August 2, 2009 has been declared the International Day of Remembrance of the Roma/Sinti victims of Hitler's Great Devouring.
On this day we ask all supporters to light a candle and to go out on the street and talk for 5 minutes about the present day situation of Roma/Sinti in Europe.
On August 2, 1944, 3000 Roma/Sinti were murdered and cremated at Auschwitz. Today, Roma/Sinti throughout Europe are experiencing escalating prejudice, racism and violence.
Here are just some examples:
Italy has implemented a program (with the help of the Red Cross) of fingerprinting all Gypsies in Italy.
Canada has decided to limit the immigration of Roma asylum seekers from the Czech Republic, despite much testimony to the situation of Roma in the Czech Republic.
Roma refugees in Northern Ireland were fire bombed in their camps.
In Hungary there have been more than 73 reported attacks against Roma this year. Robert Czorba and his 4 year old son were shot as they fled their burning home.
There are hundreds of other examples.
Please light a candle for the victims of the Devouring and present day victims of racism and hate.
Ms. Dina Babbitt, a young Jewish woman when she was confined to Auschwitz, died this Wed. July 30. She painted portraits of Roma/Sinti at Auschwitz under the orders of Joseph Mengele. She was a consistent advocate for Roma/Sinti and we are all saddened by her death. Please see earlier blog entries for more information about Ms. Babbitt.
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