The story from Greece of the little Roma girl, Maria, who was thought to have been kidnaped by a Roma couple, has just been turned on its head. A DNA test conducted at the request of Greek authorities earlier this week has shown that the Roma couple was in fact Maria's biological parents, in a case that appear to provide yet another compelling anecdote of overt violation of the rights of the Roma people across Europe. With her blond her and green eyes, the child challenged Europe's conventional understanding of the physical image and moral character of the Roma as a people.
European countries can't call themselves genuine democracies so long as this minority and other minorities are forced to live a substandard existence in ramshackle squalor, with no economic infrastructure, cultural freedom, political representation, or a decent permanent place to call home. Europe's claims of caring about equal rights for all and advocacy for the weak worldwide can only be undermined, worldwide, when the weakest minority in Europe, the Roma, is formally treated with utter neglect and scorn.
Europe ought to do everything it can, and it can do a lot, to integrate the Roma in its societal fabric. It should stop acting as if Roma are not European or worse yet, as if the Roma's misery is the result of choices the Roma themselves have made. Denying reality or blaming the victims will only worsen the plight of these people, who represent an indisputable segment of the European community. Europe needs to wake up and smell the rotten stink of its racist policies towards the Roma; it should do everything it can to treat this ailing organ and bring it back to full health.
There is nothing genetically, intellectually, or psychologically inferior in the construct of a Roma infant, compared to a Caucasian infant, or any other infant. So, why do the governments of Europe erect these artificial class divides, discriminate against the Roma, and relegate them, through sadistic policies, to the lowest troughs of their respective communities? It is time for Europe to treat the Roma, and all segments of the European community, as Europeans and give each an equal and credible opportunity to succeed. The longevity of Europe as a viable economic and cultural entity in an increasingly fracturous global milieu may just relay on Europe's ability to even the playing field for its very own people.
Dr. Azzam S. Elayan
October 26, 2013
(Photo credit: The Guardian)
