Discrimination and Marginalisation

René Cassin hosted roundtable with board of deputies and gyspy, roma and traveller

The lead up to the Holocaust saw the marginalisation of groups for their religion, identity and political views, including Jews, Roma, disabled people, gay people, and communists. This took the form of persecution, denial of rights, identifying measures such as yellow stars for Jews, denial of education and employment, internal displacement and finally deportation and murder in concentration camps. This experience is still within the living memory and consciousness of the Jewish community. It is because of this that the Jewish community stands with other minorities, especially when their rights are threatened.

Hostility or prejudice against any community, whether motivated by religion or faith, disability, gender identity, race, sexual orientation, or a combination of characteristics, is unacceptable and stands in stark contrast to the legacy of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Discrimination, and hate crime and hate speech affect our ability to enjoy hard won human rights, such as freedom from discrimination, and freedom to enjoy our personal and private life. To counter this, René Cassin is taking a human rights approach, highlighting the universality and intersectionality that transcends separate groups, and harnessing the Jewish values of equality and justice.

Our recent work campaigning against discrimination has seen an interfaith challenge to the Police, Crimes, Sentencing and Courts Act, which has criminalised Traveller ways of life in its attack on unauthorised encampments. Our #CutItOut and #Reachout campaigns have sought to build solidarity between different marginalised groups, including the LGBTQ+ community. 

René Cassin marking Roma Holocaust Memorial Day