|
Although the Dom are
related to the Rom of Europe, many scholars now believe that the Dom
who settled in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa
left India before their European cousins. Unfortunately, the actual
migration history of the Dom is shrouded in mystery and complicated
by brief, generalized statements that are found in the annals of the
kings and nations of the East. Theories abound, but certainty
doesn't. The earliest possible migration of the Dom seems to have
taken place in the fifth century A.D.
Today, large Dom
communities can be seen in Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Gaza,
and the West Bank. Small, primarily nomadic groups move in and
out of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Yemen.
Large groups of Gypsies live in Egypt while smaller
populations are found in the North African countries of Algeria,
Libya, Sudan, and possibly Chad and Ethiopia.
Their long history in
the region has led the Dom to adopt the Arabic language and many
Arab customs. Only in the more isolated communities is their
own ethnic language (Domari) still used widely. The Dom minority is hated, oppressed, and
distrusted by the people of all the countries of the Middle East and
North Africa. To escape negative stereotypes and ensuing animosity,
the Dom repress their own cultural expressions in an effort to blend
into the Arab culture. The necessity to hide their identity is
demoralizing and has created a defeatist mentality among many. As a
general rule, only the men and women who have been able to hide or
minimize their Gypsy ethnicity have become successful in society at
large.
|
