2 August 2021

Chris J. Lazaris

Ambassador Chris J. Lazaris, Chair of IHRA

Statement on the occasion of 2 August 2021, Holocaust Memorial Day for Sinti and Roma

Patǐvale uće reprezentàntǎ e Themenqe, e raimatenqe maśkarthemutne ta themutne institucienqe, Hìreśe participàntura akale seravipnasqe kidipnasqo, Ranǎlen aj Rajalen, Xor xaćarimàta aj emòcie astaren man sar telǒvac and-o seravipen e bidośale viktimenqo, amala themutne Rroman thaj Sìnte, save mudardile and-o Auschwitz – Birkenau and-o anav jekhe artificialone mentalone konstruciaqo e rasialone uźipnasqi. Isi kerki irònia kaj o maravne mudarne, save dikhle lenqe vikìme sar tal manuśa, naśti aresle lenqo ʒuklano agor ʒi k-i dùjto tentatìva: Lenqo andredipe and-o than akhardo "Kàmpo e ciganenqo" and-o 16-to Maj 1944 malavda ćaćes jekh zorali rezistènca kotar o phandline aj o musaj sas e mudarnenqe te mukhen o planuime muaripen e phandline Rromenqo aj Sintenqo, barem jekh vaxt. Akava dives trebul te seravel amen varesave momènte kotar o maj kale e Evroputne historiaqe. Agores, kotar o pràxo sare viktimenqe, amen sinam akate seravindoj and-i Evròpa savi lośanǒl ande jekh lùngo periòda sar nikana maj anglal and-i śand aj o barvalipe. Serindoj aj sikavindoj ka aresas te dikǎras i śand aj te zorǎras o manuśikane hakaja save sarbarrǎren i prosperitèta aj o biaćhavdo phiripe anglal sare Evroputne themutnenqo. Thavdal isi amari dutǐ te dikǎras aj te zorǎras e IHRA-qi angaźàcia vaś o rodipe, o seravipe, aj anglal sa, o sikavipe pal o genocìdo e Rromenqo aj Sintenqo, o Samudaripen. Si jekh biaćhavdo procèsi kaj ka kerel o buxlo dostipe te ʒanel pal o kìnuri lenqe som-themutnenqe aj, dureder, ka nakhavas, patǎl mo o xor thovde stereotype pal o Aver. O vùrme e anticiganizmesqe ja e racizmesqe mamuj o Rroma ja i diskriminàcia mamuj o Rroma, jekh baro faktòri savo anda k-o Genocìdi, si te ovel khoslo. I angaźàcia e IHRA-qi pala sa so lipardom sas nakhavdi ande varesave konkrèto àkcie, i kulminàcia, ande varesave sure, e butǎqi so kerdǎ but berś laqo Komitèti e Genocidesqo e Rromenqo, savesqi buti kamav te komentinav akana. Tal i Germanikani presidènca e Alianciaqi adoptisàili and-i unanimitèta jekh butǎqi definìcia pal-o anticiganìzmo kotar sa o Thema somdasne. Aj akana, kana i organizàcia si tal i grekikani presidència, o Komitèti sas lavdado te ʒamavel aj te del dromarne princìpe sar te siklǎras pal o genocìdi e Rromenqo aj e Sintenqo, e Rromenqo holokàust and-o śkòle. O seripe e viktimenqo aj o seravipe akale kale śerajesqo and-i evroputni història si te avel amenqe sar jekh trampolìna vaś amen savorre te maras amen vaś o khoslipe e racizmesqo and-i sarsavi fòrma savi, k-o agor, isi ziandvali sa e dostipnasqe. O racìzmo si jekh drez p-o amaro dumo sarenqo. Akalaθar, Dikh he na bister. Naisarav tumenqe.

My deep feelings and emotions overtake me as I bow in the memory of the innocent victims, fellow Roma and Sinti European Citizens, who were murdered in Auschwitz – Birkenau in the name of an artificial mental construct of racial purity. It is bitterly ironic that the tormentors, who perceived their victims as sub humans, only managed to conclude their gruesome task on their second attempt: Their foray into the so called Gypsy Camp on 16 May 1944 in fact had met with fierce resistance by the inmates and the executioners had to abandon their planned assassination of the interned Roma and Sinti, albeit only temporarily.

This day should remind all of us of some of the darkest moments of European History. Finally, out of the ashes of all the victims, we are here commemorating in Europe which enjoys an unprecedented long stretch of peace and affluence. It is by remembering and education that we will continue to maintain the peace and strengthen human rights that guarantee the prosperity and the continuous advancement of all European citizens.

Thus, it is our duty to uphold and strengthen IHRA’s commitment to Research, Remembrance and, foremost, Education on the Genocide of the Roma and Sinti, the Samudaripen. It is an unceasing process that will make society at large aware of the travails of their fellow citizens and, furthermore, will do away with, I hope, entrenched stereotypes of the other. The scourge of Antigypsyism or anti–Roma racism or anti–Roma discrimination, a major factor that led to the Genocide, has to be eradicated.

IHRA’s commitment to all the above has been transubstantiated into concrete actions, the culmination, in some instances, of work of many years by its Committee on the Genocide of the Roma whose work I would like now to comment. It was during the German Presidency of the Alliance that a working definition on Antigypsyism was unanimously adopted by all the member countries. And it is currently, during the Greek Presidency, that the Committee has been tasked to develop and introduce guidelines of how to teach the Genocide of the Roma and Sinti, the Roma Holocaust, in schools.

The memory of the victims and the remembrance of this dark chapter in European history should serve as the springboard for all of us to strive for the eradication of any form of racism that, in the end, is detrimental to society as a whole. Racism is a burden on all of us.

So, Look and don’t forget, Dikh he na bister.

I thank you.

Putaripnasqo vakeripe

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