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Hindus want withdrawal of Roma-stereotyping Czech police coloring book

Czech Police (Policie České Republiky) officer...

Czech Police (Policie České Republiky) officer in Český Těšín (Czeski Cieszyn) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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Hindus want immediate withdrawal of Czech Police coloring book POLDOVY OMALOVANKY, reportedly meant for distribution in kindergartens and primary schools.

Rajan Zed, based in Nevada (USA), said that it apparently stereotyped Roma, indicating them as criminals. Racial stereotyping should not be acceptable in 21st century Czech Republic and the world, Zed stressed.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, urged Czech Republic Interior Minister Milan Chovanec to look into the matter, withdraw all of these coloring books and mandate diversity training for all employees of the department to put an end to all such racial stereotyping, prejudices and caricaturing in the future; which was highly irresponsible.

Zed pointed out that such negative depiction of the Roma community would send wrong signals to the children’s minds at an impressionable age, who would be the leaders of Czech Republic tomorrow. In the future, the Interior Ministry should pre-screen and monitor all such material before it went for public distribution to make sure that Roma minority was not stereotyped, Zed added.

Moreover, police are meant for fighting against the stereotypes and not strengthening them, Zed noted.

Zed argued that Roma people in Czech Republic reportedly faced violent attacks, stereotyping, racism, prejudice, growing gap between Roma and other Czechs, fear, beatings, poor quality housing, systemic employment and overall discrimination, persecution, throwing of Molotov cocktails, social exclusion, segregated schools, marginalization; refused service at restaurants, stores, discos, etc.; municipalities/towns failing to support them; and the state being unwilling or unable to offer protection.

Zed further said that the country of Franz Kafka, Antonin Dvorak, Jaroslav Hasek, and rich cultural heritage should not continue staying apathetic and silent spectator ignoring Roma apartheid. Milos Zeman and Bohuslav Sobotka are President and Prime Minister respectively of Czech Republic.

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Hindus concerned for Gypsies’ safety after new Czech Republic study

A Romany old woman from the Czech Republic

A Romany old woman from the Czech Republic by Zdenek Bobek via Wikipedia

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Hindus are concerned at the recent Czech Republic Interior Ministry study reportedly suggesting prevalent racism in the country and possibilities of attacks against Roma (Gypsies) in the future.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that Czech Republic government should take this report seriously and ensure safety of its Roma populace, who were facing apartheid like conditions. Czech Republic needed better protection system for Roma.

If Czech Republic was unable or unwilling to ensure the safety and security of its Roma people, then European Union should urgently intervene, Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, added.

Rajan Zed pointed out that Roma people in Czech Republic reportedly had faced violent attacks, stereotyping, racism, prejudice, growing gap between Roma and other Czechs, fear, beatings, poor quality housing, systemic employment and overall discrimination, persecution, throwing of Molotov cocktails, social exclusion, segregated schools, forced sterilization,  marginalization; refused service at restaurants, stores, discos, etc.; municipalities/towns failing to support them; and the state being unwilling or unable to offer protection.

Zed further said that Czech religious leaders and religious groups, especially the majority Roman Catholic Church, should take-up the cause of Roma people and raise the issue of their continuous maltreatment; as religion taught us to plead for the oppressed, stand with the poor, and seek justice for those whom God loved and too often the world overlooked.

Rajan Zed hoped that the country of Franz Kafka, Antonin Dvorak, Jaroslav Hasek, Karlovy Vary, and rich cultural heritage would not continue staying apathetic and silent spectator ignoring Roma apartheid and would come to their rescue. Vaclav Klaus, Petr Necas and Jan Kubice are President, Prime Minister and Interior Minister respectively of Czech Republic.

References to Roma people in Europe, who are believed to have their roots in the Indian subcontinent, reportedly went as far back as ninth century CE.

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Hindus condemn dismantling of Gypsy camp in Rome

A Romany old woman from the Czech Republic

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Hindus condemn dismantling of Gypsy camp in Rome

Hindus have strongly criticized the reported dismantling of a Gypsy (Roma) camp in Rome forcing families homeless and some taking refuge in an ancient basilica.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that it was barbaric to dismantle Roma settlement without providing them alternate accommodation.

Terming it as “misplaced attitude of Italian authorities towards Roma population”, Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, stressed that Italy should come out with long-term solutions on Roma issue. Crackdowns, forcible evacuations and frequent dismantling of Roma campsites without offering proper alternatives was simply inhuman and a dark stain on Italy and Europe and did not solve anything. Italy should show responsibility and arrange housing for all Roma where they could live their lives with dignity. About 150,000 Roma reportedly live in Italy, with about 100 camps in Rome alone.

Rajan Zed further said that religion clearly told us to help the helpless, defenseless and downtrodden and love them, but His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, who lived in the heart of Europe and only few miles away from this dismantled campsite, had hardly ever come out with a strong statement supporting the Roma cause. Pope, being the claimed representative of God on earth, should voice against continuous Roma maltreatment and thus act as God wanted him to act.

Zed argued that Roma maltreatment in Europe was like an undeclared apartheid. Roma reportedly regularly faced social exclusion, racism, substandard education, hostility, joblessness, rampant illness, inadequate housing, lower life expectancy, unrest, living on desperate margins, stereotypes, mistrust, rights violations, discrimination, marginalization, appalling living conditions, prejudice, human rights abuse, etc.

Rajan Zed also criticized the management of ancient Roman Catholic basilica St. Paul’s Outside-the-Walls for reportedly not letting back in the Roma who had gone outside for work and securing food. Basilica should shelter the displaced Roma till City provided them with alternative accommodation. Bible said: “…let the outcasts of Moab sojourn among you; be a shelter to them from the destroyer… (Isaiah 16:4).”

In February, three brothers and a sister, aged 4-11 years, perished while asleep when fire swept through their shack, while adults were out running errands in a Roma settlement in Rome outskirts, according to reports.

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Arbitrary surveillance of Roma in Europe

A Romany old woman from the Czech Republic

A Romany old woman from the Czech Republic via Wikipedia

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A newly published study on Roma (Gypsies) of Europe has expressed concern at the “arbitrary surveillance of Romani migrants and the violation of the related right to privacy”.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, reacting to this Study, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that the world and Europe should urgently act to end the apartheid of Roma people of Europe as it was a social blight for Europe in particular and humanity in general.

Funded by Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe High Commissioner on National Minorities and Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, the study titled “Recent Migration of Roma in Europe” also states: “EU (European Union) member States have also on repeated occasions expelled Roma from other EU member States. Highly publicized expulsions of Roma have been recently carried out by France, Italy, Germany, Denmark and Sweden”.

Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, commented that Roma in Europe reportedly regularly faced social exclusion, racism, substandard education, hostility, joblessness, rampant illness, inadequate housing, lower life expectancy, unrest, living on desperate margins, language barriers, stereotypes, mistrust, rights violations, discrimination, marginalization, appalling living conditions, prejudice, human rights abuse, racist slogans on Internet, etc.

This Study further points out: “The ability of Roma to access goods and services is limited throughout Europe by factors including lack of educational qualifications among significant segments of the Romani communities, as well as by ethnic or racial discrimination, driven in particular by anti-Gypsyism — that is, a widespread, deeply rooted prejudice and intolerance directed against Roma in Europe.”

The Study adds: “Authorities in some countries have apparently developed practices stopping short of deportation from the country, but which aim at making the lives of the Roma concerned miserable, in the hope that they may leave on their own. In Italy, for example, the authorities have regularly engaged in forced eviction of Romani migrants from their homes, frequently in contravention of international law, as well as involving the destruction of property. In some cases, whole Romani settlements have been summarily destroyed, and the inhabitants simply left on the street.”

Other issues of concern expressed by this Study relating to the response of public authorities to Roma migration include: ethnic profiling by police and not ensuring basic protection of the security of persons.

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Hindus & Jews critical of “Gypsy criminals” election advertisement in Hungary

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Hindus and Jews have strongly criticized an election advertisement in Hungary reportedly referring to “Gypsy criminals”.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, and Rabbi Jonathan B. Freirich, prominent Jewish leader in Nevada and California in USA, in a joint statement in Nevada today, said that it was clearly offensive and stigmatized an entire ethnic community.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, and Rabbi Freirich, further said that European Union should urgently intervene and stop the further harassment and maltreatment of Roma (Gypsies) who were already facing apartheid conditions in Hungary and other parts of Europe.

Rajan Zed and Rabbi Jonathan Freirich argued that in Hungary, despite various government initiatives, Roma reportedly continued to face blatant discrimination, shanty town living, an atmosphere of hostility, huge unemployment rate, lower life expectancy, prejudice, significantly higher school dropout rate, racism, bias and stereotyping, school segregation, social exclusion, mistrust, human rights violations, etc. According to an estimate, less than 1% of Roma obtained higher education degrees.

Zed and Freirich pointed out that instead of reportedly continuing to marginalize Roma socially, this country of Lake Balaton, romantic Danube River, Franz Liszt and Bela Bartok, should be more embracing of Roma brothers and sisters who had been reportedly living with them since 14th century. Hungarian government should be more proactive in protecting Roma and other minorities. Rajan Zed and Rabbi Freirich urged religious leaders, religions and denominations of Hungary to work for the upliftment of Roma, because religion told us to help the helpless.

Roma in Hungary, whose estimated numbers sometimes reach around one million, form about ten percent of total Hungary populace, which makes it largest Roma minority as percentage of total population in the world. Current demographic trends indicate that in 2050, about 21 percentage of Hungary population will be Roma.

Hungary is reportedly holding municipal elections on Sunday.

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Hindus ask financial compensation for Czech Roma women victims of forced sterilization

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Welcoming Czech Prime Minister’s “regret” over involuntary sterilization of Roma women, Hindus have demanded fair and adequate financial compensation to the victims.

Hindu leader Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer should offer formal “apology” as the misconduct in this case was very serious and just “regret” would not be sufficient to heal the deep wounds caused. Perpetrators should be prosecuted for the irreversible crimes against these women which permanently deprived them from having children.

Zed, who is the president of Universal Society of Hinduism, further said that neighboring Slovakia also now needed to acknowledge this blunder and apologize on this issue. Czech Republic should make Roma upliftment her first priority as they were facing apartheid like conditions. Their maltreatment was a dark stain on the face of Czech Republic and Europe.

Rajan Zed argued that Roma people in Czech Republic reportedly faced violent attacks, stereotyping, racism, prejudice, growing gap between Roma and other Czechs, fear, beatings, poor quality housing, systemic employment and overall discrimination, persecution, throwing of Molotov cocktails, social exclusion, segregated schools, marginalization; refused service at restaurants, stores, discos, etc.; municipalities/towns failing to support them; and the state being unwilling or unable to offer protection.

Zed stressed that the country of Franz Kafka, Antonin Dvorak, Jaroslav Hasek, Karlovy Vary, and rich cultural heritage should not continue staying apathetic and silent spectator ignoring Roma apartheid.

References to Roma people in Europe, who are believed to have their roots in the Indian subcontinent, reportedly went as far back as ninth century AD.


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Hindus & Jews demand probe into excessive exclusion of Roma children from England schools

Romani Mother and Child by Planet Love / Venus

Romani Mother and Child by Planet Love / Venus

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Hindus and Jews have demanded a thorough probe into the extraordinarily high rate of permanent exclusion of Roma/Gypsy children from England schools, which is about five times as compared to percentage of all excluded children.

Rajan Zed, acclaimed Hindu statesman; and Rabbi Jonathan B. Freirich, prominent Jewish leader in Nevada and California in USA; in a statement in Nevada today, said that this preposterous exclusion rate was outrageous and unacceptable and needed to be urgently addressed.

Zed and Freirich argued that Roma already faced apartheid conditions in English society and now even their children were not spared from the maltreatment. Instead of working on Roma children to bring them to the mainstream, England schools seemed to have adopted an easier way out—just exclude them.

Rajan Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, and Rabbi Freirich pointed out that despite the potential under-reporting for this ethnic classification, the percentage of exclusions was outlandishly high. This scenario of apparent isolation and discrimination needed to be immediately addressed and England school system needed to create more awareness and celebration of Roma culture and make curriculum inclusive of mobile homes also.

According to latest available figures Issued by England Department for Children, Schools and Families; permanent exclusions from primary, secondary and special schools have dropped to 0.11 per cent of the number of pupils in schools, while for Roma/Gypsy children, this rate was 0.56 per cent.