Nevada (US), Aug 27 (ANI): Hindus and Jews have urged European Commission (EC) for sanctions against France for continuing the racism coated policy of Roma (Gypsy) expulsions despite widespread international criticism from various quarters.
Noted Hindu statesman Rajan Zed and Rabbi Jonathan B. Freirich, prominent Jewish leader in Nevada and California in USA; in a joint statement in Nevada today, said that it was sad to witness French President Nicolas Sarkozy stubbornly continuing with mass Roma expulsions while various European Union bodies were practically looking the other way or debating.
France, which reportedly expelled about 10, 000 Roma last year, has dismantled about 117 Roma settlements and expelled about 635 Roma during the past few weeks and has announced to demolish total 300 such camps.
It appeared that European Union had a two-tier citizenship policy. If you belonged to the "upper-class" tier, then you could travel freely anywhere in borderless Europe, but if you fell in "Roma" tier, your travels were severely restricted, Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, and Rabbi Freirich argued.
France needed to leave poor Roma alone and find another scapegoat to distract the attention of voters from real issues faced by the country. One should not face expulsion just because one was Roma-collective deportations were blatant discrimination and smelled of xenophobia, racism, and intolerance, Rajan Zed and Jonathan Freirich pointed out.
It was 21st century Europe and we were still shockingly seeing reports of military-style bulldozing of Roma settlements crushing their children's toys and detaining their children in France, Zed and Freirich said.
Europe's most persecuted and discriminated community, Roma reportedly regularly encountered 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 and Rabbi Freirich stated. (ANI)
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