SPME Austria’s inaugural assembly was held on 22nd of November at the Centre for Documentation of the Austrian Resistance.
SPME Austria has about 60 subscribers on its mailing list and by now about 20 scholars who declared to join SPME as members.
Following executive Board was elected:
Dr, Ruth Contreras President
Univ. Doz Dr, Brigitte Bailer, scientific Director of the Centre for Documentation of the Austrian Resistance Vice-President
Mag. Eva Mühlhofer-Gurion (Jewish Studies and Institute for Contemporary History, University of Vienna) secretary
Jan Korbelik (University of Vienna, De Nobili Research Library) vice-secretary
Peter Florianschuetz Treasurer
Heribert Schiedel Centre for Documentation of the Austrian Resistance, vice-treasurer.
The attendees received an information on SPME, how it evolved from a listserv to an international organization with chapters also forming now in Europe. People were impressed by the services SPME is facilitating as: Faculty Forum, CampusConsultNet, PHMM Task Force and Speakers Bureau.
The fact that there is also faculty in Austria contributing to anti-Israel bias was one of the reasons for the foundation of the SPME Austria – Chapter,
Some case- studies where presented in the inaugural address by Ruth Contreras – among others:
Dr. Yvonne Schmidt: Assistant at the Institute for International Law at the University of Graz seems to be one of the leading figures in anti-Israel propaganda. As SPME reported in July of 2006 she Call for Investigation and Possible Prosecution of WAR CRIMES by the International Criminal Court. Yvonne Schmidt joined in July of 2006 Centre for Islam in Europe at the University in Gent as Associated Expert”. This centre describes itself as “pluralistic centre for research and dialogue, operating within Ghent University” but seems to have only one goal: to spread anti-Israel propaganda. Yvonne Schmidt held a lecture last summer term which according t o the materials presented at her website where full of anti-Israel bias and she was also diminishing Ahmadinejad’s threats. Another lecture on questions of international law in the context with the Middle East is announced for the Summer term 2007
Prof. Andrea Komlosy, professor of History, Vice-Head of the Institute for Economic History at the University of Vienna, who is strongly condemning Zionism and some years ago said in an article published in the Austrian Newspaper “Die Presse” (Mit allen Mitteln ) that the only possibility to establish a Jewish Territory would have beeen in Germany. She thus shares Ahmadinejad’s recently uttered ideas. In Summer 2004 and Summer 2006 she headed and organized at the University in Vienna a series of lecture where also Victoria Waltz (University Dortmund and tim-lecturer at Birzeit University) hold a lecture. (Victoria Waltz’ thesis was on “ Aggressive Spatial Planning – 100 Years of Zionist Settlement Policy in Palestine”). As protest to this lecture students of International development formed a task force for balanced information on the Middle East conflict. SPME Austria will contact this group and seeks a close cooperation with them.
Prof. Hans Köchler, professor of philosophy and head of the Institute for Philosophy (University of Innsbruck) is president of the International Progress Organization (See NGO Monitor Report on this organization) has connections to the anti-imperialist left but also to the extreme rightwing Freedom-Party and the rightwing La Rouche movement.
Harald Haas, actually Lecturer at the Institue for Peace Research at the University of Klagenfurt has come to our attention because of his contributions to the Austro-Arab-Society and a recent interview he gave to the extreme rightwing Eckart where he states that “Jews have changed from victims to perpetrators”. Israel is according to Haas’ interview the most aggressive country and one of the biggest threatenings for peace. Haas had responded some time ago to Karl Pfeifer who criticised him in an article that was spread also through the SPME Austria Mailing list that he had been quoted our of context and that he gave this interview believing that he could change the mind of the rightwing readers of the Eckart…..
The rightwing Fraternity Olympia some time ago publicised the foundation of “Fraternities against Imperialism” in context with the war in Iraq and finally the professor of economy Friedrich Romig, a link between catholic and extreme rightwing circles, who wrote in a more recent article at the neonazi “Zundelsite” quoting Finkelstein’s “Holocaust – Industry” that there exists also a “Holocaust-Religion”
Even though this all is not mainstream on Austrian Universities there was enough reason to establish an Austrian Chapter of SPME.
