Discrimination at Hotel

[BENNU]

It is not only Egyptian hotels that discriminate.

:nn

http://www.thelocal.se/20140325/swedish ... roma-guest


Swedish hotel denies breakfast to Roma guest


A Swedish expert invited by the government to speak at the release of its white paper on Roma discrimination was on Tuesday denied entry to the breakfast room at Stockholm's Sheraton hotel. She had to drink her coffee in the lobby.

Diana Nyman, the chairman of the Roma Council in Gothenburg, was set to speak at the release of the white paper on discrimination of Roma and travellers in Sweden.

The government put her up at the four-star Sheraton Hotel, a stone's throw away from parliament and the government quarter, but when Nyman, 45, went down for breakfast she was offered a modern-day example of the discrimination that the white-paper on Tuesday admitted had been endemic in Sweden.

Nyman, who wears a traditional wide black skirt and frilly blouse and who recently fielded questions about beggars in an online chat, said she was almost knocked over by a staff member who rushed to bar the Roma expert and speaker from entering the breakfast room.

"Even after I had showed that I'd paid for breakfast the staff insisted that I stay in the lobby," Nyman told the Dagens Nyheter newspaper (DN) on Tuesday. "They got me coffee so I could drink it there instead."

A spokesperson for Integration Minister Erik Ullenhag said the incident would lead his office to "revise" its policy of offering invited guests to stay overnight at the Sheraton.

Thomas Johansson, spokesman for the Sheraton, told The Local via email that the company was launching an internal investigation into the matter.

"We apologise for any inconvenience and embarrassment that this has caused Ms Nyman. Please rest assured that the hotel does not tolerate any discriminatory behaviour," he added.

The Local (news@thelocal.se)

[Chocolate Eclair]

I think this may have happened no matter what Country or 5* Hotel Bennu. The problem being people get mixed up between Travelers and Roma's. They have managed to get themselves a bad name in most countries and now people only think of them has thieves and vagabonds, They need to improve their image.

[Glyphdoctor]

A few may determine the reputation of the whole group, however, that does not mean a whole group of people is bad. And the good ones owe you nothing in proving their worth. If you are a decent person/business, you put aside your preconceived notions when you deal with an individual person, until they prove themselves not worthy otherwise. Otherwise, you don't deserve respect yourself.

And I'll just say this, the woman was invited to meet with government officials, discuss a white paper, and was a chairperson of a council. And she was stopped by someone whose job it seems was only to monitor who was coming in and out of the breakfast room. Putting aside ethnicity, what would you normally think if this was all you knew about these two people?

[Mad Dilys]

Bravo Doctor. Well said.

[Jayway]

Sweden is for sure OFF my travellers list. Thankyou Bennu, just saw their giant 40cm kitchen rat too ! !

[Chocolate Eclair]

Racial discrimination, really has no place in this world, its always been a bit of a scourge in most Countries, and I think the Western World may be the worse offenders. I am not a believer in Faith discrimination either although that is going on. People still need to form the thought of live and let live when it comes to this subject.

[Bullet Magnet]

Sweden is for sure OFF my travellers list. Thankyou Bennu, just saw their giant 40cm kitchen rat too ! !

Maybe, but I am considering a visit to Denmark...
I may need to run the idea past my wife first, and when she says No, then as contingency,maybe we should send over a few of those Luxorian studs.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/artic ... ation.html

[Subversion]

A few may determine the reputation of the whole group, however, that does not mean a whole group of people is bad. And the good ones owe you nothing in proving their worth. If you are a decent person/business, you put aside your preconceived notions when you deal with an individual person, until they prove themselves not worthy otherwise. Otherwise, you don't deserve respect yourself.

And I'll just say this, the woman was invited to meet with government officials, discuss a white paper, and was a chairperson of a council. And she was stopped by someone whose job it seems was only to monitor who was coming in and out of the breakfast room. Putting aside ethnicity, what would you normally think if this was all you knew about these two people?

I would say that both were just trying to do their jobs in accordance with the guidelines they were set.

Sx

[Subversion]

Reflecting on the Nile Valley Hotel Thread…

So is it then right that Egyptians in Egypt are not allowed unrestricted access to hotels and facilities in their own country.

Sx

[Bearded Brian]

No it's not right.

[Hafiz]

Sweden, Denmark etc have their problems one of which is they have lived in a mono-cultural society for a long time and haven't have to face much physical or cultural difference that say the UK has. Recent refugees have not been their long enough to have an effect on attitudes to foreigners/outsiders. Eire is in a similar position and 'tolerant' Belgium and Holland have seen the rise of far right parties in opposition to refugees, particularly Muslims.

Its an odd situation that countries who would normally lead the world in civil rights, tolerance etc find refugees - Muslim, Roma and other outsiders uncomfortable.

As far as Roma are concerned the UK has recently used force to break up their caravan parks, the French used even more force and a lot of Eastern Europe have worse attitudes.So its not just a northern European problem.

I'm sure the Roma remember their past when Hitler tried to exterminate all of them: but maybe Europeans have forgotten.

In Egypt, the hundreds of officer clubs refuse entry to bearded officers or to their wives if they wear any head covering. I've never heard that this applies to their hotels but beards are a defining characteristic in Sisi Egypt so anything is possible.

Egypt has housed large numbers of refugees from southern and east africa for decades and now has about 60,000 Syrian refugees yet I have not noticed and publicized signs of racism towards there groups.

[BENNU]

Sweden, Denmark etc have their problems one of which is they have lived in a mono-cultural society for a long time and haven't have to face much physical or cultural difference that say the UK has. Recent refugees have not been their long enough to have an effect on attitudes to foreigners/outsiders. Eire is in a similar position and 'tolerant' Belgium and Holland have seen the rise of far right parties in opposition to refugees, particularly Muslims.

Sweden as a neutral country has been open to far more refugees than Denmark in the past and many Romas are integrated in Sweden. It is not unusual that Danes move to Sweden as a last resort to live with their foreign spouses. It used to be my impression that foreigners were far better integrated in the Swedish society than in little Denmark and I have met many foreigners in Denmark who would have preferred to live in Sweden for that reason, but things are changing.

[Glyphdoctor]

In Egypt, the hundreds of officer clubs refuse entry to bearded officers or to their wives if they wear any head covering. I've never heard that this applies to their hotels but beards are a defining characteristic in Sisi Egypt so anything is possible.

I attended an iftar at a police club a couple years back and no one was checking for hijabs at the door. I don't know why you make declarations like this about things as if they were indisputable facts. And I have a vague memory of attending an engagement party or two at military clubs many years ago and I don't think there were any restrictions on hijab there either. Sisi's wife is covered so I think you are way off base.

[Who2]

Having run a few bars, restaurants clubs & hotels let me tell you, I am very discriminatory if, I don't like them or their vibe then they don't get in, be they roma, footballers, celebs, coppers or wags. When you come to one of my gaffs, you come to my home and if you f***up then be expected to get F****ed off, and it can be anybody I'm just racist against pricks..

Ps: this was the most stolen item from the Tardis, hence photocopied in plastic...
Pss: sorry it's so small to read, help required!

[Hafiz]

My information was 3rd hand and was about the niqab, traditional male dress and beards and how these don't generally fit in with the historical secular role of the army. http://carnegieendowment.org/files/offi ... ublic1.pdf. I should have made clear that I was talking about very conservative dress for males and females.

Sisi is widely alleged to be unusual, a secular education in the US, but his thesis on Islam and democracy with Islam coming first. All media state he is more observant than the average senior military type but only time will tell what that means. The fact that his wife is is covered (I assume you mean a hijab) would be consistent with his alleged beliefs.

I believe what you say about your personal observations but the attendance at functions of those in hijabs doesn't prove that others, more observant and traditional in dress, did not attend through pressure or choice. I should not have said that there was refused entry.

BENNU - didn't the Swedish Minister for Culture, a couple of years ago, cut a cake in public on top of which was a naked African women?

[Glyphdoctor]

Hafiz-I'm going to ask you a point blank question. What do you do for a living? Frankly, you sound like some Middle East analyst sitting in a government office in your own country:

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=29683&p=350916&view=show#p350916

[newcastle]

Hafiz-I'm going to ask you a point blank question. What do you do for a living? Frankly, you sound like some Middle East analyst sitting in a government office in your own country:

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=29683&p=350916&view=show#p350916

We'll have to see whether Hafiz gives you an answer GD but I'd like to ask you "a point blank question".....why does it matter to you? (I'm making what I think is a reasonable assumption, from your choice of words,that it does)

[BENNU]

Sweden, Denmark etc have their problems one of which is they have lived in a mono-cultural society for a long time and haven't have to face much physical or cultural difference that say the UK has. Recent refugees have not been their long enough to have an effect on attitudes to foreigners/outsiders.

BENNU - didn't the Swedish Minister for Culture, a couple of years ago, cut a cake in public on top of which was a naked African women?

Yes, she was not prepared on what kind of cake it was, and she later regretted. It was made by an African/Swede as a manifestation against racism.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/04/18/world ... ntroversy/

Having known many foreigners in Sweden and Denmark and growing up with Swedish and Danish TV, it is clear to me that what you say about Sweden,Denmark etc is more true of Denmark than of Sweden.

[Hafiz]

BENNU I agree and also hope you are a fan of the Swedish/Danish productions the Bridge, the Killing and Kurt Wallander (not the awful version with Kenneth Braganh). The riotous Laiilyhammer (Norwegian I know - about a mafia don who runs away from the US) is also worth catching.

As far as the Minister is concerned she can't have her cake and eat it to. Maybe she thought it was a Black Forest Cake if that doesn't sound racist.

As far as the direct answers: I am not aware of any post which previously has requested this information of others. T

The answer to your first question is bureaucrat/civil servant. No I am not a Middle East analyst .Before you jump back I do not work in security, foreign affairs or any area related to Egypt. To anticipate you again I am not Muslim or Copt and I do not read Arabic. To anticipate further again I have no horse in the race in Egypt whatever some have said in the past and on this forum about my 'agenda'. Finally I did not study anything relevant to the Middle East nor do I know any Middle East analysts. I hope that these answers, which go well beyond what you asked, satisfy your needs whatever they are.

I note that no reason is given for the request. For example, 'could you help, given your X background, with a query' or 'I am having difficulty understanding your point of view could you give me some information about what direction you are coming from' or 'are your opinions widespread in Australia or just your own' or 'I think your views wrong or biased'.

Why should answers to your questions be relevant of helpful. For example, in normal conversation, do you cross examine those you are talking to: their occupation and 'special subject'. In any event I could be just lying which is more easily done on the web than face to face.

I have not asked similar questions of you but I have come across various references about you on this forum without the desire, or memory, to put my skimming together into a photomontage.

I'm indifferent about this matter and hold no grudges but await the possibility that reasons for the questions will emerge or, possibly, whether the answers were useful. I can't conceive how they would be useful. Question and answer is usually reciprocal so maybe this should become the fashion on this site.

As far as your link is concerned I think that my post of 2012 was as pompous as it was wordy. Nothing in it was much more that an hour reading Foreign Affairs, the Economist and other bits and pieces. The question in it is still unanswered by minds vastly better than mine.

What all of this has to do with discrimination at an Hotel escapes me.

A message request would have sufficed rather than this public striptease.

[Bullet Magnet]

I wonder if this Hotel will have to close until it is safe for tourists form the UAE...

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/three-uae-wom ... ml#PF6PlpJ

Three women from the United Arab Emirates were in hospital on Monday after being savagely attacked in their room at a luxury London hotel by a man wielding a hammer, police said.

The women, all in their 30s, sustained serious injuries to their heads and faces during the "unusually violent attack" at the four-star Cumberland Hotel in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Three children were sleeping in an adjoining room at the time but they were unharmed.

One of the victims is in a critical but stable condition at a central London hospital, while the injuries suffered by the other two women are not life-threatening, police said.

Detectives are treating the attack as attempted murder, although they said they had an open mind as to the motive.

Officers were called at 1:50am (0050 GMT) on Sunday to the hotel near Hyde Park following reports of an assault, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.

.........