At Debi Crow, via Questioning Transphobia:
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – Italy’s plan to fingerprint Roma people has received a green light from the European Commission, with Brussels’ experts suggesting that the controversial measures are not discriminatory or in breach of EU standards.
A commission spokesman told journalists on Thursday (4 September) that the practice proposed by Italian authorities earlier this year is only aimed at identifying persons “who cannot be identified in any other way” and excludes the collection of “data relating to ethnic origin or the religion of people.”
The centre-right government of Silvio Berlusconi sparked protests from human rights organisations and several in the European Parliament after announcing its plan to fingerprint Roma people – including children – as part of a census of Roma camps.[...]
“Foreign nationals, particularly from Romania,” – that’ll be the Roma, then, and yes the rise in crime was blamed on them, because of the prejudice against them already prevalent in Europe, never mind whether they actually were to blame for it or not. So, based on an assumption (and a very common one, based on a stereotype) about the Roma people, Berlusconi is allowed to openly discriminate against them by singling them out for fingerprinting to “prevent crime”. Well, why should anybody bother to find the real culprits and “prevent” real “crime” when the Roma are there in plentiful numbers, a handy scapegoat, and everyone thinks they are thieves anyway! Why, indeed. The European Commission has only achieved a furtherance of the persecution of Roma – that is all. It has said it is okay, and normal, to want to discriminate against them, by naming obviously discriminatory practices as not so.
Sign a petition to help stop the persecution of the Roma people.
Thanks for posting this. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” is a great category to have – I think I need one of those! :)
There is to be a summit of the European Parliament on 16th September concerning Roma rights. Here is a petition aimed at putting a stop to the persecution of the Roma:
http://www.gopetition.com/online/21275.html
Thanks x
Sometimes I think I overuse it, but it is my favourite category!
I signed the petition and passed it on.
Thanks! x
Romanian over here… ugh i was raised with Roma prejudice… i was taught that ‘tigane’ kill your chickens/dogs and stick their own babies under the tires of cars so they can seek compensation through litigation and what have you. i didn’t even realize that thinking Roma were naturally and generally criminals was racist until someone pointed it out to me when i was FIFTEEN, that’s how ingrained it was in me. AND I LIVED IN THE STATES.
Romanians like to think that Ceasescu tried to ‘help’ the Romany… it is bullshit… and i am so sick of romanians hiding behind that and stories about how the Roma stole their hubcaps to continue their systemic abuse towards them.
i’m not sure what the point of this comment was. i just wanted to share my thoughts i guess. :\