[Related to the previous post about copper recycling in that it gives an insight into news reporting versus racist drivel]
The Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM) has won another victory under the anti-racism law (Law 927/79) here in Greece. The case was against the publisher, editor and columnist of the right-wing newspaper Eleftheros Kosmos (Free World), who were found guilty under that law for publishing
offensive phrases for Greece’s Roma everywhere, intended to demean their social presence and social existence, because of their ethnic origin as Roma
This is the text that appeared in the paper on the 18th June 2006
Gypos came crashing
Even the Gypos have realized how incompetent we are to protect our country. Teams of Athiganoi [GHM note: the term is derogatory for Roma] in Dekelia, Aghios Stefanos, and in all other areas of Attica where there are rail tracks, dash out every night and steal very expensive equipment of [train company] OSE, which they resell as pure copper. In addition to very important expenses that the Greek State pays every day to repair the rail tracks, there is also the direct issue of the safety of the trains that pass-by. Yet, no journalist highlights the issue, because it is probably racist to go against with the peaceful Athiganoi
The prosecutor in the case, Alexandra Pischoina
rejected the arguments about an alleged increased criminality of Roma and immigrants, stating that the arrest of 2, or 32, or even 102 individuals cannot legitimize the generalization that an entire group engages in criminal activity. She also rejected the claim that the article was a simple news report, characterizing it instead as an expression of ideas that arrived at the conclusion that Roma go out stealing every night
The defendants were sentenced to seven months in prison (publisher and columnist) and a ten euro per day fine (editor), all suspended pending a possible appeal.
You can find full details of the trial and the verdict here (word document)
The other conviction of the same newspaper under this law is here.
Technorati Tags: greece, racism, roma, newspaper, press
LiveReal on March 8th, 2007
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The Athiganoi note is total BS. It’s the formal greek name for the Roma ppl, it’s not derogatory. The more derogatory term is gyftos.
And if you are about to tell me that you tell me that it’s not the name they’re using themselves, don’t forget you call me a greek.
As usual, our Greek friends deny the universally accepted principle of self-determination. What is this? That all people(s) have a right to decide for themselves, who they are, how they wish to be identified, or described. This is a basic principle of human rights, which Greece appears unable to accept.
So far as the name “Greek” is concerned,. I have never heard anyone objecting to it. The fact that over time there have been many different names used — Romoi, Hellenes, Greeks — indicates that this is not a sensitive issue for Greeks. The comparison is just completely wrong.
@ Nikos, can you explain further what you mean ? I have never heard that being called Greek was derogatory in any way ?
I compare terminology changes with what happened in England with the word “coloured”. It was an accepted term and considered very polite. People genuinely thought that “black” was insulting.
It wasn’t until we had those discussions that “coloured” was phased out of the vocabulary for describing black people or people of colour (as is more common in the US).
The same is true of the phrase “half-caste” used to describe mixed race/heritage people. I used to cringe every time I heard it and never understood why (I was five or six when I first became aware of controversy)
We (people of colour/black people/mixed race people) have the right to discuss these issues and to decide which terms WE wish to use to describe ourselves. And we have the right to determine which phrases WE want others to use to describe us.
NOTIFICATION
FROM: HELLENIC POLICE HEADQUARTERS (A.E.A.)/ADMINISTRATIVE SECTOR (K.D.)/ ORGANISATION AND LEGISLATION DIVISION/ 2nd DEPARTMENT OF STRATEGIC PLANNING
TO: ALL HELLENIC POLICE AGENCIES
CC: MINISTRY OF PUBLIC ORDER
NO.: 7100/26/5ε
4-8-2004
SUBJECT: Identification of members of the vulnerable group of Roma
REL.: Our order 7100/ 16/1κγ of 8-7-2004 to all Sectors’ Directorates/A.E.A.
1. Following the afore-mentioned relevant order, concerning the Third Report issued by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) on the situation in Greece, emphasis is laid on the recommendation of the Commission about the continuation and strengthening of efforts to abolish direct and indirect discrimination against Greek Roma and sensitize the authorities, especially in the area of the statements that include degrading or racist terms.
2. On the basis of the afore-mentioned recommendation and in view of the obligation of the Hellenic Police – which is a part of the public administration – as defined from the current legislation in force [Legal Decree (N.D.) 494/1970 “Ratification of the international convention on the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination” Government Gazette Issue (F.E.K.) 77/A’], we request that, when there is a need to identify a member of the vulnerable group of Roma, in correspondence, written and oral statements of the Agencies and your staff, you make use exclusively of the international terms rom (roma) or of the term gypsy [tsiganos in Greek]. The use of derogatory terms, like “athigganos” etc. is not allowed.
CHIEF OF STAFF
NIKOLAOS TASIOPOULOS
POLICE LIEUTENANT GENERAL
Responsible for the copying of the document
in Athens, the same day
2nd Department of Strategic Planning
of the Organisation and Legislation Division/A.E.A.
Georgios PALLIOURAS
Police Assistant Director
ps. this is the umpteenth time I post this at this blog – not that people like Nikos care for such details
I thought I answered these posts before, I guess I forgot to submit my post.
to Xenos: Who is going to protect my right to self determination, when in a few years when I will say that I am a macedonian they will think I am slavic?
to Panayote: That report is inaccurate, and doubly as stupid becouse it was posted by greek officials. It says that athigganos is a derogatory term and that gypsy means tsiganos, which is acceptable. The more derogatory “greek” term for the Roma is Gyftos, which comes from Aigyptios, which is the same as gyspy, which also comes from Egyptian. It is the term Tsiganos that comes from Athigganos. So, that piece of writing doesn’t make any sense at all, and as such I wouldn’t use it as much.
to DD: I couldn’t care less about “greek” being a derogatory term. It’s not my name. But of course, it’s the force of habit that lets the west call us something we haven’t used for at least 200 hundred years, which also it was never our official name. On the other side, if a “greek” calls uses a term different than what people accept, he makes it out of seer viciousness.
@Nikos: the regional identity of “Macedonian” , which has quite a long history and is associated with many ethnicities (including Greek and Slavic) was destroyed when Greece invaded Macedonia in the Balkan Wars and annexed the territory to Greece. Therefore, the identity of the region is now split between different peoples and there is no solution. Your right to self-determination is not compromised: what is compromised is the right to exclusive use of the name “Macedonia”. I suggest you learn to live with it.