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Italy’s First Black Cabinet Minister, Cecile Kyenge, Subjected to Racist and Sexist Slurs

May 3, 2013 by Leave a Comment

It’s very shameful that Cecile Kyenge, the first black cabinet minister in Italy, is being subjected to ugly racist and sexist slurs. Kyenge, an eye doctor and Italian citizen originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, was recently named integration minister by Prime Minister Enrico Letta. She is one of seven women in the new government.

Cecile Kyenge has been called a “Congolese monkey,” “Zulu,” and the “first black anti-Italian,” Reuters reports.

She also faced race-tinged insults from Mario Borghezio, a European parliament member of the pro-devolution Northern League, which has been allied in the past with former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

In reference to Kyenge, Borghezio called Letta’s coalition a “bonga bonga government” – a play on the “bunga, bunga” antics under Berlusconi – and said she herself appeared to be “a good housewife but not a minister”.

Kyenge dismissed the comments, which the speaker of the lower house Laura Boldrini labelled “racist vulgarities”. Kyenge plans to push for legislation, opposed by the League, that would allow children born in Italy to immigrant parents to get automatic citizenship instead of waiting until 18 to apply.

“I arrived in Italy alone at 18 years old, and I don’t believe in giving up in front of obstacles,” Kyenge, who left DRC so she could pursue her studies in medicine, said.

She also rejected the term “coloured” used to describe her in many Italian press reports, saying: “I am not coloured, I am black and I say it with pride”.

Hats off to Cecile Kyenge for staying strong and defiant in the face of ignorance.

Filed Under: European News Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Vogue Netherlands Celebrates Josephine Baker, Grace Jones with White Model Querelle Jansen in Blackface

April 22, 2013 by Leave a Comment
vogue netherlands blackface 300x200 Vogue Netherlands Celebrates Josephine Baker, Grace Jones with White Model Querelle Jansen in Blackface

Vogue Netherlands Celebrates Josephine Baker, Grace Jones with White Model Querelle Jansen in Blackface (Vogue Netherlands)

Vogue Netherlands came under fire last week over a white model in blackface. Fashionista reports the editorial spread featured blond model Querelle Jansen, complete with black face paint and an afro-inspired wig. It was meant to evoke images of fashion icons Josephine Baker and Grace Jones, who broke barriers in the entertainment industry. Um, why not just use a black model instead of a white model in blackface?

We know that diversity has long been an issue in the fashion industry, particularly with Vogue magazine, which has has only 14 covers featuring black models in its 118 years of existence. In the latest blackface shoot, the photographer was Ishi and stylist was Marije Goekoop.

The Netherlands is a country famous for pushing the whole blackface issue, as evidenced from its Zwarte Piet, or Black Pete, representing Saint Nicholas’ assistants in blackface, which is a part of the Christmas tradition.

Someone had to approve the photographs and article to run as an editorial spread. Vogue’s publisher Conde Nast is just as complicit in this racist behavior as the magazine itself is. It’s time for people to boycott Vogue Magazine and I am pretty sure Conde Nast will wake up and take notice. If the outrage dies down quickly then they have no incentive to stop this racist behavior.

 

Filed Under: Entertainment, European News Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Black Workers Banned from Gare Du Nord During Israeli President’s Visit Over Muslim Fears

April 14, 2013 by Leave a Comment
300px Shimon Peres in Brazil cropped Black Workers Banned from Gare Du Nord During Israeli Presidents Visit Over Muslim Fears

Black Workers Banned from France’s Gare Du Nord Station During Israeli President’s Visit (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Black and North African railway workers were banned when Israeli president Shimon Peres visited France ‘because they might be Muslim,’ it was revealed Sunday. The alleged discrimination occurred March 8, when Peres arrived at the Gare du Nord station in Paris, the hub for high-speed trains.

An official complaint was filed with the SUD-Rail transport union, which alleges that everything was done to ensure that there were ‘no Muslim employees to welcome’ Shimon Peres. The day before Peres and a group of senior Israelis arrived, a site manager allegedly told all workers at the state about the ban on black staff, particularly those of North African descent, who might be Muslim.

SNCF, which is France’s national railway, initially leveled blame for the discriminatory act on ‘security protocol’ advised by the French Interior Ministry and the Israeli Embassy in Paris. That allegation was vehemently denied by both. The order allegedly came from SNCF management. SNCF has been down this road before by playing a role in the extermination of Jews and other minorities during World War II.

Read more at UK Telegraph.

 

Black Workers Banned from Gare Du Nord During Israeli Presidents Visit Over Muslim Fears
Filed Under: European News, Racial Discrimination Tagged With: , , , , ,

The ‘Iron Lady’ Speaks: 10 Memorable Margaret Thatcher Quotes That Live On

April 8, 2013 by Leave a Comment
300px Thatcher loc The Iron Lady Speaks: 10 Memorable Margaret Thatcher Quotes That Live On

The ‘Iron Lady’ Speaks: 10 Memorable Margaret Thatcher Quotes that Live On (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher wasn’t called the “Iron Lady” for nothing. She was tough and had a strong conviction to do what she thought was right. She was also known for her sharp comments that have gone down as noteworthy quotes. Here are 10 memorable Margaret Thatcher quotes via Wikiquote:

  • The Russians are bent on world dominance, and they are rapidly acquiring the means to become the most powerful imperial nation the world has seen. The men in the Soviet politburo don’t have to worry about the ebb and flow of public opinion. They put guns before butter, while we put just about everything before guns. They know that they are a super power in only one sense—the military sense. They are a failure in human and economic terms. Speech, Jan. 19, 1976 (The Russians response was to call Margaret Thatcher the “Iron Lady”)
  • “No one would remember the Good Samaritan if he’d only had good intentions; he had money as well.” Weekend World, Jan. 6, 1980
  • “I came to office with one deliberate intent: to change Britain from a dependent to a self-reliant society — from a give-it-to-me, to a do-it-yourself nation. A get-up-and-go, instead of a sit-back-and-wait-for-it Britain.” Speech, Feb. 8, 1984
  • “To those waiting with bated breath for that favorite media catchphrase, the U-turn, I have only one thing to say: You turn if you want to. The lady’s not for turning.” Reacting to doubt over her economic policies at a Conservative Party Conference (10 October, 1980)
  • “I never hugged him, I bombed him.” Referring to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, specifically to pictures of Tony Blair embracing him.

There are more interesting quotes from Margaret Thatcher.

The Iron Lady Speaks: 10 Memorable Margaret Thatcher Quotes That Live On
Filed Under: European News Tagged With: , , , , ,

Apartheid Incident: Swedish Bus Driver Separates ‘Swedes’ from ‘Foreign-Looking’ Passengers

March 25, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Modern-day apartheid? A Swedish bus driver with operator People Travel Group is facing disciplinary action after he forced black and white passengers on his route to travel in separate vehicles to catch a ferry, in what was described as an ‘apartheid incident.’ The Local reports the unnamed driver allegedly divided “Swedes” and “foreign-looking” people to transport them between Stockholm and the Eckerölinjen ferry terminal in Grisslehamn.

The divisions happened on several occasions on Wednesday and Thursday at Stockholm’s City terminal (Cityterminalen), reported newspaper Dagens Nyheter (DN) on Saturday.

The bus passengers were travelling to catch the ferry to the Finnish archipelago island of Åland. “It was a very unpleasant experience… It felt like we were on our way to Arlanda airport to be deported from Sweden,” one of the passengers, Samer Chatila, told DN.

Chatila, who was born in Sweden, is currently studying mechanical engineering on Åland. He was travelling there with his brother Ahmad and a friend when the three noticed that the bus driver was dividing passengers up based on their looks.

The driver stood between the exit and the bus and pointed the three to one of the buses, following them to make sure they got on board.

At first they thought the driver was being friendly, but they soon realized that something else was going on. They noticed that all “Swedish-looking” passengers were being directed to a different bus, while everyone who boarded their bus was foreign-looking or dark-skinned.

“We felt insulted, offended and discriminated against,” said Chatila. “I never thought this could happen in our Sweden.” When they challenged the driver, he told them that if they did not like the system they could get off the bus. Source

Filed Under: European News, Racial Discrimination Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Thousands March in Paris Protesting Bill That Would Allow Same-Sex Marriage, Adoption

March 24, 2013 by 1 Comment

 

300px Gay flag.svg Thousands March in Paris Protesting Bill That Would Allow Same Sex Marriage, Adoption

Thousands March in Paris Protesting Bill That Would Allow Same-Sex Marriage, Adoption. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

SMH:  Thousands marched in Paris in protest of a bill, if passed, that would allow same-sex marriage and adoption. Police fired teargas to prevent the protesters from entering the Champs Elysees, Russia Today reports.

 

Demonstrators gathered Sunday in the center of the French capital for a final mass protest against the controversial bill that if backed in the Senate during April’s, vote may become law as early as the summer. So far the draft has been passed in the lower house of parliament.

Currently French gay men and women are allowed to adopt as individuals if approved by social services.

Protestors demand the government withdraw the bill instead putting the issue to the public through project a referendum.

Over 60 percent of the French support gay marriage, though just under half support adoption by same sex couples.The law was a key electoral pledge by Hollande, but his critics say he has tried to push it through without broad public consensus. Source: RT

I have to ask, how does same-sex marriage and adoption affect the protesters? They enjoy the right to protest. Well, how about gays and lesbians enjoying the right to marry who they love and adopt?

 

Thousands March in Paris Protesting Bill That Would Allow Same Sex Marriage, Adoption
Filed Under: European News, Gay Rights Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Italian Priest Andrea Maggi Burns Photo of Benedict XVI, Compares Him to Concordia Captain Schettino

March 4, 2013 by 1 Comment

Father Andrea Maggi burns photo of Benedict XVI in the middle of Sunday mass in the northern Italy village of Castel Vittorio in Liguria, saying the former pope was “like the Captain Calamity of the Concordia who had abandoned his ship.” In other words, Father Andrea Maggi accused him of deserting the church.

Father Maggi explained his actions by saying: ‘a shepherd shouldn’t abandon his flock.’ Castel Vittorio mayor, Gianstefano Orengo, who was summoned to tackle the errant priest said: ‘It was a shocking gesture. ’I understand that Don Andrea is going through a delicate period from a psychological point of view.’

The local bishop said he was ‘mortified’ by the ‘reprehensible and grave disturbance of ecclesial communion.He said: ‘I am mortified by the actions of Father Andrea, who in other respects has proved a priest who is generous and sensitive in his pastoral conduct. ’The gesture has caused confusion among the parishioners- many left the church.’ But Don Maggi remained defiant saying he ‘had done the right thing’. He told La Repubblica: ‘I had said to myself the day that he goes I will burn this.’

While other clergy claim to found the Pope’s retirement courageous, Don Maggi insisted: ‘I thought to myself, “Are you the Pope or are you Captain Schettino of the Concordia who abandoned his ship?”‘If eight years was enough of being Pope, he didn’t need to accept it. He created 90 cardinals, he wasn’t some novice or ingenue, who didn’t know what they were getting into.’ Source

 

Filed Under: European News, Religious News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Repubblica: Pope Benedict XVI Resigned After Inquiry into “Vatican Gay Officials”

February 21, 2013 by Leave a Comment
300px Benedykt xvi crop Repubblica: Pope Benedict XVI Resigned After Inquiry into Vatican Gay Officials

Repubblica: Pope Benedict XVI Resigned After Inquiry into “Vatican Gay Officials” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Italian newspaper Repubblica dropped a bombshell about Pope Benedict XVI’s sudden resignation, saying it came after an inquiry into gay officials at the Vatican, some of whom were being blackmailed by outsiders. In other words, a secret sex scandal is behind the Pope’s decision to resign so abruptly. Interesting.

The pope’s spokesman declined to confirm or deny the report, which was carried by the Italian daily newspaper La Repubblica.

The paper said the pope had taken the decision on 17 December that he was going to resign – the day he received a dossier compiled by three cardinals delegated to look into the so-called “Vatileaks” affair.

Last May Pope Benedict’s butler, Paolo Gabriele, was arrested and charged with having stolen and leaked papal correspondence that depicted the Vatican as a seething hotbed of intrigue and infighting.

According to La Repubblica, the dossier comprising “two volumes of almost 300 pages – bound in red” had been consigned to a safe in the papal apartments and would be delivered to the pope’s successor upon his election.

The newspaper said the cardinals described a number of factions, including one whose members were “united by sexual orientation.” Source

Most people are of the opinion that Pope Benedict XVI’s decision to resign isn’t just about aging. It runs deeper than that and most are expecting a bombshell. It’s interesting that the Vatican is neither confirming or denying the report in the Repubblica.

Repubblica: Pope Benedict XVI Resigned After Inquiry into Vatican Gay Officials
Filed Under: European News, Religious News Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Russian Meteorite Crash in Chelyabinsk Mirrors Century-Old Tunguska Event

February 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment
russian meteorite crash 300x154 Russian Meteorite Crash in Chelyabinsk Mirrors Century Old Tunguska Event

Russian Meteorite Crash in Chelyabinsk Mirrors Century-Old Tunguska Event (Photo: RT News/Twitter)

RUSSIAN METEORITE CRASH:  The most powerful meteorite explosion in history occurred in Chelyabinsk, far greater than the century-old Tunguska event,  RT News reports. The latest incident was caused by a  fragment of a comet or meteor. “It looks like it was something like Tunguska – a 60-meter diameter cosmic body, which fell into the Tunguska taiga in 1908,” said Professor Oleg Malkov, Russian Science Academy Institute of Astronomy, according to RT News.

Between Tunguska and Chelyabinsk, Russia has witnessed at least three such events.  In 1922, a meteor shower rained down on the village of Tsaryov near Volgograd in Southern Russia. Some 1.6 tons of meteor fragments were found there, with the biggest weighing almost 300 kilograms.

This was quite scary and about 1,000 people were injured. I am sure that will increase.

The BBC’s Daniel Sandford says people described a ball of fire in the sky — A meteor crashing in central Russia’s Ural mountains has injured at least 500 people, as the shockwave blew out windows and rocked buildings. Source

The Russian meteor blast was more powerful that the North Korea nuclear test and was the largest rock to hit the Earth since 1908. - @NatureNews

Filed Under: Environment, European News Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

AC Milan VP Paolo Berlusconi Under Fire for Racist Comment about Mario Balotelli

February 6, 2013 by Leave a Comment
4056689662 ba0f56baac m AC Milan VP Paolo Berlusconi Under Fire for Racist Comment about Mario Balotelli

AC Milan VP Paolo Berlusconi Under Fire for Racist Comment about Mario Balotelli (Photo credit: massimo ankor)

Paolo Berlusconi, the brother of former Italy PM Silvio Berlusconi and vice president of AC Milan, is under fire for a “racist” comment about the team’s latest acquisition, Mario Balotelli.

Paolo Berlusconi, who also runs the family newspaper, Il Giornale, made a derogatory reference about Mario Balotelli, a campaign rally in Milan: “Now, let’s go see the family’s little black boy, the hot head,” a pejorative term for black people.

AC Milan VP Paolo Berlusconi Under Fire for Racist Comment about Mario Balotelli
pixel AC Milan VP Paolo Berlusconi Under Fire for Racist Comment about Mario Balotelli
Filed Under: European News, Racism in Sports Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
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