Commentary: Some Romani activists are spreading anti-Romani sentiment

Most of the readers of Romea.cz have probably watched the most recent episode of the Czech Television discussion program "Máte slovo“ ("You Have the Floor"), which is presented by  Michaela Jílková. I have to admit that during that broadcast I found myself wondering whether I was really watching a Czech Television program at all.

I had the feeling that a commercial station had bought Czech TV’s license so they could present viewers with something in the "reality show" style. However, I don’t think the main "star" of the episode was Ms Jílková, as Ivana Čonková, an elite Romani activist, believes. 

Ms Čonková herself scored a brilliant "own goal" on the show, as they say in football. The question is whether she realizes it.

The rest of the damage done to the image of Romani people during this recent episode of the program was performed by a certain Mr Jaroslav Suchý. Most people in this country know him as "the guy who patted Obama’s head" during the US president’s visit to Prague. 

It is also worth remembering that Suchý once sued then-Finance Minister Kalousek, asking him for financial compensation in the amount of not quite CZK 1 million. He did not succeed before the courts with another lawsuit over the fact that he was unjustifiably forced to attend "special school" as a child because of his Romani origins (naturally, he also demanded financial compensation for that in the amount of CZK 500 000). 

It may also be of interest to know that Mr Suchý has most recently decided to sue the journalist Patrik Banga for daring to write that Mr Suchý would do better to get real job instead of giving stupid speeches everywhere. He again demanded financial compensation for that in the amount of "half a mil".

Readers can form their own image of Mr Suchý for themselves. To be honest, I have no idea how it works with these television shows, who chooses whom to be a guest and who is invited to be an audience member. 

I understand that the program needs to have different people on opposite sides of the barricades, but that’s about the only thing about it that makes sense. I do not understand on what basis Mr Suchý got onto the program.  

If Mr Suchý would have spoken only about his own experience, then it wouldn’t have mattered. How, though, can he permit himself to speak on behalf of the Romani community as a whole?

While Ms Čonková has heroically filed a complaint against Czech Television in which she describes all of its principles that have been violated, is that what really happened? Ms Čonková says in her commentary that the moderator was unable to handle the program, that she gave no one else any room to speak, only herself, and that she conducted her program in the style of a "one-woman show".   

She then goes on to add that the moderator is just abusing socially significant topics in order to spread anti-Romani sentiment. This is the stumbling block.  

I do believe that Ivana Čonková really cannot stand how the moderator of that program swept her aside. The moderator really did not give Ms Čonková any room to express herself, but the moderator was correct when she said that what Ms Čonková was talking about was completely off-topic. 

I don’t know what Ms Čonková is so surprised by. I think what happened is a bit different.

Our activist star wanted to perform her own "one-woman show", but wasn’t able to – that’s what the problem is. Personally, I must add here that I did not have the feeling, when watching the program, that the moderator did not give any of her guests room to express themselves.

On the contrary, if my calculations are correct, the most room was given to Mr Suchý, who was incapable of understanding what he was being asked. Everyone certainly must have noticed how he constantly raised his hand like a first-grader who has just learned his times tables and wanted to show his teacher that he really knows how to do them, no matter the cost.

The high point of the episode was also Mr Suchý’s response when asked how he goes about looking for work. He told the television audience that he had tried to get a job in a restaurant, but that the owner didn’t want him because the owner was a "faggot". 

What if Ivana Čonková had warned Mr Suchý of the fact that when he makes inappropriate statements to the detriment of persons of a different sexual orientation he harms the entire Prague region, the owners of Prague restaurants, and last but not least, the Romani residents of Prague? Or does she also want to claim that Romani people living in Prague, irrespective of their sexual orientation, don’t have work?

How does one explain the fact, then, that the vast majority of Romani people in Prague do have jobs and live in normal rental housing? It didn’t look to me as if Mr Suchý is somehow disabled, or of retirement age. 

Just like Patrik Banga, I am having a problem understanding why Mr Suchý is incapable of finding himself work in Prague. I am not claiming that everyone in Prague will immediately hire a Romani guy, but I am convinced that people who want to work will find jobs. 

If Mr Suchý were to be employed, he would not be interested in making sure he receives a housing contribution or any other welfare, that’s just the plain truth. I would view him differently if he were not living in Prague, but I must make this completely clear – if he is not working here in Prague, then that is indicative of something.

Indeed, if either Ivana Čonková or Mr Suchý had families and children, then they would not have so much time for these activities! And after further reflection, I don’t know why the producers at Czech Television should have to explain to anyone why they have chosen this or that person to appear on a show.

They are not responsible for the fact that these activists are putting themselves forward, people who are not even capable of responding to questions. What is worse, both of these activists are "professionals".

Ms Jílková has not been hired by Czech Television to bow at the feet of her guests and send out mass apologies when the broadcast is over, and our female fighter should realize that. What do you all think, what kind of a result will this miserable live performance by Romani representatives (except for Mr Kavúra) have on our image?

Online videos are circulating all over the country accompanied by classic commentaries such as "The Gypsies are shouting once again about everything they want for free, but they don’t want to work", there are protest marches all summer, and as an example of a Romani citizen, everyone will now be pointing the finger at the rest of us on the basis of what Suchý, that alleged victim of "discrimination", has thrown out there. The worst thing about this whole situation is the fact that we ourselves are creating the careers of all of these populists like Čunek, Okamura, Řápková, etc.

We are literally passing the ball to the populists so they can score. That makes it hard to convince various parts of the majority population that we Romani people are not all the same. 

Our "fighters" always sabotage us, and in reality it is they who are actively, successfully spreading "antigypsyist" sentiments. The fundamental question now is:  What are we going to do about this? 

I am convinced that there are many of you who have really gotten sick of other people designing Czech-Roma flags for us, defending our rights on our behalf, and filing one lawsuit after another in our names. Let’s let our elite activists know that this is really NOT how they should be working!

They can fight on their own behalf, we can’t stop them from doing that, but they should not dare appear in public as representatives of all ethnic Roma. Let’s let them know that we don’t need them, we don’t want them, and that we are capable of defending ourselves should we need to. 

If Czech Television ever does want to have truly meaningful debates, then it might be worth their while to approach completely different discussants – they don’t have to have faces that are famous from demonstrations or the media. And in conclusion, I would like to call on Mr Suchý to contact me if he really cannot find a job, as he claims.  

If he is willing to pay the costs of my gas, my phone calls, and the time I invest into finding him a job, then I guarantee I will have one for him very soon!  Let him show me that he really wants to work!