Italian senator says black minister has 'features of orangutan'

[cali]

The Italian prime minister, Enrico Letta, has condemned as unacceptable comments made by a senior rightwing senator in which he suggested the country's first black government minister had "the features of an orangutan".

Cécile Kyenge, an eye surgeon who was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo but has Italian citizenship, has faced repeated racial slurs and threats since being appointed minister for integration by Letta in April.

She was once again on the receiving end of grossly offensive comments on Saturday when Roberto Calderoli, a former minister under Silvio Berlusconi and senate vice-president of the Northern League, told a rally in the northern town of Treviglio that Kyenge would be better off working as a minister "in her country".

According to the Corriere della Sera, which reported the event, he added: "I love animals – bears and wolves, as is known – but when I see the pictures of Kyenge I cannot but think of the features of an orangutan, even if I'm not saying she is one."

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/14/italian-senator-roberto-calderoli-cecile-kyenge

[idwiyo]

1. Racist piece of shit.

[cali]

2. Sickeningly, as the story makes clear, he's hardly the only one

pretty shocking and horrifying.

<snip>
Ever since she was made minister in Letta's fractious grand coalition government, Kyenge, 48, has been the target of much criticism from the League. Some of it has been directed at her policies, particularly her desire to change a harsh citizenship law to make it easier for Italian-born children of foreigners to gain full nationality before they are 18.

But some of it has been very personal and vitriolic. Mario Borghezio, a member of the European parliament for the League, said in April that Kyenge wanted to "impose her tribal traditions from the Congo" and branded Letta's coalition a "bongo bongo" government. "She seems like a great housekeeper but not a government minister."

In June a local councillor for the League was ejected from the party after she posted a message on Facebook suggesting Kyenge should be raped. Referring to an alleged attempted rape in Genoa, Dolores Valandro wrote: "Why does no one rape her, so she can understand what the victim of this atrocious crime felt?"

<snip>

[alp227]

6. "bongo bongo"? Was that white guy Berlusconi a "bunga bunga" politician?

Worse than a cheap shot.

[LittleBlue]

3. Italy is a cesspit of racism

They never had a civil rights movement, nor a significant black population until more recent immigration from Africa.

These kinds of comments are common.

Mario Balotelli, a big Italian footballer and also of African descent, was called "little n*****" by one of the club's board members. He later apologized, claiming it was a term of affection. Balotelli took it in stride by insisting it wasn't a big deal. He had after all been abused far worse before, with monkey hoots, racist chants and bananas thrown on the pitch. That's how used to racism they are in Italy.

[msongs]

4. remember the good old days on DU when GW Bush was widely called a chimp, complete w/drawings? nt

[Orrex]

5. Do you see it as the same thing?

[alp227]

7. Calderoli should read about Italian-American history.

He has Stockholm Syndrome.

[Octafish]

8. Nixon was a Saint compared to the modern day conservative.

Know your Untermenschen