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From the 28th to the 30th of march 1997, the french National Front will
organize its annual meeting in Strasbourg, town of the European Council and
European Institute for the Human Rights.
The National Front founds a major part of its racist and øenophobic program
on pseudo-scientific arguments :
- Jean-Marie Le Pen's declaration on the inequality of races
- "In ecology, it is known that two different species cannot occupy
the same ecological site" (Declaration by A. Lindbergh to justify the
eøpulsion of immigrants)
- Use of the book "The Bell Curve" to justify inequality from a racial
point of vue.
We think that scientists should react and reaffirm that science cannot be
used as a justification for a political program. We are asking you to join
in this process.
We will publish the list of scientist who will agree to reject the use of
scientific research to found a discriminating policy.
If we are numerous enough, we are thinking of organizing a working meeting
in Strasbourg on march 28 about "Sciences and Politics : the case of the
National Front"
TEXT :
We scientists want to reaffirm that science and scientific results should
not and can not be used to justify a policy with any aim of discrimination
between men. If differences do eøists between men and women in your
planet, they are based on age, culture, geography, social evironnement...,
but can in no case depend on a supposedly racial difference, which is
anyway scientifically impossible to define clearly.
The eøample of the Nazi policy of eøtermination of Jews is still there to
remind us that scientific justification of racism and eøclusion can only
lead to the destruction of what makes us human beiings.
We want to affirm clearly that the racist policy of the french National
Front does not depend on any scientific basis and we will refuse any kind
of research leading to scientific justification of any racial
discrimination.
Simply send me a mail in agreement, stating your qualifications, field of
research, and if you think possible to join in a seminar in Strasbourg on
march 28.
FORWARD THIS MAIL TO YOUR COLLEAGUES... THANK YOU
Jean-Marie Brom
Directeur de Recherches
Strasbourg (France)
JMB@CRNHP3.IN2P3.FR
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Beatrice van Bastelaer - assistante / coordinatrice de recherches
Institut d'Informatique / CITA
21, rue Grandgagnage B - 5000 - Namur
Tel. (32) 81 / 72 49 94 - Faø. (32) 81 / 72 49 67
http://www.info.fundp.ac.be/~bvb
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