26/01/2012 / UKRAINE
The men circled in red are local university students with no connection to the alleged fight, according to our Observer. Photo courtesy of Beckhs Love
Photo courtesy of Guy Germain
Ukrainian newspaper depicts Africans and Arabs as monkeys groping woman
A local newspaper in the western Ukrainian city of Ternopil illustrated its front-page story on Tuesday with a photomontage of monkeys groping a woman to depict African and Arab men who had allegedly gotten into a bar fight. Our Observer, a Congolese student living in Ternopil, tells us this has deeply upset African students at his university, who he says are frequently the target of racist attacks.
Nova Ternopil's article explains that police had to intervene after an African man and an Arab man got into a fight involving a woman at a local bar on the weekend. The headline reads, “Arabs and negroes fight over our prostitutes.” The photomontage shows two monkeys groping a white woman in the foreground. In the background, a group of black men are sitting around a table, having a drink. According to our Observer, the men pictured are students at a local university and had nothing to do with the alleged incident.
We have not yet been able to reach Nova Ternopil's editors for comment. As soon as we do, we will publish it here.
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Contributors
“Ukrainian students reading the newspaper laughed at the picture”
Beckhs Love is a Congolese student studying agricultural technology at Ivan Puluj Technical University in Ternopil. He’s lived there for four years.
I was in class yesterday when the university’s foreign student advisor called and told me to come to his office as soon I could. When I got there, he asked me to close the door behind me. He showed me the newspaper. I couldn’t believe what I saw on the front page. I was shocked. First of all, why would a story about a bar fight be on the front page? You would think that would be reserved for real news.
He asked me if I recognized the men in the background of the photo. I did – I knew all of them; they are my fellow students. He told me that this was awful, but that it was a provocation, and asked me to talk to these students and ask them to stay calm. Because I speak better Ukrainian than most African students - of which there are about 300 at our university - I often act as a coordinator between the administration and the francophone students.
When I told the students in the picture about the article, they rushed out to the buy the newspaper. It was easy to find. It turned out the newspaper used an old photo of them for their montage – it was taken long before this fight allegedly took place. We have no idea how the newspaper got their hands on it.
“I really don’t know why they give visas to African students, since it’s clear they don’t want us here”
Back at the university, we saw other students, Ukrainians, reading the newspaper. I saw some of them laughing at the picture. I told them, “You think this is funny? You think this is normal? In a few months, Ukraine will be hosting the Euro 2012 football championship, which is going to attract lots of foreigners. You can’t act like you’re in a Soviet state anymore.”
I really don’t know why they even give visas to African students, since it’s clear they don’t want us here. I want parents back in Africa to know they should stop sending their children here. At university, we’re excluded. In my class, we African students always sit together – few Ukrainian students will speak to us.
“We live in fear”
Outside university, it’s even worse. I usually go straight home, because it’s dangerous to be out at night. Black people get insulted and assaulted all the time. We live in fear. Not long ago, I was coming back from the supermarket and a group of men just knocked me down and hit me over and over. They took off when I started to scream. There’s no point reporting it to the police – the first thing they always say when an African man walks through the door is, ‘We’re going to deport you.’
Racism is a reality of everyday life in Ukraine. I recently went to make some photocopies with a Ukrainian student. He asked the store owner for a stapler; he gave him use of it, free of charge. I went back by myself the next day; suddenly, I had to pay to use the stapler.
It’s hard for us to defend ourselves, because there’s a real language barrier for most of us. But I hope we will be able to get a meeting with the newspaper editor, so he can explain himself.”
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Comments
Well i am a Pakistani
Submitted by Usama Khan (not verified) on Tue, 24/04/2012 - 05:36.Well i am a Pakistani National (those who are unfamiliar with it should search on the map)...and was born and lived 18 years in an Arabic Country (i dont want to create tensions by using its name) before coming to Ukraine... i have lived enough with arabics and i can tell you one thing... they lack the ability to adapt in other countries where there is a different life style. About african people i cant say anything as i have never been there...
I am in Ukraine for 5 years now...living in Lugansk region (the most backward city) where the population of foreigners is same as that of the locals...In these years, i never got racial attack (for your concern i look alot like arabic) and what i learned is one simple thing...if you wont disturb no one will disturb you... Here, people dont give a damn about others unless they are drunk...
so lets come about the topic...this so called news is published by a fueled dumb editor...in some ways he is right...as a foreigner, i tell you i am about every second weekend in some cafes or clubs after the study burden to relax and i have seen how arabic and african guys behave with girls after drinking a mug of beer or two...they will disturb any girl who is in their range and finger them, if the boyfriends of these girls simply ask them to back away...they start jumping on them and start fighting...both africans and arabics, though they are bad in speaking russian or ukrainian ...they will always know russian abuses well and start their conversation in russian, with guys with such abusive words... this is not the case only found in clubs, but at bars and cafes also...In cafes or resturants, they speak loud (maybe they dont know but they do talk loudly) and shout when they have a cricitical conversation going on which results in the irritation of the other people sitting there (this is true)and thats why people use the term "monkeys" with arabic and african people...
now in general and in many ways, this editor showed his stupidity and i guess this press backed him alot more... they i guess were making fun of foreigners but forgot by this, they made fun of themselves and their country in front of the whole world... P.S i amnot a racist but the whole comment i have wriitten basically depend on my observations... and i am was also pissed when i saw this picture as this was the insult of every foreigner living in ukraine...and then i read what they stated their own women as... and thought OH those who dont respect their own women... how they can respect others?
Now i read a question from almost every racist kind of person about how white people are treated in arabic and african countries? my answer in arabic countries excluding iraq, syria... if you are a tourist or a worker...you will be respected and will be preferred above than the locals... and believe me the locals wont gonna mind this...because for these arabics you are as a guest (there is no difference if u are male or female, from Ukraine or from USA)... i never saw europeans girls ( as a tourist or worker) mistreated unless she is a prostitute (as in every county prostitutes are mistreated)... if you still dont agree then i bet U never went to any arabic country...
Peace
Oh no please, dont see us as
Submitted by European (not verified) on Sun, 04/03/2012 - 20:13.Oh no please, dont see us as racist, i beg you!!!! Hahahaha i dont know whats worse, if the idiots complaining about this picture or the ukranians begging to not be considered racist like if it was the worst thing in the world and their life depended on it.
Dont like it, stay out of the country. Simple.
Anti-racist is a codeword for anti-White
Submitted by The Seeker of Truth (not verified) on Wed, 15/02/2012 - 17:29.Everybody says there is this RACE problem. Everybody says this RACE problem will be solved when the third world pours into EVERY white country and ONLY into white countries.
The Netherlands and Belgium are just as crowded as Japan or Taiwan, but nobody says Japan or Taiwan will solve this RACE problem by bringing in millions of third worlders and quote assimilating unquote with them.
Everybody says the final solution to this RACE problem is for EVERY white country and ONLY white countries to “assimilate,” i.e., intermarry, with all those non-whites.
What if I said there was this RACE problem and this RACE problem would be solved only if hundreds of millions of non-blacks were brought into EVERY black country and ONLY into black countries?
How long would it take anyone to realize I’m not talking about a RACE problem. I am talking about the final solution to the BLACK problem?
And how long would it take any sane black man to notice this and what kind of psycho black man wouldn’t object to this?
But if I tell that obvious truth about the ongoing program of genocide against my race, the white race, Liberals and respectable conservatives agree that I am a naziwhowantstokillsixmillionjews.
They say they are anti-racist. What they are is anti-white.
Anti-racist is a code word for anti-white.
You know people do call out
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 19/02/2012 - 19:29.You know people do call out the Japanese and South Koreans for being xenophobic racist douches, right?
Disgusting Paper
Submitted by Gbagbo (not verified) on Wed, 08/02/2012 - 15:58.Africans need to wake up and smell the coffee (Eastern Europe) and stop being naive.
This notion that even Universities in the former Soviet bloc states are better than those in Africa is simply rubbish.
When will Africans stop funding and patronising other countries' [Eastern European] Universities, they are clearly a hated people over there?
non sense
Submitted by a foreigner (not verified) on Sun, 05/02/2012 - 17:06.everybody knows the ukrainian policy
they r just milking the foreigners
they just care about money
they keep releasing new rules to get more d more money
if they don't want us in ukraine so why do they send invitations ??
they want the foreigners to be milked staying in the hostel all the time
d everybody knows tht the ukrainian girls get foreign boyfriends for money also
if u don't want foreigners so stop sending invitations?
and for the ukrainian people u can demonstrate against foreigners
in front of every university asking to stop sending invitations
Agree
Submitted by Jean Okada (not verified) on Sat, 25/02/2012 - 03:03.100% agree with you. They invite students to make them cash cows!
"everybody knows tht the
Submitted by Victor (not verified) on Tue, 07/02/2012 - 15:54."everybody knows tht the ukrainian girls get foreign boyfriends for money"
false. I have friend (girl). And she got married with Greek. She really loves him and they have a beautiful daughter.
don't write nonsenses...
Oh my....( It's so
Submitted by Victor (not verified) on Sun, 05/02/2012 - 12:04.Oh my....( It's so terrible...and that is very hard to see all this comments...
Listen people, I am Ukrainian, I live in this city of Ternopil', I'm just 15 and I don't want everybody to think that we are rasists...Yes, there are some, but not every person.
That editor, in my opinion, is not smart...heh...but one editor is not all nation!
Do not judge a nation by one person...
I don't think that black-skinned men are monkey..They are the same like me. Somebody is worse, somebody is better. But all of us is a human...I realize it.
Racism is a very big problem. And every Ukrainian must realize it...
I didn't take part in this accident, but I am so sorry about it...
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if somebody would learn some details about article, foreigners in my city etc - you can write me aceman177@gmail.com
I agree...
Submitted by Leik (not verified) on Tue, 07/02/2012 - 20:27.The actions of one shouldn't speak for the actions of all. I'd like to learn about your city!
Leik