Minorities
International Roma Day: Antigypsyism denounced
“We honor the dead and dishonor the living the next day”: antigypsy commissioner Mehmet Daimagüler. photo
© Britta Pedersen/dpa
During the Nazi era, Sinti and Roma were persecuted and murdered. But even today there is still agitation against the ethnic groups. On International Roma Day there will be a reception in a federal ministry – for the first time.
Antigypsyism is a form of racism that is directed against the Sinti and Roma minority, of which tens of thousands of people live in Germany. “We are committed to consistently opposing any form of antigypsyism,” Paus continued. Last December, the Bundestag recognized the persecution of the Sinti and Roma during the Nazi era, but also after 1945, as injustice across all party groups. The concrete measures that were called for at the time were a commission to deal with the injustice that had been committed and an expansion of humanitarian aid programs for survivors of Nazi persecution.
At the reception, the Federal Government’s Antigypsy Commissioner, Mehmet Daimagüler, expressed confidence that two new commissions will be set up this year to support the Roma community in Germany. In addition to coming to terms with the persecution of the minority, a permanent federal-state commission should improve communication. As far as the talks are concerned, we are on the right track. The “Tageszeitung” (taz) first reported on it.
Regarding the current situation for the Sinti and Roma, Daimagüler warned: “We honor the dead and dishonor the living the next day. We respect the dead and despise their descendants. And that is simply not possible.” He also criticized the fact that it was only this year that the first reception in a federal ministry took place on the occasion of International Roma Day on April 8th. This could have happened 30 years ago. “We must admit that we have been blind to many things in the past, but it is no excuse for remaining blind.”