Thursday, October 29, 2009

Irish Judge Makes Racist Statements Against Roma

Outrage fills me as I write this. The ridiculously one-sided and poorly informed Independent published this article Roma raise children to steal-- judge. The title, which should be in scare quotes and is stated as though this ridiculous claim is fact, tells a shameful story. Judge Aingeal Ni Chonduin made this outrageous statement after sentencing a 16 year old mother to 7 days in jail and a 200 euro fine for stealing clothes and children's shoes. The girl was brought over by her partner, 5 years older than her, when she was 13. She had her child at 15. The Health Service Executive had conducted welfare assessments into the girl's situation, but did not deem that any action was necessary despite the glaringly obvious fact that she is a victim of statutory rape.

Judge Ni Chonduin made this obscene generalization: "That seems to be the culture, that is the way the families function, unfortunately, to go about to steal," said regarding the girl's circumstances. She also said it seemed that the children were "raised" to steal.

"It is a different culture, it does not go with our ways and our shops are being robbed blind," she said.

What a complete OUTRAGE! This clearly racist woman should be removed from her post. How DARE she accuse an entire culture and ethnicity of raising their children to steal based on the case of one desperate young mother who was clearly trying to provide for her child! And saying these untrue, provocative remarks during a time of depression about an ethnic group that is already regularly discriminated against world-wide is not only disgusting and irresponsible, but also outright dangerous.

Thankfully, I'm not the only irate person. These quotations were taken from the far more responsible newspaper The Herald, Anger as judge says Roma children are raised to steal.

Pavee Point, which runs a Roma programme, expressed disappointment."It is not part of Roma culture or any culture that I know of to raise children to steal," a spokeswoman said."The vast majority of Roma parents would be horrified with that suggestion. It's not helpful for anybody in authority to make comments that only serve to stereotype and scapegoat an already marginalised community. I'm sure there are some members of every community who are not raising their children correctly and are engaged in deviant behaviour, but that doesn't mean the whole community is."

The Immigrant Council of Ireland said the judge's remarks were "inappropriate and unfair", while Pavee Point Travellers Centre said they further "scapegoated" the Roma community.

Thaindian News reports:
Hindus have asked for resignation of the Ireland judge who reportedly accused Roma community of raising their children to steal.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that it was simply not acceptable from an honorable judge to blame the whole ethnic group of about 15-million people for a wild allegation like this one.

Dealing with a case of Roma teenager at the Dublin Children’s Court on Wednesday, Judge Aingeal NĂ­ Chonduin reportedly accused the Roma community of raising their children to steal saying they were responsible for “our shops being robbed blind”.

Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, argued that this did not reflect well with one of the world’s most beautiful countries of James Joyce and William Butler Yeats and known world over for its warmth and welcome. They also urged leadership of Ireland’s majority Roman Catholic and other religious establishments and religious leaders to come out openly against this accusation as religions told us to help the helpless.

Few months back, Roma residents in the nearby Northern Ireland were reportedly terrified and forced to flee their homes due to repeated racist violence.

This was happening in the middle of Europe, which claimed to be the torchbearer for the entire world regarding human rights. Was this the way in which the civilized societies functioned in Europe, asked Rajan Zed.

-Sampurn Media


Speak out, my humanitarian friends! Demand Judge Aingeal Ni Chonduin's removal!! Make some noise! Remind people that Roma rights are worth supporting! The future of humanitarianism is in all of our hands! This judge has made a racist statement that shows that she is no judge at all. Lies about the Roma people stop now!

1 comment:

  1. It is about the right time for Irish people to realise that nobody is above the law even if it's a judge in the court of law, if they sentence immigrants for being unlawful in Ireland why they use a racist language when they know better about international law and humanitarian law. Immigrants come to Ireland for work reasons and like anybody unemployed and suffering they are likely to make a mistake, but a judge should listen carefully to the aggravating circumstances and come with a fair sentence without racial slurs that would incite general hatred of the immigrants in Ireland. If a judge is making a racist statement is not guilty but if someone alse is making a racist statement he/she is likely to be arrested and charged. The judge is supposed to represent justice not incite injustice against immigrants and migrants and it is a very dangerous act that deserves punishment for a judge to instigate hatred of the non Irish by the Irish. When there was a famine in Ireland years ago Irish people migrated to other countries for help and the same applies for other people coming to Ireland for help because of difficult situations in their countries.
    I am a black South African who is now an Irish citizen but I still experience a lot of racism. Now recently my wife, a South African
    who has just got her permanent residential stamp was arrested for a traffic offense in Carrick on Shannon and the judge sentenced her to a prison term regardless of any aggravating circumstances in her part, he told the Irish regional court "these black immigrants are coming here to sponge the Irish welfare system..." and that statement made me realise that we black people are not welcome in Ireland and we are vulnerable to Gardai, the judges and other better off Irish people who also believe we are here to "sponge" the Irish welfare system. It is true that the future of humanitarism is on our hands, and if we are not taking any action against these above the law judges we are doomed forever in this Isle of Ireland. Anybody insulting other people or inciting or generalising about a certain race should be guilty of an offense. The judge who lied about Roma people guilty of an offense and should be brought to justice, the same as
    the judge in Carrick on Shannon, on the 26/04/2013, should also face the might of justice= and I'll stand up and see to it that this is done!!!

    ReplyDelete