Silence is complicity, and close to everyone in Luxembourg is complicit
For those who have been living under a rock these last two years: there has been a genocide going on in Gaza, one of the most violent examples of how far Israel’s impunity can go. This genocide is and will be what history talks about when, in the future, we speak of the instigator of a new world order where—this is the optimist talking—we will have finally gotten rid of the oligarchies hoarding all the wealth and responsible for the oppression, exploitation, and murder of millions of Indigenous people and the destruction of our land.
The question of Palestine has emerged as the symbol of resistance against a contemporary form of colonialism. Yes, there are other genocides around the world that deserve your attention. But Palestine summarizes all the different forms of colonial violence an Indigenous population can be subjected to—whether mass murder, incarceration, environmental destruction, or the erasure of history replaced by a fake one that feeds the imperialist narrative. Palestine has become, unfortunately, our barometer of humanity.
And if we were to use Palestine as that barometer, many spaces, people, and groups in the very rich nation of Luxembourg would be ultra-cancelled. During a déi aner internal conversation, we asked ourselves whether true anti-Zionist spaces or groups exist in Luxembourg. We could count on one hand those where we felt 100% safe that they shared our opinion. Platforms that have spoken up with a clear position against Israeli settler-colonial atrocities? Close to none. Except for déi aner’s comrades—whether Megaphone, Spiral Magazine, R22, Waassermeloun, the cultural center Altrimenti, or the bookshop Alinea.
We cannot think of any place officially declaring itself anti-Zionist. How disappointing is that?
All of you folks who have not clearly positioned yourselves against the genocide—what are you waiting for? Was the lack of action on a genocide nearly a century ago not enough for you? Are you going to wait another century before you decide to stand on the right side of history? Maybe when the world is literally burning you’ll finally feel that sacrificing a bit of your comfort is worth it?
But you know who the worst ones are? Those spaces, groups, and people who label themselves as “political,” “inclusive,” or “alternative.” Those labor unions who—some of the only ones in all of Europe—still shy away from speaking up. Those sustainable fashion brands who profit from the POC aesthetic. Those bars that capitalize on being the only “alternative” space in Luxembourg. Those sustainability groups who think they can speak about climate change but ignore or sideline Palestine into a footnote. Those politicians who speak up against racism in Luxembourg but still openly support a genocide enabler like Kamala Harris. Or those white trust fund and nepotism-baby enterprises who love their cool trendy aesthetic but would never give up their space to host activists or political causes—yet happily rent it out to other rich nepotism babies who care about nothing but their incestuous friendship dramas. Holy shit, the list goes on—and we see every. single. one. of. you.
We are very aware of your complicity in genocide. Yes, you read that right. Every single one of you who thought you could fade into the background and not take a stance because you didn’t want to hurt your business or career—we see you. If you continue to remain silent in the face of such injustice, when your government is legally obliged to prevent genocides, then yes, I’ll say it again: YOU ARE ALSO COMPLICIT.
So my advice to you: get off your privileged ass and start writing. You have a public platform? Use it. Don’t know how? Reach out to us—we are even ready to offer you our precious unpaid labor so that you can be on the right side of history. In the end, we know who you are, and this article is only the beginning. You have been warned.
xoxo, you know you love me,
Gab from déi aner
P.S. We have already written about other ways to be less complicit: get informed, join the BDS movement, and put your money where your mouth is.
P.P.S. This girl is the nastiest skank bitch I‘ve ever met. DO NOT TRUST HER. She is a fugly slut!!
