COLUMN: The depths of intolerance

From Lindsay Faber's, "From Russia With love," Fall '98 From Lindsay Faber's, "From Russia With love," Fall '98Do you know what a zhid is? I A zhid is not a nationality, but is instead a profession. Zhidy are the avaricious bloodsuckers who feed on the misfortunes and downfall of others. They attempt mercilessly to paralyze the indigenous people of the state. In Yiddish these people are called Yids; in French, juif; and in English, Jews. That's all news to me. I found this out recently when Communist Duma Deputy Albert Makashov lashed out with this series of despicable anti-Semitic remarks, and Communist leaders twisted and turned to avoid condemning him, blatantly skirting the issue of their support for anti-Semitism. At two public rallies last month, Makashov blamed Jews for Russia's economic collapse, and encouraged the masses to stake out the Jews and jail them. Parliament debated censuring Makashov last week, but the Communist Party blocked approval of that resolution. In not so many words, the Communists are showing support for Makashov's anti-Semitic remarks. Makashov continued to add wood to his fire by saying there are too few ethnic Russians -- and too many Jews -- holding high positions in the Russian government. He added, incidentally, that he advocates creating quotas which would limit the number of Jewish officeholders. Alarm bells went off in my head as this controversy stirred, and as the media took it to the highest level of coverage. Anti-Semitism was declared illegal in the new and democratic Russia, which works under a constitution which supports -- or so it says -- equality for all nationalities in the Russian Federation (Judaism is a nationality here). With the Communists still dominating the Duma, what could this mean for the future of Russian democracy? Russian Communists charge the West with trying to bring Russia to its knees by proposing capitalist experiments that have simply failed here. These same Communists regard Jews as the conduits of Western influence, and therefore blame Jews, in part, for the economic crisis that continues to ravage Russia. I am both Jewish and from the West. Apparently, I would also be considered a zhid if I lived in Russia. Although I have never been directly victimized by anti-Semitism here, I still feel at times -- and especially at these times -- like I am a target. I shiver with fright and disbelief as I walk past packs of skinheads on the streets, as the swastikas on their T-shirts and armbands glare out at me as constant reminders of the persecution Jews have endured in the past and will continue to face in the future. At a recent rally marking the anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution, one protestor's placard read, "Yeltsin surrendered Russia to be robbed by Zion." I would like to think that the new millennium could be a time of change and tolerance, but I am constantly reminded that rabid animals like Makashov, his Communist counterparts, skinheads and other anti-Semites still roam this planet, searching for something more "pure." Thousands of Russian Jews have already -- now and in the past -- emigrated to Israel, Canada or the United States, hoping to find a more distinct religious freedom. It is likely that another emigration spree will follow this recent explosion of anti-Semitism. What to do with these Communists who are still trying to flex their political muscles and grab Russia's reins? Russia's capitalist oligarchs have gone so far as to suggest that Communists be banned. While I am both disgusted and angry over the party's fascist behavior and Makashov's freedom to say his noxious comments over national television, I believe that a legal ban would just inflame, intensify and increase the frequency of such public behavior. Intolerance was the hallmark of the Soviet past; to encourage it again would be to repeat the same mistake twice. The very point behind Russia's new constitution, in fact, is that people do not have the right to ban other people. I do take comfort, however, in the evident ignorance of the Communist Party, because I think it has just committed a grave political mistake. The enigmatic statements made by left-wing leaders actually raise questions about whether the Communists are even aiming to win the support of the majority, or if they are instead looking for easier, more tyrannical ways to come to power. Perhaps they are scared of not having a shot at a democratic victory. Cowards. Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov's favorite catch phrase these days is: "We are the party of the future." What kind of future party are we looking at exactly? It seems that we are looking directly into the past.

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