire in a university dorm killed at least 38 students (Moscow Talking of Arson as Fire Toll Climbs to 36, Kishkovsky, NY Times, 11/25/03 see also Hostel's 'horrible nightmare' BBC, 11/24/03).

The fire occured in a dorm filled with African and Asian students at the People's Friendship University. The stories of the cause were all over the place to start with. From faulty electrical wiring, to three African women students starting the fire. There were 36 students dead, 170 hospitalized with ten in critical condition. Since then, two more students have dies bringing the death toll to 38.

Even in the original resport there was mention of foreign students in Moscow being the targets of skinhead attacks, including a bomb threat to another dorm. However, there was official silence and police claims that they had no records of threats.

Today's news reports another skinhead attack on a group of foreign students has left several hospitalized with serious injuries. (Skinhead attack on Moscow campus, BBC 11/30/03)

Students at the University are from nations formerly supported by the Soviet Union in Africa, Asia, and Latin AMerica. Many are war refugees.

A picture emerges from the various reports of students fearful of attacks both on campus and in daily activities around the city. The police apparently respond to reports weakly if at all. The night of the fire, it took an hour for the fire department to respond, and they only brought one ambulence. Meanwhile night clothed students were holding mattresses for those leaping from the burning building, while others attempted to put out the fire themselves. Many of the students suffered frostbite in the below zero temperature.

The picture that is painted in the reports shows a general climate of prejudice with officials "looking the other way" when hate activity occurs. This too has happened over and over again in the US. Most recently with those perceived to be Arab or Muslim. In the US, hate activities against these groups have escalated while the government provides the lead by abridging the rights of immigrants and visitors. When governments turn a blind eye to hate, or even actively engage in supporting it, it represents broad societal forces at work. In Russia, my guess is that anti-immigrant sentiment is generally high among the Russian population. Just as in the US there is more than an under current of prejudice against Arabs/Muslims. This provides a climate of active danger for targeted groups which then plays out in institutional responses. It is an climate that only the people can change by recognizingand fighting against fear mongering and scapegoating rather than giving into it.