0110

[franceslievens]

Since yesterday Belgium has its very own version of Live Aid, but instead of trying to rid the world of hunger, the goal was trying to rid the country of intolerance. What started out as a crazed call for free concerts in Antwerp, to show the world not everyone is part of the extremist right in that city, became a party in four different cities (Antwerp, Brussels, Charleroi and Ghent) to send out a message of tolerance.
In Brussels the concerts took place on the square in front of the royal palace. The sun was shining and the usual suspects flocked together to sing along with almost every Balgian artist that has a bit of a name for himself: Axelle Red, Daan, Starflam, Hooverphonic, Adamo... The crowd was made up of young leftist families, youth groups, older people, all wearing their 0110-badges, showing their tolerance, and not raising their fists against extreme right or flipping the finger, but shaking their booty and screaming out their pride for the cultural differences that make up this world.
Ay, but there's the rub. The obligatory immigrant was standing on stage and not in the crowd on the square. I counted one headscarve, a much more regular sight on any other day. So I talked to Miss Islam today, my colleague and Islam teacher. She thought the concerts were very nice, and had much sympathy for them, but she also gave a very simple explanation: It's Rammadan. Parties and concerts are a no-no during lent, even if they are politicaly inspired and meant to bring people closer together. So let's try this again, when elections don't coincide with Rammadan, because the most meaningful debate held before next week's election sprang from the crazy idea to flip the finger at extreme right.

Comments

[comava.livejournal.com]

Bad timing, in that case! It's a bit ironic though, that the tolerant left organizes an event to celebrate cultural differences during ramadan, of all things! Still, the idea is very nice, I'd like Switzerland to try something like that also.

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

The timing wasn't that bad, because we've got local elections next week. Antwerp is the city where the extremist right-wing party Vlaams Belang is the biggest party. All the other parties have formed a coalition against them. The idea from the concerts came from Tom Barman, leader of local Antwerp band dEUS. He wanted to give a free concert in his hometown, and make it a concert against extreme right. Other artists and people working in the field thought it a great idea, in Ghent and Brussels local artists also wanted to show that we aren't all intolerant nationalists, and so the ball started rolling. A lot of commentors said that because of the absence of immigrants it was a missed opportunity. I don't think so.

[frenchani.livejournal.com]

I agree with you. It was a political thing, as a civic-spirited event. If people choose not to go because they consider religious practice to be above politics, it's their choice and theirs only.

And since when "immigrants" means practicing Muslism anyway?

One of the problems in our societies is that we get everything mixed up.

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

Since it's the biggest group of immigrants. Blacks, Italians, South-Americans were there.

Although I must admit that the black population wasn't as prevalent either... But that might be because lots of people came from outside Brussels as well.

[frenchani.livejournal.com]

I meant that the definition of "immigration" has nothing to do with religious practice.

Many immmigrants may not be practicing Muslims and some of the practicing Muslims may not be immigrants at all.

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

Ah, you should lecture our right-wing nationalist party. They clash everything together.

(I forgot to read the last line of your previous comment.)

[frenchani.livejournal.com]

Immigrants are such an easy target.

And I would love to lecture your right-wing nationalist party...unfortunately we have enough on our plate here between Le Pen and Sarkozy!

By the way two of our Asian students (undocummented immigrants) received a mail saying that they should leave the country within 4 weeks. All the Highscool is mobilized to prevent the deportation.

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

I've got one pupil like that. I think they actualy had to leave last year, but they stayed on -- trying for the very last appeal to be able to stay because of humanitary reasons (having lived for several years in Belgium and being very well integrated in society). The school doesn't have to report that she is "illegal" and has the obligation to enroll every kid that asks (until the classes are full). She's a very sweet and bright six-year-old. Always loves to see me. It breaks my heart when I realise she might be gone one day and not because she graduated...

[frenchani.livejournal.com]

Those two are known and all the appeals have been tried in vain, but there are many others that are illegal immigrants in our classes whose status we don't know. Some of them came out because they thought we could help but Chineses are very secretive, and they feel ashamed of being undocummented immigrants. They might be caught one day in the streets of Paris and disappear indeed.

[sister-luck.livejournal.com]

Yeah, good intentions and all that... Still, it's not quite as bad as the interior minister organizing an official conference on Islam, inviting several organizations and individuals and then providing a lavish lunch - which happened last week here and yes, funnily enough, it's Ramadan here, too. Nothing spells respect better than ignoring one of the pillars of a religion which you accuse of intolerance.

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

That's too stupid!

But like I said to comava above, the timing was quite right, and chosen deliberately with the local elections coming up next week. It was meant as a way to ask people to vote for a tolerant and non-racist party next week. That's also the reason why the name of the concerts is the date they took place: it's a symbolic date one week before election day.

When organising the concerts the political message was supplanted by a message of tolerance, to get as many people moving as possible, and to be able to give a positive message of being for something and not against something.

[sister-luck.livejournal.com]

Oh, I didn't want to dispute the timing or the spirit of the event - we've had lots of Rock gegen Rechts concerts here in German (with good reason, I must add) and they're usually events for the non-immigrants to show that they're against racism and right-wing politics. Then there are community festivals with a similar political message and they're much more inclusive with participation from immigrant communities as well. It depends on the music, too.

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

That was my first idea: maybe this music doesn't appeal to the North-African immigrants. There was world music on stage with South-American music and even rai, but still they weren't there.

they're usually events for the non-immigrants to show that they're against racism and right-wing politics
That's what happened here as well, but for the first time. The right-wing politicians thought themselves with their backs against the wall. ("We are the oppressed here, and they are intolerant against us!" is the exact quote by Filip Dewinter)

What I liked as well about the concerts is that the more popular music was singing along with high-brow music. So the public was very diverse, from schlager-lovers to punk-rockers.

[frenchani.livejournal.com]

Now that was stupid indeed!

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

:-p