· November, 2012

Stories about Ethnicity & Race from November, 2012

Tortured Sudanese Female Journalist Speaks Up

  29 November 2012

Sudanese journalist Sumaya Ismail Hundosa, 34, was abducted from near her house on October 29, 2012, later to be found thrown inside a mud pit in a remote area in Khartoum on November 2, 2012, five days after her abduction. As the details of Hundosa's unprecedented torture unfolded, Sudanese netizens largely responded with shock and outrage, showing sympathy and solidarity with the journalist, writes Usamah Mohamed

Hundreds Rally Against Anti-Semitism in Hungary

  29 November 2012

On Nov. 27, hundreds of people gathered in front of the Parliament in Budapest (photos) to protest a Hungarian far-right MP's call “for Jews to be registered on lists as threats to national security.” Some of the protesters wore yellow Stars of David. The rally took place despite the removal...

The Plights Of The Stateless Chakmas of Arunachal Pradesh

  26 November 2012

Paritosh Chakma recently visited Chakma villages in Papumpare district of the Indian State of Arunachal Pradesh and wrote about their plights. Thousands of Chakma refugees were transferred to the Chakma Settlement Areas in this region during 1964-69 and most of them still remain stateless.

Spain: Catalan Elections – “We are all Garcia”

  25 November 2012

This Sunday, voters in Catalonia head to the polls . The electoral campaign, which has honed in on the question of independence, began last week with a polemic video posted on the Youtube channel of the unionist Catalan People's Party (Partit Popular de Catalunya or PPC). The video rapidly generated a negative reaction among Catalan netizens on Twitter, who created the hashtag #totssomgarcia or "we are all Garcia", expressing solidarity with "Spanish" Catalans and criticizing the divisive content of the PPC campaign spot.

Afro-Brazilian Women, Tight Curly Hair and Black Consciousness

  23 November 2012

On November 20, Brazil celebrated Black Awareness Day; in honor of the day, we invite you to watch the documentary Raíz Forte (Strong Roots), "start a discussion about hair in terms of belonging to and explaining our African ancestry." The film depicts social prejudices and how black women in Brazil have historically dealt with their hair.

Mobs Burn Dalit Homes in Response to Intercaste Marriage in India

  22 November 2012

On 7 November 2012 up to 2,000 people attacked three Dalit settlements in the Dharmapuri District of Tamil Nadu, India. A nursing student, from a Shudra community married a man from a Dalit community and when the father of the bride committed suicide in disgrace, mobs attacked the Dalit community.

Renaming Villages, Streets in Tajikistan

  19 November 2012

This is just another attempt to rewrite history and build a myth that since the ancient period, the territory of contemporary Tajikistan has been settled by ethnic Tajiks and there were no other ethnic groups here. Blogger Harsavor shares [ru] his thoughts on why the authorities in Tajikistan have been...

Czech Kids’ Anti-Roma Attitudes Not Discouraged

  15 November 2012

Jeremy Druker of TOL's East of Center writes about anti-Roma attitudes among school students in the Czech city of Jihlava: […] These kids obviously get their opinions from their parents, teachers, and fellow students; they can freely read as much racist propaganda online as they want […]; they hear about...

Slovak “Decent Life” Protesters Burn EU Flag

  15 November 2012

About 100 people took part in a follow-up “Together for a Decent and Safe Life” protest [sk, images, videos], co-organized by Oskar Dobrovodský, in Bratislava on Nov. 10 (more about Dobrovodský's case and the previous, Oct. 13, rally is here). After the protesters burned the EU flag, police detained two...

Petronas’ Deepavali Ad Angers Malaysian Indians

  13 November 2012

In conjunction with the Hindu festival of lights, Deepavali, Malaysian oil company Petronas aired a controversial advertisement on YouTube that enraged many Malaysian Indians as it allegedly portrayed Indians in a bad light.

Catalan TV Show Flares Debate Over Independence from Spain

  12 November 2012

Catalan public television, TV3, recently broadcast a special news program called "Independence, step by step". It has caused massive debate at a heated moment in Catalan politics, not long before an election that is considered a plebiscite over the Catalonia's independence from Spain.

The Trouble With Russian Nationalism

RuNet Echo  12 November 2012

This year, Unity Day lived up to its name, though in a rather unexpected way. In 46 towns and cities across Russia, including Moscow, roughly 30 thousand people took part in far-right extremist rallies. While this is an infinitesimally small fraction of the country's total population, Unity Day's far-right groups have managed to attract supporters all over Russia.