Group wants Gypsy apartheid issue
highlighted
Hindus want maiden Albanian
Chairmanship (May 23 to November nine) of Council of Europe Committee of
Ministers to highlight the issue of about 15-million European Roma (Gypsies),
who are facing apartheid conditions.
Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said
that it meant that new Albanian Chairmanship should not stay apathetic and silent spectator when fellow
Roma brothers/sisters were reportedly facing blatant injustice and
discrimination in Europe. He urged
Albanian Chairmanship and President Bamir Topi and Prime Minister Sali Berisha
to show strong political will, courage, and commitment in support of Roma
cause.
Zed, who is President of Universal
Society of Hinduism, pointed out that European Roma reportedly regularly faced
social exclusion, racism, substandard education, hostility, joblessness,
rampant illness, inadequate housing, lower life expectancy, unrest, living on
desperate margins, stereotypes, mistrust, rights violations, discrimination,
marginalization, appalling living conditions, prejudice, human rights abuse,
etc.
Rajan Zed urged Albania to also
urgently empower and integrate its own vulnerable Roma community, who were reportedly
trapped in extreme and chronic poverty and had suffered social exclusion and
economic marginalization for a long period. About 80 percent of Roma reportedly
still lived below poverty line and had been practically excluded from the
economic growth of Albania.
Zed, however, commended Albania
for its recent “Inclusion of Young Roma in the University System” program.
Zed noted that Albania, the country
of Mother Teresa, Skanderbeg, beautiful pristine beaches on Ionian Coast,
fascinating classical sites like ancient Berat, dramatic mountain citadels; and
whose history went back to prehistoric times, should do more to uplift Roma
brothers/sisters as Roma apartheid was the biggest issue facing Europe today.
Hinduism is oldest and third largest
religion of the world with about billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is
its ultimate goal.
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