by: XHABIR DERALLA
In a familiar style, typical for the political party that is called “levica” (previously also “e majta”, in Albanian, but they deleted that), the website Atropol.mk, on May 5, 2021 published a long and poisonous petition titled “The double standards of the Western propagandists”, signed by the name Recep Ismail (Haktan) Presidium of “Levica”. The text is full of insults and hate speech, and many gross lies, slander and manipulations with facts are expressed as well. The hatred is not hidden. The author repeats the views of his boss and his broader party “family”, in whose public appearances there are only rude insults and disqualifications, both personal, against me, and against the organization in which I work, and also against all those who do not think the same as this party. Basically, all those who support European values, but also the Macedonian national interests, according to the “levica” official are “Western propagandists”. Instead of replies to questions, I will not comment much about the vulgar vocabulary in the text and in the daily addresses of “levica’s” boss and officials, about the ad hominem attacks, because they speak quite clearly about them themselves, not about me.
Compared to the intensity with which the anti-democratic and ultranationalist propaganda of “the putinists” are attacking in harmony, I respond very rarely. I always try to maintain a level, for my own dignity and decency, and certainly for the public.
I am convinced that most people recognize what is hatred, manipulation, what is a lie, insult and death threat. And all this, in enormous quantities is present among the propagandists that I have indicated.
RESPONSE TO THE BEHAVIOUR OF THE ULTRANATIONALISTS AND ANTI-DEMOCRATS IN POLITICS AND THEIR PROPAGANDISTS
I am writing this comment because it’s necessary to alert the entire public, and even those who may think that these politicians are right when they behave so inappropriately and unlawfully. Their goal isn’t to defend the Macedonian interests, but to attack them, in order to achieve their personal and the interests of the anti-democratic centers of power. This is a response to the behaviour of the ultranationalists and anti-democrats in politics and their propagandists.
As with the case with other, bigger and older political parties, so with the fake “leftists”, it concerns structures that are financed by the money of the citizens of North Macedonia. We have the right to demand from them to behave in accordance to the Constitution and laws, to be responsible and transparent, and not to rage and sow hatred, fear and insecurity among the people. What the “leftists” are doing, after they transformed themselves into a radical right-wing party, is simply not normal. Moreover, it’s contrary to the Constitution and the laws, contrary to the democratic standards and to ethics.
Let me clarify, this party, through its official, has once again poured avalanches of insults and disqualifications against me, but also against CIVIL and many others who in the mentioned text are included under the expression “Western propagandists”, whatever that may mean to these extreme rightists from “levica”.
DIRECT DEATH THREAT WITH LYNCHING
The text “The double standards of the Western propagandists” is nothing special. In fact, it takes my comment only as an occasion to illustrate also other countless media content, as well as posts of the propagandists on the social media. If you take a look at the media platforms of the black propaganda, you will notice that it’s a matter of a planned and systematically conducted propaganda operation. The goal is to discredit and disparage what part of civil society is doing in defence of human rights and freedoms, but even more so because of the support it gives in the processes of fulfilling the Macedonian national interests and strategic determinations.
Here I would like to outline one more moment, not that it’s an exception, but because it’s an illustration of a behavioural model. Immediately after the publication of the text of his fellow party member, the boss of “levica” rushed to support him on the social networks, calling the text “AntiCIVIL” and cites the section of the text where there is a direct death threat with lynching:
“Easy, because tomorrow when Zaev and the US gather their stuff and leave, you, drawing on the hatred they have created, will remain amidst angry beasts – which, previously, while being tied up and small, you harassed with a stick”!
By this, the “boss” confirms that these words are also the party position, if one takes into consideration that this text is not the first, and probably will not be the last, generally accepted party position that all those who do not think the same as them will face death threats.
UNSKILFUL REPLACEMENT OF THESES
In his text, the official from “Levica” (Haktan), as well as his boss and other “leftists”, repeats the previous views and manipulations with facts. He makes an unskilful replacement of theses, a favourite “stylistic exercise” of the propagandists from the entire black palette in Macedonian politics, and draws a “conclusion” that someone (me, we in CIVIL and the progressive citizens) is trying to prevent their right of being supporters of Russia or other countries of the East.
That’s not true! It’s about the threats and harassing that human rights activists, intellectuals and journalists have been suffering for years from the propaganda of political structures that “became famous” with 11 years of regime and all their variations, including also the terror in the Parliament on April 27, 2017. Their “deal-oriented” policy is well-known and their flirting with authoritarian regimes from the East, but also from the EU (Hungary).
Criticizing and the practice of European values is in the base of the Western democracies. It’s not forbidden to be a supporter of any political orientation. It’s not forbidden to lead a political fight against the West and against the Euro-Atlantic integration of North Macedonia. But it’s also not forbidden to criticize such determination and action. Right?
In public and in politics, you are also not allowed to insult, swear, lie, threaten and destroy the order with political violence. That’s the difference!
LYNCHING, SHOOTING, HANGING, CUTTING OFF HEADS, ARMED REBELLION
With a short search on the party body “Antropol.mk”, you will discover that this is nothing new. Among the authors of the attacks are Cuculovski, Zatarakoski, Zahov, Ristov, but there are also unsigned texts with disinformation, insults, slander and threats. This is just one website, there are several dozen. Not to mention the campaigns on Facebook and Twitter. That is an extensive and expensive, well-organized propaganda operation.
The “levica” party (otherwise having emerged from civil society organizations that at one time, and even now, are financed from Western countries), nurtures extreme animosity against civil society and regularly calls for lynching, shooting, hanging, cutting off heads, calls for an armed rebellion against the institutions and revenge against the “traitors” and all who think and act differently from them. They have long ago abandoned the positions of civil efforts for social justice and have become a party of the extreme nationalist and anti-Western right-wing in the country.
ARE THEY THAT MUCH AFRAID OF US?!
In a progressive and democratic society, no one (the people of CIVIL and I the least) even thinks about trying to insult, lie and threaten someone if they favour Russia or any country of the East. On the contrary, these are important countries, and our country should nurture good relations with all countries in the world, starting from our neighbourhood and beyond.
However, acting against the strategic interests of our country, undermining the foundations of democracy and democratic institutions, abusing power and the money of the citizens for spreading lies, hatred, divisions and fear are forbidden. This is precisely what the centers of power are doing, which we quite appropriately also call anti-Western, while the names anti-democratic, authoritarian, suspicious, ultranationalist, radical, extreme right-wing, and even anti-Macedonian would be equally relevant.
The fact that parliamentarian political structures enter into conflict with progressive civic entities and individuals and incite hatred against them is especially worrying. It is pure abuse of public money, to lead a black campaign against civil society.
The practice is familiar, based also on international or European conventions and legislation, according to which it’s very difficult to prevent, let alone sanction representatives of civil society and the media who make sharp criticisms and value judgements against politicians, who are often on the edge of good taste.
Here the situation is the opposite! Why the hell? Are they that afraid of us?!
ABUSE OF POWER AND MONEY, OBSCENE, UNDIGNIFIED AND VULGAR
Certain political structures carry out open abuse of power and the money of the citizens. They take advantage of the power of political parties and control over part of the media beyond all principles of decency, extremely undignified and vulgar. They quite openly, as if it were normal, work every day against the progressive, democratic and pro-Western oriented groups, organizations and individuals. They are going against us with our money, like Gruevski’s regime systematically used to do. As if they are competing as to who will place bigger and darker propaganda content. Every day, for years!
This dirty campaign also includes highest party officials, former and current politically appointed directors of state institutions from among the lines of ultranationalist parties, directors of agencies, regulatory bodies or commissions, including here also the very bosses of VMRO-DPMNE and of Levica, one being professor at the Skopje University, while the other an assistant professor at the University of Stip. They have been continuously articulating gross and vulgar insults, curses, slander, hatred and untruths against journalists, activists and political opponents for years. If we take a look at the posts on the social networks and the media under their influence and control, we can see that CIVIL’s people are their “favourite” target.
The intention of this black propaganda aimed against a progressive human rights organization that exists for 22 years is more than clear. Their goal is to belittle the activities, as well as reports and analyses of the organization that enjoys huge reputation and trust, both from a great number of citizens in the country and internationally. It’s even more clear that Levica is part of the structures in the county that are trying, not only to belittle and insult, but to also intimidate the citizens.
(I hope that their goal is just this and that there are no personal frustrations, jealousy and inferiority complex hiding behind the propaganda, they haven’t gone that far…or have they?)
These structures know that they can’t intimidate me and my friends. The real aim of their disgusting propaganda and fierce aggression are the citizens, they want to intimidate and silence them. Through us, they are threatening the entire society. And they are committing crimes! I call on all aware and conscientious citizens to reject these vulgar bullies, clearly, loudly and unequivocally.
The time of the intimidators is over. Violence just doesn’t pass in Macedonian society anymore. NO PASARAN!
translation: N. Cvetkovska
