{"id":1451,"date":"2014-05-09T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-05-09T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/%20rroma.org\/09-05-2014-foreign-rroma-as-an-uncivilized-horde\/"},"modified":"2022-07-27T07:54:13","modified_gmt":"2022-07-27T06:54:13","slug":"09-05-2014-foreign-rroma-as-an-uncivilized-horde","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rroma.org\/de\/09-05-2014-foreign-rroma-as-an-uncivilized-horde\/","title":{"rendered":"09.05.2014 Foreign Rroma as an uncivilized horde"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">The latest article of \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tthe <em style=\"font-family: Arial;\">Weltwoche <\/em>by Alex Reichmuth \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t(2014) claims a feud between Swiss Yeniche and foreign, travelling Rroma. However, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tReichmuth argues with such absurd evidence that he actually refutes himself. At \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tthe beginning of the article, he states: <em style=\"font-family: Arial;\">\u201cThe \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tcamp Augsterich in Kaiseraugst, Aargau, is hidden between a main road and the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\trailway line. [&#8230;] Behind bushes there is a small gravel area: the so-called cleansing \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tplace. Here, foreign travellers, who because for cultural reasons don\u2019t use \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttoilets, do their businesses. [&#8230;] Augsterich is the only place in Aarau, which \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tis open to foreign travellers. In the summer, it is mainly used by French Roma, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\twho usually stay for a few days or weeks. [&#8230;] With the place, it was intended \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tto prevent the chronic wild camping by foreign travellers in the lower Frick \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tValley, and related problems such as waste and faeces.\u201d <\/em>Reichmuth applies a \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\thighly reductionist reasoning, by presenting the foreign, travelling Rroma as a \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\twild horde. To ascribe them a cultural alterity that prohibits the use of \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttoilets, due to individual extreme cases, is totally absurd. Hygiene, on the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tvery opposite, has a very high priority among Rroma, as it is reflected in the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttradition of ritual purity. Most Rroma, as Reichmuth also states for the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tYeniche, are not travelleres. By repeatedly talking of asocial, unhygienic \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRroma, the article conveys the impression that this is a cultural feature of \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tthe Rroma, what is false and racist. In addition, the terms \u201cforeign \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttravellers\u201d and \u201cRoma\u201d are largely used interchangeably. The enemy stereotype \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tis also confirmed by the interviewed Yeniche: <em style=\"font-family: Arial;\">\u201cThe social control works. But it upsets them that the population does \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tnot distinguish between Swiss and foreign travellers. Fatal for their \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\treputation was a Roma wedding in the Lower Valais two years ago, says one of \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tthe Yeniche. At that time, about 400 foreign travellers illegally occupied a \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tfield, threatened the landowner with death and left a terrain strewn with \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tgarbage and faeces.\u201d <\/em>Foreign travellers are also held responsible for the hesitant \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tcreation of new camping places, because reservations under of the local \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tpopulation are said to be large. In places where only domestic travellers stop, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tas in the canton of Aargau, extensions and new camps are said to be much easier \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tto realise. J\u00f6rg Hartmann, from the building department of Aargau, supports \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tthis racist view. More eyewitnesses are cited to document the bad experiences with \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tforeign, travelling Rroma. These experiences interpret single events in an \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tethnic and racist context. In addition, they automatically take for granted the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tsuspicious fact that the foreign travellers are Rroma. How they identify the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tethnicity remains unclear.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" class=\"MsoNormal\">Reichmuth takes a \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tcompletely different viewpoint. Authorities as lobbyists are accused of \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tsugarcoating and moralizing the real problems, as is St\u00e9phane Laederich, director \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tof the Rroma Foundation: <em>\u201cThink about \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\twhether you really need to wirte \u201cRoma\u201d each time, recommended St\u00e9phane \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLaederich [&#8230;] in a journalists magazine\u201d, or whether it would be possible, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tfor example, to denote people as Romanians or Hungarians.\u201d<\/em> Reichmuth \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tinterprets this recommendation as an invitation to cover up nuisances. Rather, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLaederich wants to protect the reputation of the majority of the Rroma, who are \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tliving integrated and unobtrusively in Switzerland. This invisible Rroma are \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdenied their existence by the <em>Weltwoche<\/em>. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tInstead, it presents a minority of problem cases as general cases and requires \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ta rigorous implementation of the mass immigration initiative for foreign travellers, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\twhat is said to help the Swiss travellers.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" class=\"MsoNormal\">The issue is addressed more \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdiplomatically in the <em>Tagesanzeiger<\/em>. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThere, representatives of the new Yeniche protest movement \u201cMovement of Swiss Travelers\u201d \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\thave their say. These emphasize that the distinction between Yeniche and \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tforeign Rroma is important for their reputation, because the views of their \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tminority has declined in recent time: <em>\u201cWhile \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tthe Swiss travellers use chemical toilets and showers in their caravans, the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tforeign travellers prefer a meadow for their business. \u201cWe do not want to be \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tracist\u201d, says [Silvan] Waser. But the Roma, who travel through Switzerland in \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tlarge groups of cars and leave the places in a mess, harm the image of the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSwiss travellers. \u201cWe are tired of being responsible for something which we did \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tnot do.\u201d A minority who argues against another minority, that&#8217;s disconcerting. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAnd not all are of the opinion that one should do this. \u201cThe Roma are travellers \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tlike us, they have wives and children and are looking for places to stay\u201d say \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tsome women later\u201d <\/em>(Schmid 2014). The biased distinction between integrated Yeniche \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tand asocial, foreign Rroma can be found in numerous other articles. They also spread \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tprejudiced knowledge as objective facts or point to this very fallacy (compare Ferraro \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t2014, Fuchs 2014, Jecker 2014, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWaldmeier 2014, Wanner 2014).\u00a0\u00a0 \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<em>\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Ferraro, Leo (2014) \u00abWir sind normale Schweizer B\u00fcrger!\u00bb In: <em style=\"font-family: Arial;\">Blick online<\/em> vom 27.4.2014. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.blick.ch\/news\/schweiz\/aufstand-der-fahrenden-wir-sind-normale-schweizer-buerger-id2818779.html\" style=\"font-family: Arial;\">http:\/\/www.blick.ch\/news\/schweiz\/aufstand-der-fahrenden-wir-sind-normale-schweizer-buerger-id2818779.html<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Fuchs, Daniel (2014) Zu wenig Stellpl\u00e4tze f\u00fcr Fahrende: Sind wir Rassisten? In: \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<em style=\"font-family: Arial;\">Grencher Tagblatt online <\/em>vom \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t6.5.2014. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.grenchnertagblatt.ch\/schweiz\/zu-wenig-stellplaetze-fuer-fahrende-sind-wir-rassisten-127947375\" style=\"font-family: Arial;\">http:\/\/www.grenchnertagblatt.ch\/schweiz\/zu-wenig-stellplaetze-fuer-fahrende-sind-wir-rassisten-127947375<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Jecker, Flurin (2014) \u00abIch weiss nicht, ob unsere Enkelkinder noch werden \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\treisen k\u00f6nnen wie wir\u00bb In: <em style=\"font-family: Arial;\">Der Bund \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tonline <\/em>vom 7.5.2014. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.derbund.ch\/bern\/kanton\/Ich-weiss-nicht-ob-unsere-Enkelkinder-noch-werden-reisen-koennen-wie-wir\/story\/13514373\" style=\"font-family: Arial;\">http:\/\/www.derbund.ch\/bern\/kanton\/Ich-weiss-nicht-ob-unsere-Enkelkinder-noch-werden-reisen-koennen-wie-wir\/story\/13514373<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Reichmuth, Alex (2014) Krieg unter den Fahrenden. In: <em style=\"font-family: Arial;\">Weltwoche<\/em> Nr. 19: 2014, S. 34-36.<\/li>\n<li>Schmid, Simone (2014) Die Bewegten. In: <em style=\"font-family: Arial;\">Tagesanzeiger \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tonline<\/em> vom 3.5.2014. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.tagesanzeiger.ch\/schweiz\/standard\/Die-Bewegten\/story\/21459307\" style=\"font-family: Arial;\">http:\/\/www.tagesanzeiger.ch\/schweiz\/standard\/Die-Bewegten\/story\/21459307<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Waldmeier, D. (2014) Breite Unterst\u00fctzung f\u00fcr die Fahrenden. In: <em style=\"font-family: Arial;\">20 Minuten online <\/em>vom 24.4.2014. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.20min.ch\/schweiz\/news\/story\/Breite-Unterstuetzung-fuer-die-Fahrenden-16652127\" style=\"font-family: Arial;\">http:\/\/www.20min.ch\/schweiz\/news\/story\/Breite-Unterstuetzung-fuer-die-Fahrenden-16652127<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Wanner, Anna (2014) Selten erw\u00fcnscht: Seit Jahren k\u00e4mpfen Fahrende in der \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSchweiz f\u00fcr ihre Rechte. In: <em style=\"font-family: Arial;\">Aargauer \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tZeitung online<\/em> vom 24.4.2014. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aargauerzeitung.ch\/schweiz\/selten-erwuenscht-seit-jahren-kaempfen-fahrende-in-der-schweiz-fuer-ihre-rechte-127911477\" style=\"font-family: Arial;\">http:\/\/www.aargauerzeitung.ch\/schweiz\/selten-erwuenscht-seit-jahren-kaempfen-fahrende-in-der-schweiz-fuer-ihre-rechte-127911477<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The latest article of the Weltwoche by Alex Reichmuth (2014) claims a feud between Swiss Yeniche and foreign, travelling Rroma. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[14,16,15,605],"tags":[65],"class_list":["post-1451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news-eastern-europe","category-news-switzerland","category-news-western-europe","category-romania","tag-travellers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rroma.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1451","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rroma.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rroma.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rroma.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rroma.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1451"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/rroma.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1451\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11044,"href":"https:\/\/rroma.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1451\/revisions\/11044"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rroma.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1451"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rroma.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1451"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rroma.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1451"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}