No To Fascism, Extreme Nationalism - Opinion

The extreme right-wing group ELAM (National People's Front) aims to get some political power by applying to become a formal political party, and anyone interested in a peaceful democracy should take serious notice of their intentions to do so.

ELAM has long called for all illegal immigrants to be kicked out of Cyprus, and that is the basis of their political views - that along with their well-known plan to keep Cyprus Greek and their links with other national extremists in other countries, as reported by the Cyprus Mail and Politis newspapers.

But their glib rationales and justifications cannot hide the real face of the extremism exhibited by such groups. An example can clearly be seen in the video below, when members of the right-wing Greek Resistance Movement confronted the migrant workers group KISA at the cultural event called the Rainbow Festival.

Combine that type of confrontational incitement to violence with a weak economy and high unemployment, and you have a clear picture of a country that is vulnerable to fascism and all its well-known negative consequences. Violence and random attacks against foreigners have already begun, and the constant harping by these groups against migrants has made them a target for Greek-Cypriot anger.

Building on local xenophobia and racism will not be hard for these extremists, and the government should be on high alert and under no illusions that if allowed to get real power, these groups will bring more destruction, violence and bitterness into our society.

Ignore them, discredit them, reveal them for who they really are - but don't let them erode our democracy any further.  It's time to take a stand against extreme nationalism.