Branding a People

It's pretty miserably repugnant that societies are able, with a good degree of impunity, target a group of people distinguished from the general population by charges of illicit behaviours and traditions, unlike those of the mainstream. A people whose presence transcends national borders, living in various parts of Europe and who have, over centuries of suspicion and discrimination, been stigmatized and preyed upon.

This could represent the social conditions of black populations living in mostly-white communities. And it could very well represent the social revulsion heaped upon Jews living for millennia in various countries of the world, and seen as deviant from the norms through their different religion, culture, heritage and ideology. As it happens, even when Jews and blacks had attempted to integrate into the general social structure, they were still set aside and reviled.

One might think that a minority like the Roma living in a country as civilized as the Czech Republic would no longer be threatened, harried, victimized and discriminated against. One might think the more forward-looking, socially advanced and economically advantaged a country is, the more relenting the population would be in its acceptance of those whose exterior and 'culture' remains 'different' than their own.

But the Canadian report released just recently by the Immigration and Refugee Board paints an extremely disturbing picture of a degraded society among whom Roma have been and still are facing extreme difficulties. Intimidation, physical attacks, claims of illegal acts, disallowing Roma to use public facilities, even Roma children being denied entry to restaurants are all shocking pieces of intelligence that defy civil intercourse.

That a political party could broadcast a video on Czech television calling for "the final solution" to the Roma "question" rings alarm bells in recall of the horrors of the Nazi "final solution" to the world's Jewish "problem" resulting in six million European Jews being exterminated in death camps. Arson attacks on Roma homes, unwillingness to hire Roma, lack of economic opportunities, keep the population in subdued fear and poverty.

Little wonder there are incidents of crime and a syndrome of social assistance lifestyles. Roma children are denied decent educations available to all other children of the Czech Republic; they are considered 'retarded' and only the poorest grade of education is awarded them. The high unemployment rate among Roma - an intentional by-product of racism - inadequate housing and the ongoing fear of extremist threats makes for a dreadful existence.

Little wonder then, that the Czech-Roma population is so eager to depart their country of birth, and to seek opportunities for a humane existence elsewhere.