Parliament of the Republic of Cyprus: The attempt to erase the role of the USSR in the Antifascist Victory is historically baseless

On the initiative taken by AKEL, the House of Representatives honored the Anti-Fascist Victory by approving a Resolution – ELAM abstained

22^nd May 2020

With 47 votes in favor and 2 abstentions, the House of Representatives today approved a Resolution proposed by AKEL on the 75 years since the Antifascist Victory of the Peoples that ended the Second World War and crushed Hitler fascism. The Resolution was submitted to the Plenary Session of the House, with the support of the Democratic Party (DIKO), the Social democratic Party (EDEK” and the “Citizen’s Alliance” party. All the parties voted in favour of the Resolution, except the extreme-right ELAM, which, having initially requested a postponement of the issue (which was not granted), invoking that it would like to table “some additions”, eventually abstained in the vote. It should be recalled, of course, that in November 2017, in a Resolution of the House of Representatives on the growth of the far-right, ELAM had voted against.

With the Resolution approved, Parliament “honors the 9th of May, the day of the Antifascist Victory, as a universal and world-historical symbol of the struggle for freedom and democracy. It pays tribute to all the peoples of the world who resisted and crushed Hitler fascism and its inhumane ideological concepts on the battlefields and in the Resistance throughout Europe, rescuing the future of human civilization. It pays tribute to the millions of victims of Nazism in the Holocaust, in the concentration camps and in the atrocities committed by the occupying forces in the countries under occupation, to the dead because of the hunger and misery in the war years.” Reference is also made to the Cypriot volunteers – Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots – who fought in the Second World War against Hitler fascism and an appeal was made calling on the State to highlight this page of Cypriot history in particular through the education system.

“The Soviet Union made the biggest contribution”

Of particular importance is the reference in the Resolution of the House of Representatives to the Soviet Union and its role in the Antifascist Victory. Characteristically, the Resolution states that the House of Representatives “rejects every attempt to falsify the historical events of the Second World War and considers historically baseless and provocative the attempt to erase the role of the Soviet Union in the defeat of Hitler fascism. Respecting the sacrifices of every people, every nation and every person in the Antifascist Victory, it recalls that the Soviet Union had made the biggest contribution with 20 million dead and 30 million wounded. It addresses an appeal in every direction for History not to be altered so as to serve current ideological or geopolitical objectives.”

Fascism is not an opinion – It is a deadly threat.

Furthermore, the House of Representatives adopts the position that “fascism is not an opinion that can or should be tolerated in a democracy, but constitutes a major and deadly threat to humanity, democracy, social gains and to collective and individual rights.” In addition, the House “strongly denounces the existence and activity of neo-fascist and neo-Nazi movements in Europe and around the world, whether they openly declare their identity or conceal it, as an insult to the history of our continent and to the millions of victims of the Second World War”. The Resolution also states that “in a number of European countries attempts are being recorded aiming at historical revisionism, the denial and/or relativisation of the Holocaust and other nazi crimes, and even the embellishment of their local collaborators”, while the Resolution points out that “Fascism is aided by historical revisionism, anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia, sexism, homophobia and other similar ideological concepts.”

 

 

Cultivation of collective and anti-fascist consciousness

In addition, the House of Representatives called on the State to implement relevant resolutions of the UN General Assembly and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on the combatting of Nazism. At the same time, it calls for a comprehensive effort to be undertaken to highlight the historical memory of the Second World War, for the cultivation of a collective and individual anti-fascist consciousness, for the rejection of racist and chauvinist ideological concepts, for the principles of freedom, freedom and human rights to prevail.

 

The full text of the Resolution is as follows:

RESOLUTION FOR THE 75 YEARS

SINCE THE ANTIFASCIST VICTORY OF THE PEOPLES

The House of Representatives

Taking into consideration:

– This year marks the 75th anniversary of May 9, 1945, the day that sealed the unconditional capitulation of Nazi Germany and the victory of the peoples of the world over the fascist Axis and its allies, thus putting an end to the Second World War in Europe, the deadliest war humanity has ever experienced with tens of millions of dead.

– The Charter of the UN, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

– The Charter of the Nuremberg Court, the Judgment of the Court, but also the Subsequent Trials that revealed the magnitude of the Nazi atrocities committed against Humanity

– The Resolution of 18th December 2019 of the UN General Assembly regarding the “combatting of the embellishment of Nazism and the spread of neo-Nazism and other practices that contribute to fuelling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance”

– Resolution 2011/2014 of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (CoE) “on counteraction to manifestations of neo-Nazism and right-wing extremism”, which calls on the member states of the CoE to develop strategies and action plans to counter the neo-Nazi ideology and the extreme-right, addresses an appeal to politicians at national and European level “to publicly expose the neo-Nazis, clearly rejecting and denouncing neo-Nazi ideology and rhetoric”.

1. It commemorates May 9, the day of the Antifascist Victory, as a universal and world-historical symbol of the struggle for freedom and democracy. It pays tribute to all the peoples of the world who resisted and crushed Hitler’s fascism and his inhumane concepts on the battlefields and in the Resistance throughout Europe, rescuing the future of human civilization. It honors the millions of victims of Nazism in the Holocaust, the concentration camps and the atrocities committed by the occupying forces in the countries under occupation, the dead because of hunger and destitution during the war years.
2. It proudly honors Cyprus’ contribution to the Antifascist Victory through the mobilization of thousands of Cypriot volunteers – Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots – who found themselves on the battlefields of the Second World War fighting Hitler fascism, many of whom sacrificed their lives in combat. It calls on the State to highlight further this glorious page in Cypriot history, especially through the country’s education system.
3. It recalls that the anti-Hitler coalition was formed by states with a different socio-economic character and ideological orientation, who realised however that Nazism represents a deadly enemy of all humanity. It notes that fascism is not a view that can or should be tolerated in a democracy, but a major and deadly threat to humanity, democracy, social gains and to collective and individual rights.
4. It strongly denounces the existence and activity of neo-fascist and neo-Nazi movements in Europe and the world, whether they openly proclaim their identity or cover it up, as representing an insult to the history of our continent and to the millions of victims of the Second World War. It stresses that inequalities, poverty and therefore the despair among large sections of European societies, create the ground for the forces of extreme right-wing populism and neo-fascism.
5. It notes with sadness and concern that in a number of European countries there attempts being recorded aiming at historical revisionism, the denial and/or relativisation of the Holocaust and other nazi crimes, and even the embellishment of their local collaborators. It notes that fascism is being aided by historical revisionism, anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia, sexism, homophobia and other similar ideological conceptions.
6. It rejects every attempt to falsify the historical events of the Second World War and considers historically baseless and provocative the attempt to erase the role of the Soviet Union in the crushing of Hitler fascism. Respecting the sacrifices of every people, every nation and every person in the Antifascist Victory, it recalls that the Soviet Union made the biggest contribution with 20 million dead and 30 million wounded. It addresses an appeal in every direction for History not to be altered to serve current ideological or geopolitical objectives.
7. It calls on the State of Cyprus to implement the Resolution of the General Assembly of the UN of 18^th December 2019 and Resolution 2011/2014 of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, within the context of an overall effort that must be undertaken to highlight the historical memory of the Second World War, for the cultivation of a collective and individual anti-fascist consciousness, for the rejection of racist and chauvinist ideological concepts, for the principles of freedom, democracy, justice and human rights to prevail.