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Professor Vladimir Tismaneanu apologizes for the “racist, inappropriate and especially offensive meme” posted on Facebook and declares himself ready to work with those working in the Roma community on ways to combat hatred and intolerance. On the other hand, he recalls the anti-Semitic attacks launched against him in 2006, when he was preparing the report to denounce communism, and points out that the “Csaba Asztalos Council” did not defend it at the time.
“After hours of reflection, I would like to apologize for the racist, inappropriate and, most importantly, offensive meme I posted yesterday. Although at the time I wasn’t really thinking about the racist implications, I should have been. As soon as I realized, I removed it (in a few minutes.) It is not an excuse for not living in Romania, I should have asked more carefully and realized that it was not fun, especially before distributing it on a public platform. No excuse I will do better in the Future, I will learn from that. I know that some may not accept these excuses or believe what they say and their right is. I know that there are no magic words to repair the pain I caused, “writes Vladimir Tismaneanu on his Facebook page, the message is publishes in English.
With that said, I declare my willingness to work with those working in the Roma community on the issue of hatred, intolerance and intolerance. I also understand that no one owes me a debt in this regard. And, as I said, I will learn from this mistake. and I hope my reaction has shown others that jokes like this are not funny and hurt many. As for me, I intend to continue to spend my Easter reflecting. On Monday I return to my usual activities. I thank those who wrote for defend my reputation, as well as those who were critics in good faith, “concluded Vladimir Tismaneanu.
In an earlier message, published a few hours earlier and written in Romanian, Vladimir Timaneanu recalled that he himself had been the target of anti-Semitic attacks several years ago, when he was preparing the report condemning Communism. The political scientist criticizes that at that time, the Elie Wiesel Institute and the Council to Combat Discrimination, chaired by Csaba Asztalos, did not react. “Almost 14 years have passed. Soon three decades will pass since mining. Extremisms, weaknesses, depravity continue to infest the public space …” – mentions Professor Tismăneanu.
In 2006 Vladimir Tismaneanu headed the presidential commission for the analysis of the communist dictatorship in Romania.
Vladimir Tismaneanu, political scientist and sociologist, is a professor at the University of Maryland, United States.
He posted to Facebook on Friday night a photo that sends a racist message to the Roma minority in Romania. The photo was transmitted in a private message by Denisa Comănescu, editorial director of Humanitas Publishing House, and alluded to the situation in Țăndărei, a quarantined city, where an important Roma community lives.
Reactions caused by Vladimir Tismaneanu’s racist post
The post was removed shortly, but the National Council to Combat Discrimination has announced that it will be self-signed. “In the unlikely situation, when we receive no complaints on Monday, the CNCD will initiate the self-evaluation procedure in the case of Vladimir Tismaneanu.” In parallel, we will forward the case to the University of Maryland in the United States, where Mr. Tismaneanu is a professor. We will ask the University of Maryland to comment on the message published by its teaching staff, in relation to the principles of ethics and non-discrimination that apply in their organizational and academic culture, ”Asztalos Csaba, president of CNCD, wrote on Facebook.
Tismaneanu’s publication also attracted the attention of the Elie Wiesel Institute, who asked Vladimir Tismaneanu to apologize for the position.
The University of Bucharest, in turn, defined the position expressed by Professor Tismăneanu and announced that it will discuss their situation.
As for Denisa Comănescu, the editorial director of the Humanitas publishing house publicly apologized and expressed her deep regret at not having noticed the substrate of the racist image.
Shortly after the image was published by Vladimir Tismaneanu, followed by its removal, the sociologist Gelu Duminică reacted. “These days, racism is everywhere. But as a man who has studied totalitarian regimes and knows very well the horrors this plague has inflicted on all mankind, he did not expect it, “wrote Gelu Duminică on Facebook.
On the other hand, the writer and historian Andrei Oişteanu states that “accusing Vladimir Tismaneanu of racism, right-wing extremism, Nazism and other horrors is completely absurd”, referring to the reactions caused by the racist publication of Tismaneanu.
Publisher: Luana Păvălucă
