Racist statements in university textbook, written by Géza Jeszenszky

Alert DateNovember 21, 2012 Country: Hungary Address: Budapest General Type: Racist discourse Racism and discrimination phenomena: Anti-roma/ romaphobia
Groups affected / Interested in: Roma & Travelers Hate speech/Racist Discourse Medium: Printed Publication
Victims Data
Victims Nationality/Ethnic Origin N/A
Victims Gender N/A
Victims Age N/A
Victims Number N/A
Fatalities - deaths N/A
Perpetrators Data
Perpetrators Nationality/Ethnic Origin Hungarian
Perpetrator Gender Male
Perpetrator Age 66+
Perpetrators Number 1
Extremist/Organised Group Violence No

In November 2012, excerpts were published from an English language textbook used at Corvinus University Budapest, written by Géza Jeszenszky, who serves currently as the Ambassador of Hungary to Oslo. The chapter of the textbook on ’Minorities in Hungary: The issue of the Roma (Gypsies. Minority self-government)’ includes a racist statement: „The reason why many Roma are mentally ill is because in Roma culture it is permitted for sisters and brothers or cousins to marry each other or just to have sexual intercourse with each other.” Jeszenszky, who later apologized for the unsupported statements in his book, was fiercly critized by anti-racist activists and scholars.


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