Gypsies in the Middle East in Past and Present Contexts
Gypsies in the Middle East in Past and Present Contexts

Summary/Abstract: The article deals with Gypsy issues in the territory of the Middle East. The authors analyse selected contexts of ethno-linguistic, socio-cultural and socio-political identity of the Middle Eastern Gypsy communities with emphasis on Syria and Iraq. They also describe the historical background of the topic, necessary for understanding the current situation of Gypsies in Arab society. Gypsy communities living in the Middle Eastern countries are scattered throughout the ethnically and religiously distinct population of the region. In the host country they are often marginalized and conflicts tend to break out between them and the majority population. Gypsies are not involved in political decision-making processes and have no opportunities to apply for their rights as an ethnic minority. They cannot develop their language and culture and, consequently, their political ambitions. Long-term conflicts in the Middle East hinder the improvement of the status of the Gypsies in Arab society. The authors draw on Western and Arab sources and they also rely on their own experience, gained during their ten-year stay in Syria, and on information from interviews with Syrian Gypsies and Iraqi refugees.

• Details
• Contents