The Huffington Post UK published a long article on non-Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Rroma stand prominently in this article.
For the 70th anniversary of Auschwitz liberation on January 27th, the German press published a series of articles on the topic, highlighting the fact that besides Jews, Rroma were also victims of the Holocaust. How many died is still a matter of dispute, with numbers ranging from 250’000 to several millions. Truth will never be known, as, contrary to popular belief, the Germans did not keep accurate track of their deeds. Only people that stayed in camps for forced labour were registered. Those who were gassed upon arrival or simply shot in the woods in numerous places where not registerd. For example, Auschwitz’s registers show only ca. 405’000 registered people, while the estimates of how many were actually killed there range from 1.1 mio to a more probable 2.3 Mio people.
The Lety Concentration Camp in the Czech Republic, a camp on which site there currently still is a pig farm is once again in the actualities. In this article, it is claimed that Paul Polansky, an amateur historian, brought the facts and existence of this camp to the world’s attention. While Paul Polanski effectively wrote two books on the topic, these were by far not the first ones about Lety (See for example Wickipedia.de on this topic). Fact is, this was one of the early Rroma camps where from many Rroma were deported to death camps.
An Article in the “Standard” in Austria analyses the daily racism against Rroma that still exist 20 years after the attacks against this minority in Oberwarth. They explicitly state that as soon as an “invisible” Rroma, that is a Rroma who is integrated and does not says he is one, outs himself, he or she is immediately confronted to racism. The old stereotypes, stereotypes that have never really been accurate are difficult to eradicate.
The Huffington Post UK published a long article on non-Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Rroma stand prominently in this article.
For the 70th anniversary of Auschwitz liberation on January 27th, the German press published a series of articles on the topic, highlighting the fact that besides Jews, Rroma were also victims of the Holocaust. How many died is still a matter of dispute, with numbers ranging from 250’000 to several millions. Truth will never be known, as, contrary to popular belief, the Germans did not keep accurate track of their deeds. Only people that stayed in camps for forced labour were registered. Those who were gassed upon arrival or simply shot in the woods in numerous places where not registerd. For example, Auschwitz’s registers show only ca. 405’000 registered people, while the estimates of how many were actually killed there range from 1.1 mio to a more probable 2.3 Mio people.
Normally, Republican France refrains from deporting migrants and from evicting illegal settlement in the Winter. This is no longer the case. Evictions continue, and the problem is being shifted from one community to the next. It is as if, one can argue, that the authorities want to maximise the exposure of the general population to poor migrants, guaranteeing an increased racism. This has to stop. Evictions this week, as an example occurred in Cannes and in Chellois.
Ricardo Sahiti, born in 1961 in Kosovo dreamt of founding and directing a Rroma philharmonic orchestra. Arte just showed a movie about him and about the orchestra he managed to create and direct.
Visionär macht seinen Traum wahr. In Op.Online.de, 24.01.2015. http://www.op-online.de/lokales/nachrichten/rodgau/riccardo-sahiti-leitet-weltweit-einzige-roma-sinti-philharmonie-4667487.html
Ricardo Sahiti, born in 1961 in Kosovo dreamt of founding and directing a Rroma philharmonic orchestra. Arte just showed a movie about him and about the orchestra he managed to create and direct.
Visionär macht seinen Traum wahr. In Op.Online.de, 24.01.2015. http://www.op-online.de/lokales/nachrichten/rodgau/riccardo-sahiti-leitet-weltweit-einzige-roma-sinti-philharmonie-4667487.html
Romani Rose, president of the Zentralrat der deutschen Sinti und Roma ponders about the aftermath and the collective conscience on the murder of Rroma and Sinti during the Holocaust. The fact that besides Jews, Rroma were singled out for racial reasons and murdered during the Holcaust is still not widely acknowledged or known. More work and more information is still required on this topic.
The “Förderverein Roma” organises a march on January 27th in Frankfurt to mark the 79th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz Birkenau (Frankfurter Neue Presse). In that camp, with the special Rroma camp in Birkenau, countless Rroma from several countries were killed. The official number is fairly low, as is the case with Jews, as people that were gassed straight away were not registered. However, many Rroma from Czechoslovakia, Austria, Germany and other countries were murdered there.
The Bishop Conference of Germany, for that same commemoration of the liberation liberation of the camp, issued a lengthy statement acknowledging the murder of minorities and other in Auschwitz and appealing for tolerance and help towards others.
Wilheml Alexander, King of the Netherlands, will read the names of victims of the Holocaust as part of a remembrace that will read out the name of 102’000 Jews, Rroma, and Sinti that were deported to concentration camps during the war. He will be part of 700 people reading these names on the 27th of January.
Niederländischer König verliest Namen von Holocaust-Opfern. Handelsblatt, 23.01.2015. http://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/international/willem-alexander-niederlaendischer-koenig-verliest-namen-von-holocaust-opfern/11275470.html
In a further development in the case of the dead Rroma baby in France, Jacques Toubon, in charge of the defence of the rights, stated that the order of the mayor denying the burial of the baby was illegal. He added that this constituted a discrimination. That Toubon, a rightist politician not know for his love of minorities in France says such things is a sign of progress, albeit a slow one!
London Green Belt Commissioner Eric Pickle lost a landmark case against two Rroma. The judge stated that Pickle’s department breached both human rights and equality laws in denying Rroma to pitch in the green belt. This case highlight the current policies in England but also in France of evicting Rroma settlements, even, if in this case, these existed for generations.
In an editorial, the Huffington Post advocates the acceptance of migrants and minorities in France, stating that they contributed to the enrichment of the country and that they contribute to cement the idea of Europe. De Gouyon calls for people to fight against racism anf eork towards the integration of Rroma.
However, again, as usual, Rroma are reduced to the migrant part of the population, to the 10 to 15 thousands who live in Ghettoes and camps on the outskirt of the big French cities. There are more Rroma than that in France (and elsewhere). Stating that the problem is limited to these 15 thousand people is a great first in France, a country where the discussion on immigrations often takes an irrational path, and where one could easily get the impression, reading the press, that there are millions of Rroma migrants. There are very few, this is a fact worth stating!
De Gouyon Matignon, Louis. Oui, les Roms sont intégrables. Huffington Post. 6 January 2015. http://www.huffingtonpost.fr/louis-de-gouyon-matignon/oui-les-roms-sont-integrables_b_6417666.html
A Rrom baby died in France over the New Year and was denied burial in the town of Champlan. The mayor of that town, who in the meantime claims he has not prevented the burial, has been unanimously condemned by the press and politics, among which, Prime Minister Valls. Vall, who, as we have repeatedly written in this blog is himself not beyond populist racism, for once stated this was an insult to France.
We hope that this insult to France doesn’t stop at dead Rroma and that the living ones will also be allowed to stay.
Meanwhile, the young Maria Francesca was buried in a neighbouring town… May she rest in peace.
Interviewed by Metro News on January 5th, the Mayor of Champlan, Essone (France), Mr. Noicolas Dupon Aignan stated “Rroma should be in Romania”. This clearly show that his understanding of the subject is limited if not non-existent. We do wish that people who obviously have little if any understanding would rather simply avoid the subject rather than blabber the same platitudes and stereotypes as have already been heard for ages.
Roma are not Romanian, although there are Romanian Rroma, and not all Rroma are uneducated migrants begging in the street… Please take note.
The movement against racism and for the friendship between people (Mrap) has denounced the creation of a segregated class for Rroma children in Bron (close to Lyon) for the children living in an illegal camp there.
We cannot stress enough that segregated classes and segregated education is an absolute no go. This has proven to be the way to create an underclass rather than to integrate people.
Another article in the UK Press referring to the allegedly common tradition of paying for the bride… In fact, only Vlax Rroma pay for the bride, but in traditional families, the bride receives the money as a guarantee and dowry that she will keep in any case.
Again, stereotypes and single cases are presented here as being the common factor among all Rroma.
The pope urged Roma to “get a job” and to “integrate” into civic society. Speaking during a visit to a Roma community, the Pope told 40 Rroma: “Seek work and integration, without ever succumbing to despair. I greet you and I wish all good things for you. That you will always have peace in your families, that you have work, that you have joy.”
While we certainly greet the pope’s words, we would like to remind him and all who do not want to know, that most Rroma do have a job, are integrated and are living what can be said to be a normal life. They cannot say they are Rroma, because of the very strong prejudices and stereotypes that exist against this minority.
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