This
is the story of the greatest pogrom against the Rom people since the Second
World War. A pogrom which is taking place here in Europe, but far from
the media spotlight.
However, it is also the story
of a unique person whom I have the privilege of knowing. In this fierce
world, Reska is a woman, she is Rom, an invalid, a Muslim and a Yugoslav.
She has lived through twenty-four dramatic years of adventure, at war with
all the birds of prey who unceasingly hover over the heads of the Rom people.
We generally come across lives
like those of Reska and her family only in novels and films.
Reska however is real.
In the very simple sense of a person you can trust.
I have more experience
writing than she has, she was dragged away from school by her relatives
when she was still a child. This is why I had to put together the pieces
of her adventure. But never forget that this is her story, not mine.
Roberto Giammanco carefully
edited the text. Unlike many others, Roberto never boasts of the academic
titles he has. Roberto has a unique combination of mind and heart, a vast
sea of knowledge which lives together with strong feelings. And it was
Roberto who got Italians to know something about other people whom history
has hurt deeply: the American Blacks and the Palestinians.
Theo Fründt let me use
the terrible yet beautiful pictures he took in Kosovo. Theo, a professional
in the field of humanitarian aid in the most exposed corners of the world,
had been sent by the German government to help the Albanian refugees. When
he discovered the pogrom against the Roma, the German government advised
him that their tragedy was not politically interesting. So Theo burnt his
bridges and started to fight alone for this people who are of no use to
anyone.
I too am involved. I grew up
without a homeland, between Mexico, the USA and Italy. For fourteen years
I was a full time militant in a cult. This means I had the full experience
of the violence that human beings apply to each other, through lying, indifference,
manipulation, the invention of myths and opportunism. In one word, power,
something I not only underwent: I also exercised it. However, this experience
also taught me that it is always right to fight against swindlers and oppressors
and to stand next to authentic people. It may be risky at times, but it
is worth while.
I think this clearly explains
why we deal with the Roma and those who persecute them in this site, which
is also devoted to unmasking a quite different category of people: the
defenders of transnational corporations which manipulate people - so-called
"destructive cults". In other words, the apologists for manipulation and
exploitation. Injustice and oppression are always basically the same, whatever
mask they may wear
Reska
I did not write this just for
the pleasure of telling a story. Reska and her family - like thousands
of other Rom families - need every possible friend. Determined and somewhat
fiery friends who are ready to fight all the way for a good reason. Welcome
on board, if you feel up to it.
You can reproduce this text
freely, on condition you publish it complete, and with a link to our site
http:www.kelebekler.com/. And
please let us know if you do so!
Miguel Martinez
Table of Contents
You are welcome to use this article
on condition that you put the whole text of "Collateral Lives" on your
website and provide a link to http://www.kelebekler.com/
