Katarina Barley

Seravutno àkti k-o Evroputno Dives e Seripnasqo vaś o Genocìdi e Sintenqo aj Rromenqo p-o of 2 August 2021, Holocaust Memorial Day for Sinti and Roma

Dràga amala e Centralone Sombeśesqe, dràga Romani Rose, ranǎlen aj rajalen, Si manqe bari patǐv te śaj dav jekh baxtǎripe avdives and-o Evroputno Dives e Holokaustesqe Memorialesqo vaś o Sìnte ta o Rroma. Akava dives e seripnasqo sas deklarome k-o 2015 kotar o Evroputno Parlamènti, kaj avdives si man i patǐv te ovav i vice-presidènta avdives. Vi o Rroma si reprezentome ande akava Parlamènti, inkluziv o Sìnte. Si jekh vasno sèmno e ververipnasqo and-i Evròpa avdives. Sosqe o 2to Avgust? And-i rǎt kotar o 2-to k-o 3to Avgust 1944, sas dini i kerdǎrin te mudardǒn o 4300 Sìnte ta Rroma save aćhile and-o kàmpi e koncentraciaqo Auschwitz-Birkenau. Sas jekh kotar o kaleder divesa and-i història e persekuciaqi p-o Sìnte ta o Rroma, savi si jekh lùngo història. Sosqe si aborkha vasno akava dives seripnasqo? Jekh, odolesqe so o mule, o malavde, o traumatizome, o bidarrinǎrde trebul te seras len. Trebul te dikǎras ʒivdo ande amari kolektìvo memòria, and-i memòria sarkone ʒenesqi, sosqe akaja krìma kerdili pe odoborkha but ʒene, no vi, aj special mamuj o Sìnte ta o Rroma. Akava dives e seripnasqo si vasno vi odolesqe so o Sìnte ta o Rroma sar grùpa si ispinde k-o dekòri kana avel i buti te kerel pes komemoràcia e Holokaustesqi. Ta akava naśti te priaras, naśti te mukhas akava, sosqe vaś o Sìnte ta o Rroma, i persekùcia tal-o nazìsto regìmi, i persekùcia and-o Holokaust, mandavda paśpaśe i eksterminàcia and-o cèntro e Evropaqo. Akava dives e seripnasqo si vasno vi odolesqe sosqe i diskriminàcia e Sintenqi aj e Rromenqi sa ʒal vi avdives. Oj ʒal kotar o kolektìvo anglapatǎpe k-i diskriminàcia and-i buti ja kana roden kher, k-i fizìko violènca. Amen dikhas akava and-i Germània, dikhas la sathane and-i Evròpa. Maj phares si sigur and-o Ungrìko Them, kaj o tikne Sìnte ta Rroma misalaqe, naśti te ʒan k-i klàsa e śkolaqi, no "dikǎren" len and-o bodrùmi, te phenas, aj na mukhen len te len kotor and-o ekskùrsie ta o aver aktivitète e śkolaqe. Kana dikhas and-i Evròpa, daras kaj i situàcia śaj te ovel maj bilaćhi aj na te laćhardǒl. Ta phenas kaj varesave na siklile kotar i traśvali història. Ande akaja situàcia si pànda maj vasno te labǎras kasave divesa e seripnasqe sar jekh okàzia te seras so kamas. Jekh khetanutni, śandvali, barabar koekzistènca. O Sìnte ta o Rroma sar kolègǎ butǎqe, sar paśutne, sar amala. Akava si amaro res, amaro khetano res. Butivar aresas les, no no sathane ta na sakana. Tumen ʒanen kaj o baro buderipe e Evropaqe Parlamentesqo ta normal me personal ka ovas savaxt paśe tumenθe. Lośaça aʒukerav te keras buti khetanes biaćhavdo aj kamav tumenqe baxtagorutno Dives e Memorialesqo.

It is a great honour for me to be able to give a greeting today on the occasion of the European Holocaust Memorial Day for Sinti and Roma. This day of remembrance was declared in 2015 by the European Parliament, of which I have the honour to be Vice-President today. Roma are also represented in this Parliament, including Sinti. An important sign of diversity in Europe today.

Why 2 August? On the night of 2 to 3 August 1944, the order was given to murder the remaining 4300 Sinti and Roma in the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. It was one of the darkest days in the history of the persecution of the Sinti and Roma, which is a long history.

Why is this day of remembrance so important? Firstly, because the dead, the injured, the traumatised, the uprooted must be remembered. It must be kept alive in our collective memory, in the memory of each and every individual, which crime was committed against so many people, but also and especially against the Sinti and Roma.

This day of remembrance is also so important because the Sinti and Roma group is often pushed into the background when it comes to commemorating the Holocaust. And that is unacceptable, we must not allow that, because for the Sinti and Roma, the persecution under the Nazi regime, the persecution in the Holocaust, meant almost extermination in the centre of Europe.

This day of remembrance is also so important because discrimination against Sinti and Roma continues to this day. It ranges from collective prejudice to discrimination in the workplace or when looking for housing, to physical violence. We experience this in Germany, we experience it everywhere in Europe. The worst is certainly in Hungary, where Sinti and Roma children, for example, are not allowed to attend classes, but are “kept” in the basement, so to speak, and are also not allowed to take part in school trips and other activities.

When we look around Europe, we have to worry that the situation is getting worse rather than better. And that some have not learned from the terrible history. This makes it all the more important to use such days of remembrance as an opportunity to recall what we want.

A common, peaceful, equal coexistence. Sinti and Roma as work colleagues, as neighbours, as friends. That is our goal, our common goal. It is often achieved, but not everywhere and not always.

You know that the overwhelming majority of the European Parliament and of course I personally will always be at your side.

I look forward to our continued cooperation and wish you a successful Memorial Day.