Pope Benedict XVI has received Marko Perkovic "Thompson", a far-right Croatian singer.
Thompson, whose performances use symbols of Croatia's pro-Nazi government during the Second World War, is not allowed to go to Switzerland because of his inflammatory use of UstaÅiexcl;a regalia, and a concert in Austria also had to be cancelled after protests.
Amongst protests from numerous Jewish organisations, they have grounded bans from the Netherlands due to suspected fascism within their music. They possess also drawn accusations of Neo Nazism, with their performances being constantly protested.
In response, PerkoviÄ#8225; said, "I own aught against the Jews, but neither did Jesus Christ, yet nevertheless they crucified Him". This statement caused an outcry in the Croatian media.
Thompson became popular with their 1991 hit song "Bojna Ä#338;avoglave", which was released during the Croatian War of Independence.The song depicts a conflict involving a multitude of Croat soldiers from the Dalmatian rural hinterland. The song includes the "Za dom - Spremni!" slogan which was exploited by the UstaÅiexcl;e in World War II.
For Perkovic, it is a bit constituent of his performance: He shouts "Za dom - Spremni!"and his fans respond with the Nazi salute.
Photographs from their concerts show youths wearing the black caps of the Nazi-backed Ustasha regime that ruled Croatia, and which was responsible for sending tens of thousands of Serbs, gypsies and Jews to their deaths in concentration camps.
PerkoviÄ#8225; has on numerous occasions expressed sympathies to the UstaÅiexcl;a movement , which ruled the Axis controlled Independent State of Croatia from 1941 to 1945.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center posted a missive to Croatian President Stipe MesiÄ#8225; in June 2007 and expressed "its smell of rape and disgust in the heat of a monumental display of fascist salutes, symbols and uniforms at Thompson`s concerts.
"They simply don't appear to get it," said Efraim Zuroff, the Israel Director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, who called on the chair to ban future concerts and help outlaw the use of extremist symbols and slogans.
Some press have accused PerkoviÄ#8225; for publicly expressing controversial pro-UstaÅiexcl;e beliefs:
In 2002 he told the Jutarnji list newspaper
"There is nothing wrong with my voicing right-wing, UstaÅiexcl;e, beliefs."
And in 2004 he told the same newspaper
"Displaying UstaÅiexcl;e symbols in public should not be illegal."
Perkovic's public affairs manager, Albino Ursic has a big poster entitled "Final Result" that adorns the rampart of his office.
Pope Benedict XVI caused controversy in January 2009for the rehabilitatation of British bishop Richard Williamson who denies that millions of Jews died in Nazi gas chambers.