Means of discrimination or HOW DOES IT HAPPEN?

• Discrimination by active involvement

If a state authority or private or juristic body takes measures to penalize a person because of racial or ethnic origin, it is considered discrimination. If an employer refuses to give a job to a candidate simply because the applicant is presumably Roma, then the employer is committing a discriminatory act (regardless of the true origin of the candidate, darker skin may belie a Greek parent, for example). If a hairdresser refuses to accept a Roma customer with the excuse of “being too busy”, and in the next minute welcomes another non-Roma customer with no apparent appointment, it is also an example of active discrimination.

• Discrimination by inactivity / passive involvement

State and other bodies can be involved in discrimination due to passivity. If for example a state body does not intervene where it is necessary to protect the rights and freedoms of specific people because these people belong to an ethic minority, their inactivity is discriminatory.

Freedom of speech and freedom of assembly count among the most basic of constitutional rights. State authorities are obliged to provide equal access to both of these rights to all residents and to prevent others from violating them. In the case where a peaceful gathering of Roma association members protesting publicly against the general inactivity of the Slovak police in resolving race-motivated attacks is attacked by a group of ‘skinheads’ and again the state authorities take no adequate action to ensure such attacks will not continue, we can discuss the violation of speech and assembly freedoms.

Imagine though that the very same state authorities in the same town are at the same time proven capable of protecting other public gatherings; one supporting abortion prohibition, the other celebrating controversial characters from the period of Slovak history in which people were being deported into concentration camps. Such gatherings arouse animosity in some groups of society and as a result, these groups may react aggressively to bringing out such issues and try to stand up against them. If the police are apt in foiling the violent efforts of radicals and in defending the constitutional rights of others, why then is this not so in the case of the Roma mentioned above? Most likely, this selective passivity has to do with the state officials’ will to discriminate, thus failing in their duties towards particular groups. They impede the rights of this particular minority group based solely on their ethnic origin.

It is also considered discrimination by inactivity in school institutions if they don’t act against the bullying practices amongst schoolmates.

• Racial segregation

Rooted in underlying racism, segregation is the deliberate division of people in daily life based on race. There were famous cases in the US and South Africa where whites and blacks traveled on separate busses, separate restaurants to dine in, and stores, schools, restrooms even parks were separate.

Segregation was often justified by statements such as “both races appreciate the separation”, and “it is voluntary anyway”. Segregation is also a form of discrimination, as segregation practices most often come from the white race majority. Segregation is undignified and arises from the assumption that “black is dirty”, or at least unworthy to share a bus or restaurant with whites.

• Accompanying phenomena: racism, right-wing extremism, neo-Nazism

Discrimination based on racial or ethnic origin is often associated with racism sustained, implicitly tolerated or even induced by state power. Racism embodies attitudes that distinguish people by the color of their skin or by other physical features showing ethnic origin and diminishing those bearing such features.

Pseudo-scientific studies in the early 20th century - on which Fascism and Nazism were founded - attempted to justify the superiority of the Nordic race above all others, and even the right to rule the world. Though humanity has learnt its numerous lessons since then, many nations having tasted the horrific results of such reasoning (death camps, genocide, pogroms etc.), there are still those who, due to their own frustration or private or social problems, may adopt racist attitudes in search of a simple solution.

Racism is often nourished by stereotypes or prejudice. These are mostly untruthful or generalizing statements that are accepted and used for judging other people. One can find the roots of such statements in history, in the fear of unknown, or sometimes simply serving as a label that helps people to form opinions without “too much” thinking or any effort to understand others. We are all familiar with statements such as: “all Gypsies steal”, “Jews are stingy”, “Blacks stink”, “Arabs are lazy” etc.

Neo-nazism is a radical opinion movement striving to bring the Nazi ideology back to life. As the movement is not unified and neo-nazi groups and organizations greatly differ, the more general term “right-wing extremism” has been often used instead. It is identified with racist attitudes, acknowledging a strong leadership principal and openly claiming violence as the way to solve problems and conflicts. The extremists’ goal is usually “to cleanse” the nation or humanity, which sometimes means a direct liquidation of other races or nations.
 

More information: Ľudia proti rasizmu - People Against Racism