Salient is not in the habit of printing racist material, or material from avowedly racist organisations. Our policy has been to refuse to accept such articles; that if racists want to promote their ideas, they can go elsewhere.

In this case, where we are presenting a feature which takes a stand against the racist National Front, their article is being used to more effectively show what they are on about. On its own, I would have no desire to print it.

At the moment, the campus National Front comprises only a very small group whose main activity is the writing of distasteful graffitti in (appropriately) the loos. However, those associated with it are serious in their attitudes and intentions and are seeking club affiliation (to use Association money and facilities). Salient believes students and the Association should make a stand against them now, before they gain the ability to conduct their purposely provocative activities.

The Article

There are some fundamental errors in the National Front article which need clearing up. The article points to the current global conflict between the two superpowers, the US and the USSR. But it then attempts to establish a connection between southern African liberation movements and the Soviet Union's imperialist desires. Proof otherwise includes the Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC), Azania's (South Africa) most important liberation movement; and the successful Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), headed by Prime Minister Robert Mugabe. Both the PAC and ZANU have consistently refused Soviet 'aid', trade, weapons, troops, advisers; or to follow the political outlook of the USSR. They have pursued a policy of independence from both superpowers, and have condemned Soviet interference in other liberation movements. Victory for the PAC in Azania will bring no joy to those in the Kremlin — only to Azanian Blacks.

A second point concerns the prior settlement of land. Anthropological fact has shown that Blacks lived in the whole land area of what is now South Africa long before the arrival of white settlers. Migratory communities, the Black peoples were moving through the northern territory when white settlers arrived in the south. Hence the time lag before contact.

Anyway, who was the first doesn't really matter a tin of shit. What does matter is the current situation in South Africa, where the weak and old are forcibly removed to small patches of low quality land called "homelands", and those Blacks who can work kept in satellite towns to be transported into white industries and homes. The racist ideology of apartheid acts to preserve a system where only whites reap the benefits of Black labour. This is the ideology which the National Front represent; themselves transporting the policies of a foreign country to ours. The South African Consulate, too, speaks of that country as the 'last bastion of western freedom in the face of communism.'

The reality is that no country that keeps the vast majority of its people in such servility can call itself 'free'. To call apartheid the protector and benefitter of Blacks in South Africa is simply a massive insult.

National Front Racism

While inaccuracy is one thing, what really concerns me about this article is its underlying racist attitudes. Fascism is an illness which feeds on racism; using racism as a prop to back up its hateful actions. Fascism is a feature we could well do without on this campus, and to divest ourselves of these deadshits we can only stand as an Association and tell the National Front they're not wanted.

Ed.

Every year the Students Association Executive affiliates or re-affiliates cultural or sports clubs. These clubs have large numbers of students involved who wish to pursue a particular interest and who wish to use the Student Association facilities for this purpose.

Normally the question of whether to afficiliate a club is not controversial. The Hockey Club, the Maori Club, the Car Club, etc are not groups which cause much heated discussion. When a club like the National Front wishes to affiliate and use association facilities however, the alarm bells sound. What is the National Front? What does it intend to do on campus?

Front up with facts

The Executive has requested members of the proposed National Front Club to front up and explain exactly what they are. So far the Executive has received a short, three paragraph, explanation of their aims and ideals. The explanation was felt to be unsatisfactory and further information has been requested.

The document they have given the Executive does however give some indications about the National Front on campus. They state they will be "protecting New Zealand nationalism" with the target being "the internationalist forces at work in our nation which are consciously or unintentionally attempting in either a threatening or supportive manner to subvert the freedoms and opportunities traditionally available to New Zealand." The National Front on campus believes the groups that threaten New Zealand nationalism as comprising "mainly of international finance houses and organisations espousing or influenced by liberalism or communism."

Fine, one may say, this only sounds like a glorified justification for a Tania Harris "Kiwi's Care" march. The darker side of the National Front's aims are exposed however when the aims of the National Front on campus are compared to those of the National Front in Britain. The same vague outline of ideals is common to both.

British Equivalents

The British National Front is interested in protecting British nationalism from international finance. They believe that international finance is Jewish controlled and that Britain's opposition to Nazi Germany in the second world war, while patriotic, was a tragic mistake. Churchill and the war leadership were controlled by Jewish finance.

They further blame the Jewish conspiracy for fostering "multi-racialism" in Britain. Black people and Asians are merely the passive creatures of Jewish ambitions.

They also attack what is seen as liberal and communist influence in the trade unions and schools, indoctrinating people with 'commie' ideas are aliens who "sneer at our British race and nation and everything that has made Britain great"

The National Front further wishes to protect British nationalism by openly racist policies. Not only do they wish to throw Blacks and Asians out of Britain but also Jews, Irish, Turks, Greeks and Cypriots.

The British National Front puts its beliefs into action. By calling on the prejudices of the people, and blaming Jews and coloured immigrants for Britain's economic crisis, they have stirred up levels of racial hatred unparalleled in Britain since Mosley's Fascist group in the 1930's. Provocative National Front marches through black neighbourhoods have caused violence and furthered racial tension in Britain. One such incident lead to the death of New Zealand school teacher Blair Peach.

Is the embryonic National Front group on campus a similar type of fascist organisation? Indications, at this stage, are that it is. "Whites Only" and "Hitler was Right" graffitti in the toilets have come from a similar source and the collected works of David Stormer have a strong fascist content.

Nutters Threaten Good Fellowship

It would be a mistake to over-react or become hysterical over any new rise of fascism at Victoria. National Front nutcases are isolated from students as a whole and have about as much creditability as Richard Nixon.

This lack of credibility does not mean that we should allow them to be affiliated as a club. From little nuts big trees have grown. They should not be treated merely as a sick joke. Hopefully and in all probability students will continue to reject fascism. Should we allow the National Front the opportunity to prove us wrong?

Liberals might suggest that everybody, even the National Front, has the right to be heard. Freedom of speech goes only so far. When it is designed to incite racial tensions it becomes unacceptable. Freedom of speech does not give free license to attack Maori, Jewish and overseas students.

The National Front should not be affiliated as a club at Victoria. This can be justified by the fact that all club affiliation forms require Student Association clubs to have as one of their objects "to promote good fellowship amongst its members, members of other university clubs and members of the community." A National Front club by its very nature can never fulfill this requirement, and for this reason should not be affiliated.

Richard Hellyer