Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Writer Stigmatizing Roma in Hungary Is Criticized; Wrote "Roma Are Animals...Unfit for Coexistence"

A founding member of Hungary's governing Fidesz party has been sharply criticized for writing a newspaper column that contained offensive remarks about the nation's Roma minority, the Cybercast News Service website reports today (January 8, 2013).

Writing about a New Year's Eve bar fight in which several people were seriously injured -- and some of the attackers were Roma -- the journalist, Zsolt Bayer, said "a significant part of the Roma are unfit for coexistence. They are not fit to live among people. These Roma are animals and they behave like animals."

Bayer's comments in the Hungarian newspaper -- which have been severely criticized by Justice Minister Tibor Navracsics and others -- blasted the "politically correct Western world" for advocating tolerance and understanding of Roma, who make up around 7 percent of Hungary's 10 million people.

Roma are often among Hungary's poorest and least educated citizens. They are also known as Gypsies.

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