Roma people

The Roma people (pronounced "rahma"; singular Rom; sometimes Rroma, Rrom), along with the closely related Sinti people, are commonly known as Gypsies in English. They are a traditionally nomadic people who originated in northern India, but currently live worldwide, chiefly in Europe. Most Roma speak some form of Romany, a language closely- related to the modern Indo-European languages of Europe, northern India and Pakistan http://www.ethnologue.com/14/show_family.asp?subid=653, but usually speak the dominant language of a region they live in as well. Modern anthropology has related Romany to Punjabi and Pothohari, spoken in northern India and Pakistan.

Religion

It has been suggested that while still in India the Roma people belonged to the Hindu religion, this theory being supported by the Romany word for "cross", trushul, which is the word which describes Shiva's trident.

Related Topics:
India - Hindu - Shiva - Trident

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Usually, Roma have adopted the dominant religion of the host country, but keeping their particular way of believing and worshipping. Eastern European Roma are Catholic, Orthodox and, particularly in the Balkans, Muslim; those of Western Europe either Catholic or Protestant, as well as in the USA, while in Latin-America, they usually kept their European religion, most of them being Orthodox.

Related Topics:
Catholic - Orthodox - Muslim - Protestant

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After WWII, a consistent and constantly-growing number of Roma have embraced Evangelical movements, and for the first time in history, Roma have engaged themselves as religious leaders and ministers, creating their own, autonomous churches and missionary organizations. In some countries, the majority of Roma now belong to the Romany churches. This unexpected change, usually hardly criticized by many, has greatly contributed to a better image of Roma in society, as they have begun to perform legitimate work, and obtain legal permits for commercial activities.

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Evangelical Romany churches exist today in every country where Roma are settled. Particularly strong is the movement in France and Spain (in this latter State, there are more than one thousand Romany churches, known as "Filadelfia", of which almost one hundred are in Madrid alone). In Germany, the most numerous group is that of Polish Roma, having their main church in Mannheim. Other important and numerous Romany assemblies exist in Los Angeles, Houston, Buenos Aires and Mexico. Some groups in Romania and Chile have joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Related Topics:
Madrid - Mannheim - Los Angeles - Houston - Buenos Aires - Mexico - Seventh-day Adventist Church

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In the Balkans, the Roma of Macedonia and Kosovo have been particularly active in Islamic mystical brotherhoods (Sufism). Muslim Roma immigrants to Western Europe and America have brought these traditions with them.

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