FW: [SEELANGS] FW: [Fwd: Attacks on students in Russia]

[Josh Wilson]

While this report is unfortunate and generally quite true, I find it
interesting that most such reports want to group all of this under the
headline of skinheads and racism. 

Much of this recent upswing comes from "fight club" style groups that have
little to do with racism and are more about the adrenalin involved in
beating up a random stranger. An acquaintance of mine (Swedish) was recently
beaten up midday in a Moscow underpass. He was desperately trying to figure
out how his attackers - three men with hair who delivered three punches
before he managed to break free and outrun them - managed to "figure out"
that he was a foreigner and target him specifically? He wasn't speaking at
the time and had never seen the men before. 

Was it his clothing, the groceries he was carrying, his general "look?"
(about 6'1," clean cut, blonde and blue eyed)?? I found most of his
reasoning about as likely as this report's conclusion that attackers in one
case had targeted a "darker haired student." The fact is that both
foreigners and Russians of all walks of life and shades of color have been
hit by random strangers in Moscow and St. Pete. It's not just about racism.


This situation is not much better, of course, in fact likely worse as this
new addition to a culture of violence is not usurping but only adding to the
racist attacks that are on-going. But I think it's strange that people want
to oversimplify the issue under the banner of racism and fascism - perhaps
this is a way of explaining unexplainable behavior and attempting to
insulate the targets to one specific group.  

All students should be careful in Russia - the country still holds a lot of
opportunity, and has a lot of good people, but also still has a lot of
problems to overcome.  

JW

-----Original Message-----
From: Slavic & East European Languages and Literature list
[mailto:SEELANGS at listserv.cuny.edu] On Behalf Of David Powelstock
Sent: Sunday, October 08, 2006 11:30 PM
To: SEELANGS at listserv.cuny.edu
Subject: [SEELANGS] FW: [Fwd: Attacks on students in Russia]

FYI, some detailed accounts of recent attacks on American students in
Russia, including some useful warning signs:
http://www.osac.gov//Reports/report.cfm?contentID=55612


David Powelstock
Asst. Prof. of Russian & East European Literatures
Chair, Program in Russian & East European Studies
Brandeis University
GREA, MS 024
Waltham, MA  02454-9110
781.736.3347 (Office)

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