From Canadian Jewish News:
A recent Canadian billboard campaign in Hungary targeting would-be Roma asylum-seekers to Canada with the message that new immigration laws severely limit their ability to seek refuge from persecution here led [Hungarian film-maker Adam] Csillag to contact The CJN to alert Canada’s Jewish community to the situation in his country.
[...]
“Hungary is lying to Canadian politicians when it says it is democratic,” he said. “Jobbik and its paramilitary [groups] are doing terrible things to Roma. I witnessed serial killings of Roma in 2008. The police are against the Roma.”
In a recent phone interview from his home in Budapest, with his daughter Anna translating, he said public discourse in Hungary has reached the point where “a disturbing amount” of people are unabashed about insulting minorities, particularly Jews and Roma.
He said he’s now advising his daughter and all Jewish youth in Hungary to leave for their own safety and a better future.
Anna, who is half-Jewish on her father’s side, confirmed that for the past few years while attending university, her friends and classmates have never been shy about telling her how much they like her “despite” her heritage.
Kenney isn't being lied to, he knows exactly what he is doing. Remember one of his heroes was the Ustase cardinal Stepinac.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing that might help with the plight of the Roma in that country is that they are also targeting the Jews too. Harper and his gang will take notice of that.
Not sure what you're getting at here, harebell. Stepinac was not an unadulterated bad guy and, while he did coexist with the Croatian fascists and lent some legitimacy to that regime, his cooperation did not extend to condoning the state's persecution of religious or ethnic minorities, from what I've read.
ReplyDeleteTwo things:
ReplyDelete1. There seems to be a ground swell gaining some momentum coming to the defence of Roma refugees. I see names ranging from Elie Wiesel to Bernie Farber , Dr.Philip Berger, Professor Benjamin Berger. Interesting that its members of the Jewish community as well.
This latest admonition against the Hungarian government adds much weight to the arguments being put forward. It will be difficult for the government to ignore.
2. Stepinac was at best a bad man. Lars you claim that he "lent some legitimacy" to the Ustache. That is like saying he lent legitimacy to the SS and Gestapo! Except some would argue that the Croatian Ustache were even more brutal than the Nazis if that's at all possible.
It is simply inconceivable given Stepinac's rather dark and bleak past that any 21st century politician should make common cause with him
Ah, looks as though I went off half-cocked on that one, rightprog. I wasn't aware of the Vatican's relationship with the Croatian government during the war - had just read a bit about Stepinac's efforts to ameliorate things in a few cases of government persecution.
ReplyDeleteShould have known, really - 13 years of a Catholic education ought to be sufficient time to get used to the idea that the Church doesn't inform the students under its care about its own bad behaviour. Just everyone else's.
I for one do not believe we should be opening our doors without checks and balances. However making Hungary a supposed safe country that allegedly does not produce refugees is nuts.
ReplyDeleteAt least strip Hungary of the designation. Give Roma have a chance to prove they are true refugees. If they aren't they should be denied entry, if they are they should be as welcome as any other s fleeing for their lives.