I was aware of it. There is a great documentary about Django Reindhart that offers a glimpse into the treatment of the Roma today throughout Europe.
--- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, George Arterberry <brotherfromhow...@...> wrote: > > While stationed in Bosnia/Croatia/Hungary I saw the pure hate directed > towards them . > --- On Fri, 8/28/09, Martin Baxter <truthseeker...@...> wrote: > > > From: Martin Baxter <truthseeker...@...> > Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] OT: Madonna Booed for Condeming Discrimination > Against Roma > To: "SciFiNoir2" <scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com> > Date: Friday, August 28, 2009, 8:20 AM > > >  > > > > Keith, I'll answer you with "very little". Humanity=pathetic. > > "If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody > hell hired the director?" -- Charles L Grant > > http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=fQUxw9aUVik > > > > > > > To: scifino...@yahoogro ups.com > From: KeithBJohnson@ comcast.net > Date: Fri, 28 Aug 2009 05:05:58 +0000 > Subject: [scifinoir2] OT: Madonna Booed for Condeming Discrimination Against > Roma > >  > > > > > Sad. I wonder how many Americans know anything about the Roma, outside of > what they've seen in movies? > > ************ ********* ********* ********* ********* *** > http://omg.yahoo. com/news/ madonna-booed- in-bucharest- for-defending- > gypsies/26947? nc > > BUCHAREST, Romania - At first, fans politely applauded the Roma performers > sharing a stage with Madonna. Then the pop star condemned widespread > discrimination against Roma, or Gypsies â" and the cheers gave way to jeers. > The sharp mood change that swept the crowd of 60,000, who had packed a park > for Wednesday night's concert, underscores how prejudice against Gypsies > remains deeply entrenched across Eastern Europe. > Despite long-standing efforts to stamp out rampant bias, human rights > advocates say Roma probably suffer more humiliation and endure more > discrimination than any other people group on the continent. > Sometimes, it can be deadly: In neighboring Hungary, six Roma have been > killed and several wounded in a recent series of apparently racially > motivated attacks targeting small countryside villages predominantly settled > by Gypsies. > "There is generally widespread resentment against Gypsies in Eastern Europe. > They have historically been the underdog," Radu Motoc, an official with the > Soros Foundation Romania, said Thursday. > Roma, or Gypsies, are a nomadic ethnic group believed to have their roots in > the Indian subcontinent. They live mostly in southern and eastern Europe, but > hundreds of thousands have migrated west over the past few decades in search > of jobs and better living conditions. > Romania has the largest number of Roma in the region. Some say the population > could be as high as 2 million, although official data put it at 500,000. > Until the 19th century, Romanian Gypsies were slaves, and they've gotten a > mixed response ever since: While discrimination is widespread, many East > Europeans are enthusiastic about Gypsy music and dance, which they embrace as > part of the region's cultural heritage. > That explains why the Roma musicians and a dancer who had briefly joined > Madonna onstage got enthusiastic applause. And it also may explain why some > in the crowd turned on Madonna when she paused during the two-hour show â" a > stop on her worldwide "Sticky and Sweet" tour â" to touch on their plight. > "It has been brought to my attention ... that there is a lot of > discrimination against Romanies and Gypsies in general in Eastern Europe," > she said. "It made me feel very sad." > Thousands booed and jeered her. > A few cheered when she added: "We don't believe in discrimination ... we > believe in freedom and equal rights for everyone." But she got more boos when > she mentioned discrimination against homosexuals and others. > "I jeered her because it seemed false what she was telling us. What business > does she have telling us these things?" said Ionut Dinu, 23. > Madonna did not react and carried on with her concert, held near the hulking > palace of the late communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. > Her publicist, Liz Rosenberg, said Madonna and other had told her there were > cheers as well as jeers. > "Madonna has been touring with a phenomenal troupe of Roma musicians who made > her aware of the discrimination toward them in several countries so she felt > compelled to make a brief statement," Rosenberg said in an e-mail. "She will > not be issuing a further statement." > One Roma musician said the attitude toward Gypsies is contradictory. > "Romanians watch Gypsy soap operas, they like Gypsy music and go to Gypsy > concerts," said Damian Draghici, a Grammy Award-winner who has performed with > James Brown and Joe Cocker. > "But there has been a wave of aggression against Roma people in Italy, > Hungary and Romania, which shows me something is not OK," he told the AP in > an interview. "The politicians have to do something about it. People have to > be educated not to be prejudiced. All people are equal, and that is the > message politicians must give." > Nearly one in two of Europe's estimated 12 million Roma claimed to have > suffered an act of discrimination over the past 12 months, according to a > recent report by the Vienna-based EU Fundamental Rights Agency. The group > says Roma face "overt discrimination" in housing, health care and education. > Many do not have official identification, which means they cannot get social > benefits, are undereducated and struggle to find decent jobs. > Roma children are more likely to drop out of school than their peers from > other ethnic groups. Many Romanians label Gypsies as thieves, and many are > outraged by those who beg or commit petty crimes in Western Europe, believing > they spoil Romania's image abroad. > In May 2007, Romanian President Traian Basescu was heard to call a Romanian > journalist a "stinky Gypsy" during a conversation with his wife. Romania's > anti-discrimination board criticized Basescu, who later apologized. > Human rights activists say the attacks in Hungary, which began in July 2008, > may be tied to that country's economic crisis and the rising popularity of > far-right vigilantes angered by a rash of petty thefts and other so-called > "Gypsy crime." Last week, police arrested four suspects in a nightclub in the > eastern city of Debrecen. > Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia also have been criticized for > widespread bias against Roma. > > > > > > > Hotmail® is up to 70% faster. Now good news travels really fast. Try it now. >
