Cingeneyiz.org: "In our studies and research we are not dealing with Romanies/Gypsies as a homogenous ethnic group but we are approaching the multitude of groups existing in an interactive relationship with their social environment under the paradigm of a tsiganological relationism." Could you explain the perspective of your foundation we could see clearly in these sentences existing in the web page of Forum Tsiganologische Forschung for our audiences. What do you mean with the words "tsiganological relationism"?
All social sciences deal with relations. The task for sociologists, anthropologists or ethnologists is to comprehend these relations from all connected points. For the case of gyspy studies (Tsiganologie) that means looking from majority view point to the minority and vice versa. Relationism avoids privileging priorities and prefers perspectivical change. As a result you get different truths, this comes nearer to reality than reductionism with clear differences between good and bad. Such simplifications should be limited to religious messages.
Cingeneyiz.org: Which term do you prefer to define non-pastoral, non-hunter/gatherer and non-agricultural nomads? There are various terms to define this kind of nomadic societies like service nomads, peripatetics, commercial nomads, non-food producing nomads. It would be nice for us to learn your reasons to choice one of these terms.
I do not think, that nomadism is a general practice for gypsy groups. Nomads have been hunterer and gatherers before the invention of settlements or nomadism is the way pastoralists are herding their animals and changing the pastures and wells. Gypsies belong to towns or to urban environments and market places. Therefore I prefere the terms mobility and flight culture. This means permanent readiness to change the place, but not necessary the renunciation of permanent houses or fixed settlements.
Cingeneyiz.org: What do you think about the use of word Gypsy as a generic term including different kind of peripatetic societies worldwide? To use the word Gypsy pointing a social identity could damage or trivialize Roma ethnical identity?
Gypsy in Englisch has a mystical connotation of Egyptian origin, Zigeuner in German is hardly to define; I think it is similar with the turkish Cingene. All these are labels of the majority population which has not enough informations about these small mobile groups. It is part of the freedom of these only half integrated groups, to use this spongy label or to prefer other names. The term Roma the politicians use since a short time suggests an ethnic connection of all Gypsy groups which is nonsense.
Cingeneyiz.org: How do you evaluate the general theory defining Roma Gypsy as Indian diaspora? Which is the founder element of Roma ethnic identity for you? Only having an Indian origin or being descendants of peripatetic ancestors with Indian origin?
India is full of different Gypsy groups, but there is no need to trace all Gypsy groups in the world to an Indian origin. This may make sense in the linguistics of Romani, but many Gypsy groups do not know Romani and do not want to be incorporated by Roma-politicians. Of course these people are free to functionalize the model of unique origin and world wide diaspora, because of the success in the Jewish case. But historical and sociological evidence does not support this model for Gypsies.
Cingeneyiz.org: Could we define Halab in Sudan as white Gypsies among dark-skinned non-Gyspies?
The Halab in Sudan (the term lumps together different groups with different secret languages) like to point out their light skin because it proves in their eyes their relation to Egyptians, Turks and Europeans. This relationship counterbalances their inferior status among the majority population which is brownish skinned or even dark like the Nubians, the Nuba and the people in the West and the South. Such folk classification of status according to skin colour is widely spread over the world and strongly related with the historical racism of Europe and its present variations.
Cingeneyiz.org: We, as Çingeneyiz.org family, believe the possibility of world peripatetics to be in solidarity eachother worldwide against racism and cultural discrimination based on anti-tsiganism. We also try to represent and to advocate various peripatetic-Gypsy communities like Roma, Abdals, Loms, Doms, Geygels, Mıtrips, Gewende living in Turkey under the generic term Çingene. What is your idea about this mission? Do you believe it is a realistic strategy?
It is very important, to propagate informations about social realities like the existence of different small groups which are only half integrated in the complex society systems. Politicians in Europe use the term parallel societies in a sense of grievance. Of course it is difficult to participate in a modern society if you like your daughter to be married as early as possible or if you prefer free enterprise without bureaucratism. Politics cannot tolerate such cultural or behavioral deviations of small groups in spite of the confessed tolerance as the essence of an open society.
Cingeneyiz.org: What is your ideas about racism and discriminative policies targeting Gypsy communities these days? Do you believe racism is raising and why?
Racism is only one form of the tensions between the modern society with its rigid prescriptions and the small family groups of Gypsies, who want to be left alone. These tensions will exist so long as Gypsies exist. There are only individual solutions and history is full of side changing in any direction. Gypsy culture is a structural alternative to the modern way of life, whose conformity is controlled by mass media, bureaucracy and lifelong schooling on all levels. As in former stages of civilization there are outlets from the majority cage. The one connected with mobile family life and self controlled income activities we call Gypsy life.
Cingeneyiz.org: What is your ideas about our web page?
Your web page is fantastic and exemplary. I wish that such informations about nonconformable groups are available in all countries. May be Turkish activists can go ahead in demonstrating that variety and not uniformity is the strength of the Gypsy scene. Governments and administrations have to be convinced that Gypsies do not want an other bureaucratic apparatus with democtratically unsure representatives but more space and freedom for informal activities, spontaneous movements and selfcontrolling niches.
PROFESSOR BERNHARD STRECK
Director of the Institute for Ethnology at the University of Leipzig
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