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Nevada (US), Oct 27 (ANI): Hindus have applauded “One human family” message of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI for the “97th World Day of Migrants and Refugees” and urged him to take up the cause of Roma of Europe who are facing apartheid conditions.

This Pope’s message, published at “Vatican: the Holy See” website, says: “One human family”, one family of brothers and sisters in societies that are becoming ever more multiethnic and intercultural, where also people of various religions are urged to take part in dialogue, so that a serene and fruitful coexistence with respect for legitimate differences may be found.

Pope points out: All, therefore, belong to one family, migrants and the local populations that welcome them, and all have the same right to enjoy the goods of the earth whose destination is universal…People of God includes “every nation, race, people, and tongue”.

Eminent Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said Roma were also God’s people and they were also part of the “One human family” propagated by Pope. It was morally unjustifiable for religious people like Pope to just ignore about 15-million Roma face daily apartheid right under his nose in Europe and not raise serious concern.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, pointed out that Jesus Christ clearly told the world to help the helpless, defenseless and downtrodden and love them and he showed the way also. Pope, being the claimed representative of God on earth, should voice against continuous Roma maltreatment. Pope should act like a shepherd to shepherd-less flock of Roma as Jesus Himself said that he had sheep from other pastures. Pope should recognize, acknowledge and affirm the Roma as children of God who deserved to be treated like all other people-as equals. As the Vicar of Christ, Pope should offer them protection, compassion, and love. In case of Roma, Pope should act as God wanted him to act, which was distinctly defined in The Bible. It would be very “un-Christian” to not speak about ongoing Roma abuse.

Rajan Zed quoted “Leviticus 19:33-34″: “When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you. You shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.” As this commandment seemed to come directly from God, it should never be violated, not the least by Pope, he added.

Zed argued that Pope needed to re-study his scriptures, the Word of God which was supposed to guide and direct him, and rise to the challenge of directing his followers to work for ending Roma “apartheid” in Europe. We were not asking much from the Pope, just suggesting him to be a true Christian; he said and added that it was a sin to silently watch Roma suffer day after day for the last about 1200 years and not do anything about it.

Rajan Zed further said that alarming condition of Roma people was a social blight for Europe and the rest of the world as they reportedly regularly faced social exclusion, racism, substandard education, hostility, joblessness, rampant illness, inadequate housing, lower life expectancy, unrest, living on desperate margins, language barriers, stereotypes, mistrust, rights violations, discrimination, marginalization, appalling living conditions, prejudice, human rights abuse, racist slogans on Internet, etc.(ANI)