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| Zed & Beyer |
Hindus
and Jews have expressed shock at the reported forcible eviction of Roma
(Gypsies) and burning of their settlement in Marseille (southern France) suburb
by vigilantes.
Hindu
statesman Rajan Zed; and Rabbi ElizaBeth W. Beyer, a prominent Jewish leader in
western USA; in a joint statement in Nevada (USA), said that it was unfortunate
that within the clear view of French government, helpless Roma were maltreated,
their settlement dismantled and they were forced into homelessness.
Zed,
who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, and Rabbi Beyer asked for
provision of immediate compensation to thus affected Roma and alternative
accommodation for them.
The
new socialist government headed by President Francois Hollande seemed to have
adopted the similar much-criticized policy of crackdown on Roma settlements and
deporting the poor inhabitants which was the same policy as the previous
conservative government of President Nicolas Sarkozy, Rajan Zed and ElizaBeth Beyer
argued.
Zed
and Beyer urged the Council of Europe and European Parliament to urgently
intervene and halt Hollande from demolishing Roma settlements. It was simply
inhuman to devastate the lives of voiceless Roma just to gain political
mileage.
Rajan
Zed and Rabbi Beyer questioned whether these ethnically and racially targeted
evictions were fair and just according to European Union laws which boasted of
its human rights record. It smacked of xenophobia and racism. Instead of
unleashing repression, France and Europe needed to work on social inclusion and
rehabilitation of Roma communities, which were residents of Europe since about
ninth century CE and now number around 15 million.
What
was more baffling that even religious elite of France had not come out openly
against this unjust crackdown on poor Roma while the religions clearly told us
to help the helpless, Zed and Beyer noted.
According
to reports, few dozen Roma people were forced out of this camp by a group of
vigilantes who also burnt down their camp, furniture and other items, taking
the law in their own hands after forewarning the authorities and to date no
arrests had been made. Why did the authorities not protect Roma when they had
information of the eviction beforehand, Rajan Zed and ElizaBeth Beyer asked.
Europe’s most persecuted and discriminated
community, Roma are reportedly facing apartheid conditions in Europe. Roma
reportedly regularly encounter 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., Zed and Rabbi Beyer point out.
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