Roma Passport

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

Who do you entrust your data to? A private individual or some organization – no scrutiny or oversight as to how, aside from putting together the passport, your information is being used, and for what other purposes.

After all you are required to send in a photocopy of your own national passport. This is, in fact, a felony in many jurisdiction and countries around the globe.

There are, at present, at least three (3) individuals and organizations playing passport office. Would you trust this? I would not. Especially as this useless passport will cost around $100 each.

If this Roma Passport would be to give those Rom who do not have an official citizenship – and there are many of them – then I would welcome this idea, to a great extent at least – but as you are required to send in a photocopy of a passport that you already got, which means you have citizenship in this or that country, why would anyone want a document (and pay around $100 for such a toy) that is not going to be accepted at any time soon, if ever, by the Gadje border agencies, and other agencies.

For those Rom, and there are thousands of them, who do not have identity papers and thus are stateless such a document, if accepted by the powers-that-be, would make sense but otherwise it is just an expensive gimmick, expensive on several levels. And, the way it is, at present, that is all that it is. Nothing but a harebrained scheme, probably intended to make money for some.

We saw something something similar to this, I would suggest, years ago when Macedonian Roma refugees in Germany were promised UN passports, so-walled “white passports”, by a certain organization in Germany, against payment of 200 DM each, which never, obviously, materialized, as they could not. Many of the “victims”, alas, believed in those promises of those passports and that those would give them the right to stay in Germany and paid the money. They did not even believe people, Rom, from other organizations, who told them that this was a scam.

How many Rom will believe the story of those Roma Passports, whether issued by the IRU (or whoever else), as being legitimate identification and travel documents (which they are not and will and, with 99% certainty, never will be and become)? Quite a lot of those that are undocumented and thus they will sacrifice a lot to buy such a passport (if they can) which may get them into more trouble than not having papers at all. It is time to put an end to those scam merchants.

2024 © Michael Smith / O NEVO DROM 

Roma(ni) Homeland

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

This is another one of those weird and “wonderful” ideas on which effort, time and resources are being wasted. Effort, time and resources that should be used in much more important way where the matter is one of life or death. 

Autonomous regions and areas maybe but a homeland? 

A large autonomous region, possibly in the nowadays almost depopulated rural steppe of Russia, as long as it does not turn into a Pale, or similar areas in some other countries, including Brazil, might be one course to proceed but a homeland proper which might, nay will, mean displacing others is definitely not a route to travel. In other countries this could be autonomous areas – smaller than regions – but again a homeland proper, as in country, will for ever be a dream for when realized it will become a nightmare. 

Who would we like to dispossess, in the way the Zionists have done with the Palestinians, in order to set up our own country? Do we really want to make ourselves more unpopular that we already are? Also, a homeland means the need for defense.

The example of the Sorbs and Wends in Germany, who are a recognized minority in Germany and have something akin to their own parliament, the Domowina, may be another way but not a “homeland” as in country. 

All this, in the same way as the “Roma Passport” idea (more about that in more detail later), and others, just detracts and diverts attention, effort, and money away from issues that are of real importance and a matter of life or death, as said above. 

As far as the “Roma Passport” is concerned the question is who do you entrust your data and personal information to in this case and how secure, or not, for that matter, is that information going to be in whoever's database or filing cabinet it may end up? In addition to that those worthless “documents” will never be accepted by any Gadje agency. To believe otherwise is to live in cloud cuckoo land. 

© 2024 

Romani Nation Day

Phralale, Phenjale, Chavale... Latcho Dives... Sas Bachtalo... 

Greetings everyone on this our Nation's Day. 

Maybe, to begin with, we should consider why this day was started and why it is important. 

It was not started for us to simply celebrate who and what we are and wave our flag about and make some speeches and ask the Gadje for some crumbs from their table, or for a seat at their table, where they do not really want us anyway. 

Originally it was termed, or was to be termed, Romani Nation Day, a day celebrating the Nation of the Romani People. It was for us to stand together as a People, as a Nation, and show the world that we are indeed a Nation. 

This very concept is more and more threatened today, and not just from the and by the Gadje. Some of our very own, at least genetically our own, are telling us and the world that we should not aim to become a Nation but instead should rather merge into the international proletariat. Exactly what the Gadje want, namely to have us disappear as a People, as an Ethnicity. 

The most concerning aspect about the statement of this particular person, who shall remain unnamed, is the fact that he is also a director on the board of an organization, also to remain unnamed, that it purporting to be on our side and to be Romani run. 

Whatever the case, though, the fact is that no one can even say that there is no Romani Nation because Nation does not equal state (with land), as the Gadje have turned it to mean over the last hundreds of years, but Nation equates to People, hence the Canadian term of First Nations for the indigenous People of the Americas. Note the term Nations. 

If they are Nations then so are we, the Rom, a Nation, period. We may be scattered across the globe, Europe, the Middle East, Egypt and North Africa, the Americas, South Africa, the Antipodeans, but we are one People though with different groups, tribes, clans, and thus we are all part of that one Nation, the Romani Nation. 

Having a country, some land “to call our own”, is not a necessity for nationhood, for being a Nation, and neither could that ever work for us, as a People and Nation, because who would we wish to dispossess of their homes and lands? Anyone believing that there is going to be some plot of land, large enough to house even the low estimate of 12-16 Million Rom in Europe alone, is more than misguided. 

When we are looking at being a Nation – which we, in fact, as said before – are, being a People of one bond though separated by some small differences in cultural practices and variations of the language, in what could be seen as dialects, if we so wish, we must get away from the Gadje thinking, as we must in political terms as well. 

The Gadje way cannot be our way and when it comes to politics the Gadje system will for ever be skewed against us. We, as a People, as a Nation, must find and use a different approach and abandon the Gadje one. It does not and will never work for us. 

2024 © Michael Smith (Veshengro) / O NEVO DROM

N.B. I wrote this for April 8, 2024 and this also went as an audio message.

Jobbik – First they came for the Gypsy and now they also are coming for the Jew

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

Jobbik, the more-or-less legal Nazi militia and party in Hungary, an EU member state, is now aiming, after having the Romani People made their first target, also for the Jewish population of the country (and elsewhere).

In the beginning, it would appear, the Jews took very little notice of the antics of the Jobbik group, seeing that their target were the Gypsy People and not the Jewish community. They should have known better.

The adage of “first they did come for... and I did not speak out”, etc. should have been a well-known factor and it was obvious that those people, whose aim is to create a Hungary for Hungarians and other ethnicities have no place in that scheme.

The interesting, almost laughable, part is that Hungarians are, in the main, a mixed groups of people anyway considering the fact that once they were part of the Austria-Hungarian Empire and thus most Hungarians not pure Magyars.

The same, in fact, is also true for the Romani People and anyone claiming to be pure Romani better checks once again. However, that is not the issue here.

It will be obvious that Jobbik's targets will also include ethnic Romanians on the Hungarian territory sooner or later and they might also go as far as wishing to take the areas of Transylvania and such “back into the Hungarian realm, as that area has a large population of Hungarians and was once part of the empire. It would not surprise me.

How it is possible for such racist fascist groupings to exist and operate in EU member states where, supposedly, beats me and the EU is not just failing the Romani People in its midst; it is failing all ethnic minorities.

Romani settlements and villages have been attacked, in Hungary, by Jobbik and its thugs and with local and state police looking on and doing absolutely nothing except, in a couple of cases, arresting Gypsies who decided to defend themselves against the fascist thugs.

It would appear that, when it comes to the Romani, the Gypsy, then the EU laws and conventions are not worth the paper that they are written upon and fascist thugs like Jobbik et al, and not just in Hungary, can do as they like.

There could be another explanation to this inaction by the authorities, whether in Budapest or in Brussels, and that is that those groups of fascist thugs are being used as a tool to enact etnic cleansing by proxy.

I rest my case and suggest, though, that the Rom and the Jew get together in this matter in order to defeat this menace...

© 2012

Decade of Roma inclusion is but an illusion

ROMA DECADE 2005 – 2015 INCLUSION = ILLUSION

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

Much has been made of the Decade of Roma Inclusion, a decade that was ONLY for Roma (Sinti and others need not apply, which was discriminatory to start with) and ONLY for Roma living in Eastern Europe.

New well over half way though this decade all we can see is money wasted without anything to show for. So, where did the money go? It went into the pockets of Roma leaders and some Gypsyologists with which the authorities only were prepared to deal and virtually nothing, in any way, shape or form, ever reached the grassroots.

Instead of improvements to the conditions of the Roma in Eastern Europe, be that living conditions or their reputation in the eyes of the majority, things have gotten worse (as if they actually could but they did) and literal genocide on Gypsies all over especially Eastern Europe and discrimination continues unabated.

As far as Romani integration and inclusion the truth is that is has remained an illusion despite the millions of Euro that have been thrown at this project.

Much of that money has been wasted on one study after the other, one report after yet another and the bulk of the remainder was handed over, without any proper records and accountability, to Buli Bashas and other big wigs in Gypsy society, who appear to have only improved their own lot with that money.

It has to be said that to some extent – and I know that many will not want to hear this – a great many of Rom throughout Europe have only themselves to blame as to how they are perceived by the mainstream.

While it is true that Anti-Gypsyism exists in cannot be eliminated by order from governments and by screaming and shouting from the side of the Romani People.

Our own attitude, at least that of what would appear to be the majority of Sinti and Roma, towards non-Romani society and the open disdain we too often show towards mainstream laws and the Gadje per se is what is to blame.

A German proverb says: “Wie man in den Wald hineinruft to schallt es heraus” which, in the English, says “We reap what we sow” and this is very true indeed. We indeed reap what we sow here for if we treat the Gadje with disdain how are they to have any respect for us?

Both side are to blame, that is true, and there is no doubt about that, as we have nigh on always put each others' backs up with our attitudes towards one another  but when I hear the disdain with which Sinti and Roma alike treat Gadje then Anti-Gypsyism will continue, regardless of laws against it or whatever.

It maybe that we will have to make the first moves here instead of standing there and demanding that the Gadje give us respect (or else) and that they make the first move.

If we want to be treated with respect and “demand respect”, as a Rom proverb was translated by someone once, aside from the fact that one cannot demand respect; it has to be earned, then we (too) much change.

Integration is a two-way street too. Even if it is offered there are far too many Rom who refuse to do it by way of taking up paid employment if there is no other way to make a living. No, they then rather take money from the government in the way of unemployment benefit and welfare payments.

I know, as I said, that this is not what many are wishing to hear but the truth is and remains the truth.

Dosta penauas!

© 2012

German Sinti (Gypsies) and the Ostrich Syndrome

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

When, in summer of 2011 I wrote this article the response on Facebook and elsewhere was one of commendation for having pointed out the inherent dangers.

 

However, in response to the German translation of this article of last year, posted recently by a third person who requested this translation from me on German Gypsy forums, the attacks from German Sinti were that they would need to have hard evidence and proof (other than Russian media a wire service) before they are going to believe that this might be in the offing.

In addition to that there were serious attacks on my person, integrity and my intentions and it was a definite case of shooting the messenger because the message is not one that one wants to hear.

Once hard evidence and proof arrives, as to the aims of the EU appertaining to Europe's Gypsies as hinted to in my article it is, I am afraid to say, too late. The trains will then already be rolling east.

How harsh this may sound and indeed be, it is a fact. When the first resettlement transports are on the move traveling to their destination in the steppes of Russia and we have the hard evidence and proof it is too late to warn and even to do much against it. The preparations have to be made now to combat this when it starts and even before it does.

As the Good Book says, however, “there are none that blind than those who do not want to see and none that deaf than those that do not want to hear”.

Warning is all one can do, acting is what they have to do. We who have warned cannot be blamed that we have said naught as long as we keep warning.

One can, as it is said, a horse to water but drinking one can make it not.

© 2012

The brown menace is on the rise again

Fascism is once again rearing its ugly head in Europe 

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

Fascism is once again rearing its ugly head in Europe and not one of the mainstream political parties appears to be prepared and willing to do anything about and against it.

Is it not high time to outlaw groupings and parties such as the NPD and BVU in Germany, the BNP and others in the UK, the Fronte National in France, and others of their ilk elsewhere in Europe? I think so.

Presently those fascists parties and their thugs rant and rave against foreigners and against Gypsies, regardless as to whether those are Romani from their own country or from abroad, and therefore none of the mainstream parties in those countries and in the EU seem to wish to do anything about them. Gypsies and foreigners have always been a convenient scapegoat in a crisis and are again.

We see a repeat of the 1930s when people did not speak and did not care that they came for the communists and socialists, the Gypsies, the so-called Asocials and then the Jews.

Martin Niemoeller was right that if we do not speak out when they come for the others there will be no one left to speak out when they finally come for the rest who wish to live free and think free.

While anti-fascists are persecuted, once again, when they demonstrate against marches and other activities by the brown menace, under whichever name, the fascists are allowed to continue to operate and, as we have seen in Germany only in 2011, the police and the security services actively work hand-in-glove with Neonazis.

After the “fall” of the Wall the German authorities banned and outlawed the Freie Deutsche Jugend (FDJ) (Free German Youth) and the wearing even of blue shirts remotely resembling the FDJ ones whether with or without the FDJ badge and also the Young Pioneers the Nazis were and are allowed to continue and even, instead of being banned and prescribed, allowed to form more and more organizations.

The brown menace is permitted to freely walk abroad and continue with its terror against foreigners, Gypsies, and all those that dare to stand against them, while communists and anti-fascists are being controlled and often prescribed, have their protest marches and demonstrations banned.

Although he meant it differently Heinrich Heine's sigh of “Dent ich an Deutschland in der Nacht so bin ich um den Schlaf gebracht” (If I think of Germany at night I am robbed of my sleep) it is rather fitting here and makes sense though.

But it is not just Germany where the brown menace is rising. It seems to be the case almost everywhere in the European Union and also outside of it in Europe and even Russia.

In Greece the brown menace has become active also now with the crisis of the Euro and of government in that country and their “militias” are roaming the streets challenging anyone that appears a foreigner to show them his or her ID card and if not Greek and especially if an immigrant they beat the people up.

We don't even want to talk about Hungary where uniformed fascist groups are attacking Gypsy settlements and murdering people, nor about Italy where recently soccer fans in a stadium called for a pogrom against Romani people, nor about the attacks against Sinti and Roma people in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, to name but a few countries.

Even in Switzerland right-wing groups, and some not even that openly fascist, are calling for the expulsion of all Gypsies and foreigners.

While, with the exception of Switzerland and Russia all those countries where we are seeing the problems rising are countries of the EU neither their respective governments nor the EU bodies are doing anything, especially not as far as the Gypsy People are concerned.

No surprise there really considering that, to all intents and purposes, EU representatives are contemplating the wholesale removal of all Gypsies on EU soil, by means to deportation to resettlement, to the steppes of Russia. Discussions with the Russian authorities have, apparently, taken place already also and it would appear that they are working with the EU on this.

Sounds familiar, does it? It is! We have been here before some 70 years ago and once again the voices are silent.

© 2012

Lady Gaga gone gaga...

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

Lady Gaga - yes, she with the outrageous outfits - says she feels "Gypsy at heart". Another one who wants to join the club which is not a club.
 

Dear Lady Gaga, you cannot join us unless you were born one of us... 

I just wonder what all those wannabes would do if they encountered the real racism and anti-Gypsyism that we are faced with daily, especially those of us in places such as Hungary, Romania, etc.

http://www.eurasiareview.com/​20032012-hindus-ask-gaga-to-sup​port-gypsy-apartheid-issue-as-​she-feels-gypsy-at-heart/

http://www.indiablooms.com/​BollywoodDetailsPage/2012/​bollywoodDetails200312d.php

http://​www.entertainmentwise.com/news/​71905/​Lady-Gaga-Big-Fat-Gypsy-Popstar
 

As far as the Hindus (first link) are concerned could they please stop trying to "help" us. It is just someone having his own political agenda to make him look good.

Nazi terrorists murder Romani-Gypsy woman in Czech Republic

Is it all starting again?

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

Prague, Czech Republic January 2012 : A Romani-Gypsy woman was killed by two racist terrorists in the capital of Czech Republic, Prague on January 10, 2012.

According to statements by people in the know those people belong to a racist Nazi terror organization and they have attacked homeless people and those of the Gypsy community before.

While this is, as said, not the first racist Nazi attacks on the Romani community in the former Czechoslovakia, and this recent attack is causing heightened tension in the two countries that once made up the CSSR.

Authorities seems to wish to play down the recent attacks against Romanies in the former CSSR, in both the Czech lands as well as in Slovakia.

As a Gypsy myself, who has relations that never came back from the Nazi camps and others who were broken in body and spirit there and through Nazi terror in general, I am very much concerned as to the happening all over the European Union, from France, over the Czech Republic and Slovakia and Hungary and even Germany.

Hungary's police has now been instructed by the ministries to keep conduct permanent surveillance on all members of the Romani minority in that country and it would appear that Nazi groups such as Yovik and others are given a free hand to harass Hungarian Gypsies wherever they are.

Are we seeing a return to the days of the 1930s and 1940s? It would appear to be so and, and I hate to say I told you so, I have been seeing the writing on the wall for some time to come as far as the European Union is concerned.

What we have to be concerned about, as a People, and here I am talking about the Romani People, and also those that do not wish to see a repeat of what has happened in the Nazi era and already before in places such as Germany and Poland.

If one would be a conspiracy theorist one could come to believe that the EU is operating a policy of ethnic cleansing by proxy. Is it?

© 2012