First They Came for the Gypsy...

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But I Said Nothing.
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If you look deep enough into the events unfolding in Europe right now, if you are brave enough, you will find the echo of jackboots. The war of races is clearly being revived as the European "naturals" are feeling the threat of "outsiders" creeping up on them. Unlike Hitler's Europe, these Europeans consider these "outsiders" to be rather new invaders to their old continent.
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The Jews of Europe had lived amongst the white fascist of Europe for centuries prior to the rise of Nazi fascist. They had suffered the pogroms of Russia and other major players in the European scene. And in spite of these racist "mini-Holocaust" the Jews had risen to the same socioeconomic levels of their oppressors (for the most part).
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Today we see the Roma being targeted by violence, rape, and plunder at the hands of their oppressors. This last summer the bigoted governments of Europe started all out deportations of the Roma. And yet, like the Jews, the Roma have lived among the Europeans for centuries. They, given the opportunity, have shown that they can and would acclimate to the society as much as possible. And yet here we are again... in the 1930s all over again.
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France is now being allowed to "avoid" European Union condemnation due to Germany's own deportations of Romas. No charges or even complaints will be made against the fascist regime in Paris due to Hitler's homeland's actions. In short, Germany was basically annexed into the new Axis.
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Italy has long been a hotbed for the slaughter and oppression of Roma and other Gypsy groups. The youth of the Roma have been shot by Italian jackboots without provocation or even fair trial. Numerous accounts of rape and attempted rape have been reported only to be dismissed since the guilty are also the judge and jury. Not to mention the way the Italian peoples treat the Roma once they are dead.
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But as far as the neo-Nazi movement goes, we are starting to see it surge in areas where many thought it was long since dead. In Sweden the Swedish Democrats (Nazi inspired Democrats... far stretch I know) recently won an additional 20 seats in Sweden's Parliament. This could very well impact the policies of Sweden toward the Romas as it did in Germany (the Swedish Democrats have already claimed that "immigrants who wish to 'voluntarily' return to their homeland be supported by the government").
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In Hungary (the second part to the old Austria-Hungary empire prior to WW1) is however skipping on the Roma opportunity and instead jumping right back to World War Two policies. Supporters of the now ruling Jobbik (Movement for a Better Hungary) are recorded chanting "Jewish Pigs" and "Back to the Concentration Camps" while having their rallies in Jewish neighborhoods.
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Roma have still been attacked and even killed in Hungary but they are second class even when it comes to the fascist racism.
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The rise of xenophobia may be worse than it was in the 1930s however. For now we are dealing with a people that believe themselves to be "liberal" in their beliefs. They are in effect blind to the policies and actions of their governments because as they believe, "it couldn't happen here" or "it couldn't happen to me".
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In the case of Elvis Berishaj, a Roma teen in Germany, the xenophobia of the nation has somewhat been overlooked by his village. In 1997 Elvis and his family were driven from their home in Istog, Kosovo as Albanian fascist ripped into the nation's Roma and Ashkali populations. He can still remember watching his home, his school, his father's fields burn as the Albanians entered the town. Now Elvis is facing a new form of fascist as the German government proceeds to push its policies of deportation forward.
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"You are subject to an enforceable order to leave the country and do not have the right to residence in the Federal Republic of Germany. For these reasons I have registered you for repatriation to Kosovo. As per section 60a, paragraph 5 of the Residence Act, I hereby advise you to expect deportation in the foreseeable future." -the letter the Ausländerbehörde sent Elvis to clarify that he is not "German".
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And yet, the locals in Elvis's village of Dingelbe, Germany did not agree. They, like Elvis, believe that he is in fact German. He has integrated into their society (like almost all Roma) and even plays on the village's handball team (player #26). That is why the village has rallied around this 18 year old Roma to help keep him in Germany.
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"In danger of deportation -- We're fighting for Elvis."
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Deportation seems to be the first foot in the water for the fascist government officials in Europe. It seems from this point on they will continue to test the water more often and with more dangerous outcomes. Sure, the people close to the victims will do things as extraordinary as those in Dingelbe. But most will "Say nothing".
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The people these government officials will go after will, for the time being, be people the governments consider to be "safe". They will target those they claim are "un-integrated" or "foreign nationals". But after these are gone the old scapegoats will come out. Like in Hungary, the Jews will be targeted again in Germany just as they were in Hitler's reign.
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There is no telling where this will all end. We know that the Serbs were able to erect camps on the European continent during a time of war, but could concentration camps be erected even in peace? We know that the gays were targeted by Hitler during the Holocaust, but could a more liberal society turn their backs on their poster boys?
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It is hard to imagine where this nightmare will lead. However we do know the following to be certain.
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Muslims, Roma, Sinti, and other Gypsy tribes will be amongst the Jews in the coming pogroms. Anybody considered to be an "outsider" will be targeted for some form of persecution at the hands of the new European Nazis. Violence may be more sporadic than it was in the 1930s but it will still go unpunished just as it was under Hitler.
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As for us here at Alder's Ledge, we can only pray for those who the world now appears to neglect.
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Resources Used For this Article
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Asia Times Online
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/LK10Aa01.html
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Spiegel Online
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,727542,00.html