FAR RIGHT GAINS CLOUT IN AUSTRIA

The anti-immigrant, extreme right party in Austria made gigantic gains in Sunday's parlimentary elections.

Anti-Roma, anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant sentiments have been powerful and growing in Europe recently and this victory of the far right Freedom Party and the Alliance for Austria's Future is terrifying. Immigrants are being blamed for all the economic woes in Austria and throughout Europe.

JUST ANOTHER DAY

I wish I understood economics more. All I know at the moment is that I am really happy that the Bush administration's bail out proposal was defeated.
A good article appeared in today's Seattle Times, written by Sirota. His webpage address is http://www.credoaction.com/sirota. Check it out.

FW: [Romano Liloro] ERIO PRESS RELEASE ON THE EQUALITY SUMMIT

--- On Mon, 9/29/08, Morgan Ahern <> wrote: From: Morgan Ahern <> Subject: FW: [Romano Liloro] ERIO PRESS RELEASE ON THE EQUALITY SUMMIT To: punkaheron@yahoo.com Date: Monday, September 29, 2008, 11:12 AM   From: Romano_Liloro@googlegroups.com on behalf of ERIO News Sent: Mon 9/29/2008 10:37 AM To: Roma_Daily_News@yahoogroups.com Subject: [Romano Liloro] ERIO PRESS RELEASE ON THE EQUALITY SUMMIT   PRESS RELEASE ON THE EQUALITY SUMMIT   Brussels, September 29th, 2008 – The European Roma Information Office (ERIO) welcomes the Equality Summit in Paris, initiated by the French Presidency of the European Union. The event provides the perfect opportunity to a large number of civil society representatives to gather with high level politicians and decision-makers for two days (Monday 29th and Tuesday 30th) to have a dialogue and discussion.   It is building up on such initiatives that Europe's civil society movement could improve its action to defend the rights to equal treatment and non-discrimination in all the 27 EU countries. Since respect of equality is a Europe-wide issue, we need a European civil society joint action in order to promote broadly the principle of equal treatment and raise awareness among citizens about its importance in a European Union that wants to respect its own values.   On the other hand, we don't have to applaud blindly the efforts of these high-profile initiatives such this one, because the French Presidency and all its European partners are not always the best example in promoting equal opportunities, non-discrimination and social inclusion.   Thursday September 25th, the European Council of Ministers approved the Immigration Pact, an agreement that will tighten up the access of a huge number of poor, desperate and endangered people to the EU countries, including Roma from the Western Balkans. Asylum seekers and migrants will have more difficult life: European governments will consider them not as potential citizens or people in need but only as a good source of cheap labour. Migrants' families will have more problems in reunification and their quest for a better life will be jeopardized by insurmountable red-tapes. These problems will be particularly harming for Roma from the Western Balkans, who already suffer difficult life conditions in countries like Italy, where they took shelter from the wars in the '90s in the former Yugoslavia block .   This attitude will create a Europe with first- and second-class citizens, where only skilled workers from outside Europe could find their place, leaving thousands of others without any hope. This approach bears very little in the sense of equality.   Roma and all socially deprived and excluded people alike need a more open and constructive approach. We hope that the Equality summit will give to the European non-discrimination movement a good momentum to build up a stronger advocacy for effective implementation of equal opportunity policies, at the same time to counter the sometimes populist and discriminating policies of the European governments.   Ivan Ivanov, ERIO's executive Director stated: "Roma should get the most benefits from the anti-discrimination legislation, because they are the more discriminated and excluded ethnic group in Europe. For this same reason, Roma activists and organisations could and should be the driving force in the EU Equality Agenda. Finally, we have to remember that the final objective of our and policy-makers activity shall be the full social inclusion of discriminated groups as Roma, whose anti-discrimination rights are only the first step of their full citizenship status".   For more inquiries contact ERIO's Executive Director, Ivan Ivanov: +32 473 823887   _______________________________________   The European Roma Information Office (ERIO) is an international advocacy organization, which promotes political and public discussion on Roma issues by providing factual and in-dept information on a range of policy issues to the European Union institutions, Roma civil organizations, governmental authorities and intergovernmental bodies.   The ERIO cooperates with a network of a large number of organizations and acts to combat racial discrimination and social exclusion through awareness raising, lobbying and policy development.   ERIO Ave. Edouard Lacomble 17 Brussels 1040 Belgium   Tel:      0032(0)27333462                       Fax:     0032(0)27333875         For more information:   E-mail: ivan.ivanov@erionet.org   www.erionet.org     --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Romano_Liloro" group. To post to this group, send email to Romano_Liloro@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to Romano_Liloro+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Romano_Liloro?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---

VICTORY IN IRAQ

Would someone please define for me what exactly is meant by Victory in Iraq.
I ask this question after watching the presidential debate.

ROMANI CHILDREN IN CZECH ORPHANAGES

The Czech Government said today that they are now opening potential adoptions of Gypsy children in orphanages to people outside of the Czech Republic. This decision was made after a study showing that Gypsy children ARE NEVER ADOPTED by Czech citizens. It's amazing they needed a study to show them that fact.

The interesting thing about todays news release is that it states that Italians are among those non-Czechs interested in adopting Gypsy children. That statement is mind numbing considering the treatment of Gypsies (and Gypsy children) in Italy. Does anyone remember the 2 dead Gypsy girls on the Italian beach. The fingerprinting of all Roma in Italy continues.

DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN

Sept 24, 1869----Thousands of businesses were ruined in a Wall Street panic known as "Black Friday" after millionaires Jay Gould and James Frick attempted to corner the gold market. This is the same James Frick who survived an assassination attempt by Alexander Berkman, the reknowned Anarchist and lover of Emma Goldman.

Fwd: The Power of negative thinking

--- On Thu, 9/25/08, Tova Stabin <> wrote: From: ; Subject: Fwd: The Power of negative thinking To: Date: Thursday, September 25, 2008, 7:43 AM tova stabin "Your silence will not protect you." - Audre Lorde Begin forwarded message: The power of negative thinking By Barbara Ehrenreich Wednesday, September 24, 2008 Greed - and its crafty sibling, speculation - are the designated culprits for the financial crisis. But another, much admired, habit of mind should get its share of the blame: the delusional optimism of mainstream, all-American, positive thinking. As promoted by Oprah Winfrey, scores of megachurch pastors and an endless flow of self-help best sellers, the idea is to firmly believe that you will get what you want, not only because it will make you feel better to do so, but because "visualizing" something - ardently and with concentration - actually makes it happen. You will be able to pay that adjustable-rate mortgage or, at the other end of the transaction, turn thousands of bad mortgages into giga-profits if only you believe that you can. Positive thinking is endemic to American culture - from weight loss programs to cancer support groups - and in the last two decades it has put down deep roots in the corporate world as well. Everyone knows that you won't get a job paying more than $15 an hour unless you're a "positive person," and no one becomes a chief executive by issuing warnings of possible disaster. The tomes in airport bookstores' business sections warn against "negativity" and advise the reader to be at all times upbeat, optimistic, brimming with confidence. It's a message companies relentlessly reinforced - treating their white-collar employees to manic motivational speakers and revival-like motivational events, while sending the top guys off to exotic locales to get pumped by the likes of Tony Robbins and other success gurus. Those who failed to get with the program would be subjected to personal "coaching" or shown the door. The once-sober finance industry was not immune. On their Web sites, motivational speakers proudly list companies like Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch among their clients. What's more, for those at the very top of the corporate hierarchy, all this positive thinking must not have seemed delusional at all. With the rise in executive compensation, bosses could have almost anything they wanted, just by expressing the desire. No one was psychologically prepared for hard times when they hit, because, according to the tenets of positive thinking, even to think of trouble is to bring it on. Americans did not start out as deluded optimists. The original ethos, at least of white Protestant settlers and their descendants, was a grim Calvinism that offered wealth only through hard work and savings, and even then made no promises at all. You might work hard and still fail; you certainly wouldn't get anywhere by adjusting your attitude or dreamily "visualizing" success. Calvinists thought "negatively," as we would say today, carrying a weight of guilt and foreboding that sometimes broke their spirits. It was in response to this harsh attitude that positive thinking arose - among mystics, lay healers and transcendentalists - in the 19th century, with its crowd-pleasing message that God, or the universe, is really on your side, that you can actually have whatever you want, if the wanting is focused enough. When it comes to how we think, "negative" is not the only alternative to "positive." As the case histories of depressives show, consistent pessimism can be just as baseless and deluded as its opposite. The alternative to both is realism - seeing the risks, having the courage to bear bad news and being prepared for famine as well as plenty. We Americans ought to give it a try. Barbara Ehrenreich is the author, most recently, of "This Land Is Their Land: Reports From a Divided Nation."

IMPEACH BUSH AND CHENEY

From a message from IMPEACH BUSH:

Five members of Veterans for Peace are occupying a 35 foot high ledge at the National Archive Building.

They have raised a large banner reading :

DEFEND OUR CONSTITUTION. ARREST BUSH AND CHENEY, WAR CRIMINALS.

For more information, see

http://www.VoteToImpeach.org

OH MY

I really wish I had more of a grasp on economics. I do know that I have a bad feeling about this "buy out". We should nationalize the oil industry instead.

Remember the scandal last week about the employees of the Interior Department office in Denver ? The very employees responsible for collecting fees from energy companies drilling on federal land have been caught in various outrageous examples of official misconduct, including sex, drugs and partying with representatives of ENERGY COMPANIES.
As the editorial in the Seattle Times says
"....In the midst of an epic financial crisis hemorrhaging money from the US Treasury, the new scandal raises questions about the collection of oil and gas royalties owed to the government...."

Also in today's news, the Environmental Protection Agency (yeah sure) announced that there is no need to rid drinking water of perchlorate, a toxic rocket fuel that has been found in at least 395 sites in 35 states. The levels found are high enough to interfere with thyroid function and pose serious developmental risks in babies and fetuses.

M. Ahern has sent you an email

This is a good article from Aljazeera News.
It addresses the rise of the ultra right in Hungary. The xenophobic right is on the rise throughout Europe, east and west.
The particular incident reported in this article concerns an attack on participants at a conference on Rroma rights.

Al Jazeera.Net

M. AHERN () wants you to see following article


Protesters fight Hungarian police

( http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2008/09/2008921143059791261.html )

Also he/she attached you the following message:

HEADLINE

I read a headline in the Seattle Times the other day.

PIT BULLS SHOT BY DEPUTIES KNOWN TO RUN WILD IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

I love misplaced modifiers. They so often speak the truth.

THIS AND THAT

Martin Sobell, who was tried and convicted of espionage with the Rosenbergs in 1953, has recently admitted that he was a spy, but he only worked with Julius Rosenberg and the Greenglasses, Ethel's brother and sister in law. This admission bolstered the long held theory that while Julius did send information to the Soviet Union (who were our allies at the time), Ethel was completely innocent.
Even prosecuting Ethel, the mother of two small children was indicted as a ploy to get Julius to confess. Ethel, however, called their bluff and refused to testify against her husband. In 1953 she was electrocuted by the United States government.
The recent release of grand jury testimony from the trial never mentioned Ethel typing the notes for Julius, which was the main allegation which led to her conviction and state sanctioned murder.

In other news, Ed Koch, the previous ultra conservative mayor of New York City has said he will vote for Obama because he is terrified by the Republican ticket. He said that Sarah Palin is totally scary, especially in how she encourages and fosters cultural strife. hi ho.

EU's_first_'Roma_summit'_draws_crowds_and_controversy

This article "EU's_first_'Roma_summit'_draws_crowds_and_controversy" was sent from M. Ahern:
http://www.euractiv.com/en/socialeurope/eu-roma-summit-draws-crowds-controversy/article-175463
---------------------------------------------------------------
With the message:

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Forwarded from seattlepi.com: Thousands lead invisible life in Italy

M. Ahern () has sent the following story to you
from seattlepi.com.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Thousands lead invisible life in Italy
ROME -- They speak Italian, eat Italian and cheer for Italy's
soccer stars, but they are not Italian. In fact, it's hard to
say what they are.
* Read the full article at:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1103ap_invisible_in_italy.html

SARAH PALIN

I wish that Rosanne Rosannadanna was here to do an interview with Sarah Palin.

"Princess Sarah, Princess Sarah, you have toilet paper stuck to your "red, peep-toe Naughty Monkey pumps with 3 1/2 inch heels".

Tolerance.ca

J'ai lu un article très intéressant sur le site de www.tolerance.ca ayant pour titre « Hindus want emergence of concrete roadmap for social inclusion of Roma in Tuesday's "EU Roma Summit" ». Il suffit de cliquer sur le lien suivant pour le lire :

 > http://www.tolerance.ca/Article.aspx?ID=21851

Envoyé par M. Ahern
Courriel :

AND A DAY IT WAS

ROMA CAMP IN ITALY


Oh where to start. It's been a few days since I made an entry and things are hopping. So here we go.

Sept. 9Th was the anniversary of the 1971 uprising at Attica State Penitentiary in New York. 43 people, mostly prisoners were killed before it was over.

Sept. 11Th (1973)is the anniversary of the violent overthrow, with US backing, of the leftist government of Salvador Allende of Chile.
In related news, the president of Bolivia, Evo Morales, has expelled the United States ambassador for inciting violence.

Jim McDermott has signed on to impeach George W. Bush. Better late than never Jim.

Gloria Steinem has written a good article on Sarah Palin. It's in the LA Times on 9/4/08. I hope you can look it up. I just couldn't get the link to work.

In Seattle, police have started carrying tiny cameras which can videotape for 4 hours at a time. They've already been seen filming demonstrators with their little cameras. Am I the only one outraged ?

The European Union has decreed that Italy is NOT violating anyone's rights by systematically fingerprinting the Sinti Roma. Meanwhile, a Romani news crew was denied entrance to Camp Castillano, the oldest and most notorious of the "camps" for Roma in Italy

Yesterday I heard a wonderful interview on KUOW/NPR with a philosopher from Slovenia named Slavoj Zizek. He's written over 30 books, the latest called VIOLENCE.
He talked about many things dear to my heart including
that Americans recognize physical violence but ignore institutional and ideological violence. We try to fix immediate problems, like hunger here, starvation in Africa, but refuse to address the underlying philosophies which cause them.
My favorite part was when he talked about liberal philanthropists, like Bill Gates, and even George Soros, who does a lot for Roma in Europe. They give away lots of money but first accumulated it by any means necessary.
He even addressed the issue of "tolerance" (gag me) but I'll write more on that later.

Tolerance.ca

Here's another very good article, despite the title--tolerance.


J'ai lu un article très intéressant sur le site de www.tolerance.ca ayant pour titre « "Treat Roma people with respect", Indo-American leader urges Italy and Europe ». Il suffit de cliquer sur le lien suivant pour le lire :

 > http://www.tolerance.ca/Article.aspx?ID=21671

Envoyé par M. Ahern
Courriel :

ASTROLAND CONEY ISLAND

Astroland Park, Coney Island Brooklyn is closing for good this Saturday night. The park has been owned by the same family for over forty years.

The 3 acre site was bought by Thor Equities, a private developer. Rumor has it that condos are being planned on the prime beach fromt property. I guess the property has been wasted on the commoners all these years.


I'm really confused about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mack. I just keep thinking that if Hugo Chavez had 'taken over' an equivalent institution, the US would be calling him all sorts of unsavory names. Deja vu.

These topics do tie in together.

Fw: Tolerance.ca

This is a very good article. It's long but provides good background as well as current events.

--- On Sun, 9/7/08, <> wrote: From: M. Ahern <> Subject: Tolerance.ca To: punkaheron@yahoo.com Date: Sunday, September 7, 2008, 9:03 AM J'ai lu un article très intéressant sur le site de www.tolerance.ca ayant pour titre « Italy: The Persecution of the Roma People ». Il suffit de cliquer sur le lien suivant pour le lire :  > http://www.tolerance.ca/Article.aspx?ID=21428 Envoyé par M. Ahern Courriel :

WHAT A WORLD

I just heard an interview with Amy Goodman of Democracy Now about her arrest at the Republican National Convention. Fortunately, there is a video of Amy's interaction with the storm troopers, oops, I mean the police. It is vital that all charges against Goodman and her crew be dropped. But besides that, it is very important that we confront the actions of the police in Minnesota and Denver about the treatment of opposition demonstrators. Charges do need to be filed, but against the police rather than demonstrators or observers.
I already said that the Republican convention reminded me of "Triumph of the Will" the Nazi propaganda film made by Leni Riefenstahl. And the beat goes on.....

And while I feel bad for Sarah Palin's teenage daughter and appreciate her need for privacy, I also find it interesting that Sarah Palin would deny the rights of any woman seeking an abortion, REGARDLESS OF THE REASON.

And, I was happy to read that community organizers across the country are outraged by Sarah Palin's insults to the vital work they do. Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were community organizers. Martin Luther King Jr was a community organizer. Shall I go on listing community organizers.

The European Union has announced that Italy's policy of fingerprinting Roma/Sinti does not violate European Union's criteria for human rights. What a surprise.....NOT.
Years ago the European Union said that one criteria for a country joining the Union was their treatment of Roma. They said that Roma should be treated with the same respect with which they are treated in original Union countries. The only trouble with this criteria is that Roma are treated terribly in ALL EUROPEAN COUNTRIES from England to Italy.
What is surprising is that the Vatican is supporting the rights of Sinti/Roma and still condemning the policies of the Berlusconi government.

In my final news of the day, we are making another effort to convince the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum to return Dina Babbitt's watercolor paintings of the Roma in Auschwitz. For more information on this case see previous entries on this blog or google Dina Babbitt.

MARGARET THATCHER

The word is that Margaret Thatcher suffers from dementia.

I fail to see how that is news as many of us knew that in the 1980's, especially when she let Bobby Sands (and others) starve to death.

CINDY MCCAIN AND RUDYARD KIPLING

On the first night of the Republican convention and again tonight, on the last night, the 'two little brown babies rescued from a Mother Theresa orphanage in Bangladesh' were exploited on national tv.

Did I already say "gag me with Rudyard Kipling and the white man's burden" ?

BBC E-mail: Grappling with a Roma identity

This is a good article from the BBC. I'm anxious to see this movie.


M. Ahern saw this story on the BBC News website and thought you
should see it.

** Grappling with a Roma identity **
The BBC World News series Life on the Edge meets a film director in Hungary who is in a dilemma about his Roma roots.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/europe/7591669.stm >

** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/email >

**

REPUBLICAN CONVENTION

I watched the Republican convention tonight and I am totally unnerved by the experience. I don't recall hearing a right wing diatribe like the one Mitt Romney delivered. David Duke excluded.

The whole experience reminded me of Leni Reifenstahl's movie Triumph of the Will which was a documentary of the Nazi Party.

I'm scared actually.

ROMA AND TRAVELERS

Roma and Travelers in England held an awareness fair in a small town outside of London. They displayed traditional arts and crafts including the wooden PEG, which is a clothespin invented generations ago by the Roma.

Anyone older than clothes dryers knows the sociological and practical importance of the clothespin. And you thought all we did was dance. Ha.

WHAT A WORLD

Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma is reportedly losing weight at an alarming rate. The military government, which has held her prisoner for many years, is denying that she is on a hunger strike.

250 people were arrested after an anti war march by the Republican convention,including Amy Goodman of Democracy Now.

And I've been watching the republican convention. Gag me with Rudyard Kipling. One of the first scenes/speeches was about Cindy McCain "saving" 2 babies of color from a Mother Theresa orphanage. The McCains adopted one girl, and their (white) friend adopted the other.
Both girls, now 17, appeared with their adoptive parent, one actually at the podium. Not a word was heard from either girl. They just grinned adoringly.

Later.....

Recommended reading at SPLCenter.org

Following is a link to a very good article on the situation in Italy, written by the Southern Poverty Law Center.


A friend has recommended this SPLCenter.org page to you:
http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?aid=946

SPLCenter.org is the website of the Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to seeking justice, monitoring hate, and promoting tolerance. To learn more about the Center, you can visit its website, http://www.splcenter.org.

DEL MARTIN

Del Martin, an early Lesbian rights activist, died last night in California. She was 87 years old. Del Martin married her long time partner, Phyllis Lyon in June, one of the first couples to wed after California granted that right to same sex couples.

In 1955 Emmett Till, a black teen from Chicago, was abducted from his relatives' house in Miss. He was taken by white men after he supposedly whistled at a white woman. Days later Till was found dead.

In 1963 Dr. Martin Luther King delivered the "I have a dream speech" before over 200,000 participants in a civil rights rally in Washington D.C.

The experience of Gypsies and Travellers in Britain

Sender's name: M. Ahern

Sender's message:

____________________

Article from Socialist Worker (Britain) 2116, 30 August 2008 (www.socialistworker.co.uk)

____________________

THE EXPERIENCE OF GYPSIES AND TRAVELLERS IN BRITAIN

Emma Nuttall from the Friends, Families and Travellers charity works with English Romany Gypsies and Irish Travellers. She spoke to Sadie Robinson about the struggles they endure

Gypsies and Travellers in Britain are socially excluded, powerless and often quite dispersed. The lack of resources and services available to them has a drastic impact on their lives. Educational achievement among Gypsies and Travellers is the lowest of any ethnic group in Britain.

They have the highest rate of infant mortality, the lowest life expectancy and higher rates of maternal deaths. Gypsies and Travellers live between ten and 12 years less than the settled population. They have higher rates of anxiety and depression.

You're incredibly vulnerable if you're camped out on the roadside. We've had cases where people have been firebombed.

I think the tabloid press encourages people to see Gypsies and Travellers as not being human. This makes them victims of the last socially acceptable racism. But the reality is that where there are well established sites there are usually no problems.

Currently there are about 4,500 Gypsy and Traveller families in England that don't have an official site to live on. So they stop on the roadside and get moved on. We've worked with some families that have been moved over 50 times in a year.

Compulsory

The tabloid newspapers say it's outrageous that families are living on the roadside but they don't ask why the families are there – they haven't got an authorised site to live on.

This makes it very difficult to access education, employment and healthcare, not to mention basics like electricity and running water.

Local authorities used to have a duty to provide sites for Gypsies and Travellers under the 1968 Caravan Sites Act. People paid council tax and paid rent to live there.

The Tories' Criminal Justice Act in 1994 changed this. They thought that it was too costly to provide sites and that Gypsies and Travellers should buy their own land.

The act also recommended that local authorities should identify which land would be suitable for Gypsy and Traveller sites. But this wasn't compulsory – and only one local authority followed the advice.

This meant that whatever land Gypsies or Travellers bought was disputed. People would pressure councillors and say they didn't want gypsies living near them. Councillors wouldn't identify land that could be used for sites.

The Housing Act in 2004 introduced a duty on councils to do what they called a "Gypsy and Traveller accommodation needs assessment".

The act said that once the councils worked out how many pitches on sites were needed, the local authority had to allocate suitable land to meet that need. Their housing strategy would also have to say how the sites would be delivered.

But the problem is that, where many Travellers have bought land, they haven't managed to obtain planning permission.

The main stumbling block with the 2004 act is the length of time the process takes. It is so slow. Meanwhile you've got thousands of families stuck on the roadside.

For more about the work of Friends, Families and Travellers, go to »&nbsp;www.gypsy-traveller.org

____________________

original article at

http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=15822

Attacks on Roma echo a warning from history

Here's another excellent article. I urge you to visit the original article because it provides links to other good articles.




Sender's name: M. Ahern

Sender's message:

____________________

Article from Socialist Worker (Britain) 2116, 30 August 2008 (www.socialistworker.co.uk)

____________________

ATTACKS ON ROMA ECHO A WARNING FROM HISTORY

John Sinha reports from Rome in the aftermath of a wave of attacks on Roma Gypsy people across Italy

&raquo;&nbsp;Jess Hurd's photographs

The image of a Roma Gypsy camp being burnt to the ground by a mob in Naples, Italy, in May shocked the world. It was just one incident in a rising tide of anti-immigrant and anti-Roma racism that has swept Italy following the re-election of Silvio Berlusconi's right wing government.

The new government has launched an offensive against the Roma and other immigrants. It aims to make all Roma inhabitants – citizens and non-citizens, adults and children – to submit to fingerprinting for a racial database.

Some 900 soldiers have been mobilised against immigrants in Rome, Italy's capital city. Gianni Alemanno, the mayor of Rome, said the number of Roma camps would be reduced in the capital, with the people living there moved into "solidarity villages".

The right wing Northern League, which is part of Berlusconi's government, has organised campaigns against Roma camps, sparking vicious attacks on them.

Ettore Fusco, the League's mayor of Opera, said at a council meeting about a Roma shantytown, "Let's all go and resist. Residents' interests don't include solidarity with travellers." The shantytown was set on fire later that evening.

Persecution

The increased persecution of Roma across Italy is the most recent example of the horrific oppression the Roma have faced for generations.

The Roma are a distinct ethnic group. There are thought to be over 12 million Roma spread across many countries throughout the world today. Official numbers are not available as they are often not recorded in official census counts.

The Roma have faced large-scale, state-sponsored persecution. The Nazi Holocaust during the Second World War saw the slaughter of six million Jews. The Nazi's racism also extended to the Roma – up to 1.5 million were killed.

Today, although Roma Gypsies have become more established and integrated, they remain one of the most marginalised and persecuted groups in Europe. They face poverty, ill health, racism, violent attacks and unemployment.

The recent experience in Italy shows that the scapegoating of the Roma for society's problems continues to this day.

'Where we live isn't fit for dogs'

We spoke to a Roma woman who lives at the Via della Martora nomad camp situated on the outskirts of Rome.

"I've lived in Italy for 17 years. I was born in Serbia, but my parents died here and are buried here. All my children were born here. We lost everything when we left Serbia – we have no ties left with that country.

"Where we live isn't even fit for dogs. Look at how we live – we are next to an open sewer. In the winter we have a major fire risk because these shacks are all made of wood. My shack has burned down three times. Once when it burned down we were left with nothing but the clothes we were wearing.

"Our shack is also damp because of the mud from the sewer. We have one toilet to serve over 100 people. We have to wash ourselves from a plastic tub. The council does nothing for us.

"There is mud everywhere. When my daughter goes to school I have to carry a flannel with me to remove the mud from her shoes. I don't want my children to have this life."

'My children have been taken into care'

Cazim Rustic and his family are homeless and spend their lives near Tiburtina railway station in Rome. They told us about the tragedies that have hit their lives.

"I have lived in Italy since 1969," said Cazim. "We have been homeless for the past 12 years. All of my family are living in car parks. My wife had bronchitis. She caught a cold from sleeping outside. We sent her to the hospital. The following day she died."

Miso, Cazim's son, told us, "I was born here in Rome – but the authorities put me in detention for 60 days for no reason. They won't give me a passport or an ID card.

"My brother Adja was killed by a drunken Italian motorist six weeks ago. He died because he was sleeping in the streets."

Adja's widow said, "My children were taken into care because I was living in the streets. The authorities tell me I can't have my children back until I find a home."

'The government sends soldiers against us'

Cesim Casic lives at the Via Pontina camp 20 miles outside Rome next to a busy dual carriageway.

"I am 24 years old," he said. "I was born here in Rome, but I'm still a foreigner. My children were born here. They too remain foreigners.

"We are in the same position as clandestine immigrants who come from Africa or Albania. I have never been to the land of my parents.

"It seems as if Italy is becoming like the 1940s when Benito Mussolini and the fascists were in charge. For me this is no longer a free country. The government is putting soldiers on the streets against immigrants. Why? We are not at war."

'My children have to play in dust'

Zubeida Hibeshid is a 62 year old woman who also lives at the Via Pontina camp. "I came here from Bosnia with my husband 40 years ago," she said.

"I was living in another camp in Rome until two years ago. It was much better than here. We built our own shacks and had our market stalls.

"Now the council has put us in these metal boxes in the middle of nowhere. They are too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. We do not have adequate running water or electricity. This place is laid out like a concentration camp.

"And if you don't have a car, you are a prisoner here. Look at the dust my children have to play in. It is no good for their health. All my children were born here. But they are not citizens and receive no welfare."

These interviews and more will appear next issue of Reel News, the anti&#8209;capitalist DVD magazine. Go to » www.reelnews.co.uk

____________________

original article at

http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=15821

VIRTUAL FENCE

Work on the virtual fence project scheduled on the border between Mexico and Arizona has been stopped indefinitely.

The Interior Department has rejected an environmental assessment made by the U.S. Border Patrol.

That laughable assessment said that..."towers with radar, cameras and communications equipment would have no significant impact on Interior Department Lands."

The proposed fence is part of the Bush Government's war against immigrants.

DINA BABBITT

We are still trying to secure the return of Dina Babbitt's heartfelt and brilliant portraits of the Roma at Auschwitz. Please check into this situation (photo and information on this blog, Sat. 26 Aug. 08) and think what we can do.

Pope appears to back fascism warning

Here's another good article. Perhaps there's more to El Popo than I realized.

Message:

Pope appears to back fascism warning

August 20, 2008 - 12:00AM
To view the entire article, click on: http://www.theage.com.au/world/pope-appears-to-back-fascism-warning-20080819-3y85.html

VOTES

On August 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which guarantees the right of all American women to vote, was ratified as Tennessee became the 36th state to approve it. Neither Susan B Anthony, nor Elizabeth Cady Stanton lived to see the day.

In related news, Dino Rossi, Republican candidate for governor of Washington, is referring to himself as a member of the GOP (Grand Ole Party) in all his ads. Hmmm. Is he trying to trick people into thinking he's not a Republican. Ha.

THE GUARDIAN ARTICLE

The entry below is the link to a very good article. It's pretty long, but if you can, take a look at it. Contains a lot of information about the situation of Roma/Sinti in Italy and in the Balkans...

There is also a photo show with the article and I recommend it.

[From: M. Ahern] 'Why do the Italians hate us?'

M. Ahern spotted this on the guardian.co.uk site and thought you should see it.

To see this story with its related links on the guardian.co.uk site, go to http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/aug/17/familyandrelationships.roma

'Why do the Italians hate us?'

[From: M. Ahern] Czech far-right party activist to address BNP

M. Ahern spotted this on the guardian.co.uk site and thought you should see it.

To see this story with its related links on the guardian.co.uk site, go to http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/aug/16/thefarright.roma

Czech far-right party activist to address BNP
Jo Adetunji
Saturday August 16 2008
The Guardian

The head of an ultra-right wing party which advocates a "final solution" for Roma in the Czech Republic is due to speak at the annual festival held by the British National party today. Petra Edelmannova, chair of the Czech National party, is booked to give a 25-minute speech at the BNP's Red White and Blue festival in the village of Denby in Derbyshire.

The event faces strong opposition from local residents and anti-racism campaigners who are mounting a demonstration. The protest has been organised by a number of groups including Unite Against Facism (UAF), Love Music Hate Racism and Derby Racial Equality Council. The TUC and unions CWU and Unite are giving their support. UAF said it was expecting more than 500 people and coaches from around the country.

Edelmannova's party recently announced it was working on a 150-page "study" called The Final Solution to the Gypsy Issue in the Czech Lands, which it said it would present as part of a 2010 general election campaign.

Although the title evokes the Nazi plan to eradicate Jews in wartime Germany, the party told Lidove Noviny, a national Czech newspaper, its aim is only to offer Roma voluntary relocation to land bought in India. The NS is a marginal party in the Czech Republic, gaining only 0.17% of votes in the 2006 parliamentary elections. Judy Mallaber, MP for Amber Valley, said she had deep concerns. "[The BNP's] attempts to present a respectable image are still masking some deeply disturbing underlying views."

Simon Darby, deputy leader of the BNP, said: "There is a Gypsy problem there. What's wrong with people who talk frankly about their problems?"

Copyright Guardian Newspapers Limited 2008

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THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN ITALY

Here's an interesting tidbit.

This week,"Familia Cristina" Catholic Newspaper in Italy, condemned Berlosconi's Nothern League's policies towards Roma/Sinti.
The newspaper compared the policies of the present right wing Italian government with those of Mussolini's government towards Jews and Gypsies in the 1930's-40's.

Not surprisingly to students of history, the official voice of the Catholic Church has distanced themselves from the condemnation of the racist policies of the present Italian government by "Famiglia Cristina".

Whoa. Deja Vu all over again.

It is no surprise that the "official" Catholic position is one of appeasement. Exactly the same as during the WWII times.

Several Catholic newspapers in the United States supported the position of Famiglia Cristina. This is good news.

This reminds me of Liberation Theology, under which philosophy, Catholics all across Latin America supported the struggles of common people over those of the ruling class. Once again, the Vatican and "official" Catholics begged to differ.
Amen, eh?

PHILIPPE PETIT

In August 1974, a young Frenchman secretly rigged a cable between the World Trade Center Twin Towers in Manhattan, and proceeded to walk across the cable 1/4 mile above the street.

He crossed between the towers 8 times in 1 hour.

He was immediately arrested when he returned to the tower after his 8th crossing.

He had captured the heart of New York City, and thanks to public support, his punishment was to perform (in controlled and lower venues)for the city's children for free.

This seemed like justice as it should be.

Of course, in the same time period, people were slaughtered at Attica, life sentences were being imposed for people caught with any amount of marijuana, Mamia Abu Jamal....

You can Google Philippe Petit for several good articles.
There is also a new movie about him and the World Trade Center named
MAN ON WIRE