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original sender: Valeriu Nicolae (Romanian Roma living in Canada)
Madalin Voicu, honorific president of the (Romanian) Roma Party, said on 29th of August, 2002: "Our gypsies are stupid. They could at least be crafty but they aren't. They are just primitives and they manage to irritate the entire society which is already watching them closely.They run through the country and Europe barefoot, slimy and dirty, wearing clothes which are more likely to disgust you than make you feel sorry for them. Begging, soliciting and being disorganized will never bring them any advantages."
Madalin Voicu, honorific president of the (Romanian) Roma Party, said on 29th of August, 2002: "Our gypsies are stupid. They could at least be crafty but they aren't. They are just primitives and they manage to irritate the entire society which is already watching them closely.They run through the country and Europe barefoot, slimy and dirty, wearing clothes which are more likely to disgust you than make you feel sorry for them. Begging, soliciting and being disorganized will never bring them any advantages."
Romanian society harbours one of the worst cases of social stigma in Europe: the reluctance and in most cases refusal of important public personalities of Romani origin to declare their membership or links to Romania's Romani minority. Important members of the Romanian government, writers, professors, doctors, sports celebrities, and singers refuse or avoid discussions targeting their origins, afraid of the obvious consequences: exclusion from social life, scapegoating, or the decline or end of their careers.
Mr Voicu's declaration has been received with enthusiasm by most of the Romanian press, pleased to find an unexpected ally in their campaign to marginalize Roma within Romanian society. Most media sources in Romania openly declare their adversity towards the Roma. As media monitoring organization, including the Romanian one (under the patronage of Academia Catavencu) recognize, media and press play an important role in perpetuating social stigma.
Mr Voicu's declaration demonstrates his basic lack of political sense and culture (and this is an understatement) and would be interpreted as xenophobic and racist if Mr Voicu was not a representative of the Romanian Romani community. As an elected Romani politician and advocate of Romani rights, his statement can only be interpreted as idiotic.
I request a public apology to the Romani community from Mr Voicu and I would expect him to step down from his position in parliament (which he holds as a result of the votes of the Romani community).
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