Category: Press Releases

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To: Mark Stevenson
Editor
Maclean’s Magazine
One Mount Pleasant Road, 11th floor
Toronto, ON M4Y 2Y5
Canada
letters@macleans.ca

December 3^rd, 2013

Dear Mr. Stevenson,

RE: Hungary’s far-right turn

Anna Porter’s November 18^th, 2013 article titled ”Hungary’s far-right turn” on Canada’s granting of political asylum to Hungarian writer Mr. Akos Kertesz did not provide the full context or proper explanation to Mr. Kertesz’s perceived general rejection in Hungary after receiving some of the most prestigious state awards and recognition there. In order to comprehend this issue, it remains prudent to cite the full context of Kertesz’ statement. Mr. Kertesz wrote in February 2012, ”The Hungarian is genetically subserviant”

”…But this is not an excuse for him to feel the slightest remorse for the heaviest of historical crimes, that projects everything on others, always pointing the finger on others, that he happily wallows in the sludge of dictatorship, grunts, and gorges in slop, and does not want to know that it will be slaughtered. That he can neither learn, nor work, nor does he want to, the only thing he is capable of is envy, and if there is any way (to do so), he is ready to kill the one who amounted to something by way of work, study, and innovations.”

Mr. Kertesz’ statements, and particularly the term ”genetically subservient” seems deeply offending and bizarre, given that Hungarians are known as the most rebellious nation in Central Europe, with a major uprising in each of the past three centuries. Hungarians were the first to rise against Communism in 1956, and played a leading role in demolishing communism in 1989-90. On the other hand, Hungarian discoveries and inventions, such as vitamin C, Rubik’s cube or the ball-pen called “Biro”, the more than a dozen Hungarian Nobel-prize winners, or world famous Hungarian artists, such as Liszt, Kodaly, Bartok, to name a few, are the evidence that Mr. Kertesz’s statement that “they can neither learn, nor work” is simply false. The achievements of Canadian-Hungarians also prove Mr. Kertesz wrong: the nearly 40,000 Hungarian refugees accepted by Canada in 1956-57 and their descendants become one of the most successful wave of immigrants to this country. None of them required social assistance after only two years of their arrival, instead providing numerous scientists, engineers, doctors, artists, business people and other productive citizens and nation builders to Canada.

Therefore, for Canadian-Hungarians, Mr. Kertesz’ statements are not only false but deeply offensive and unacceptable as they promote genetically-based hatred bordering racism as well as collectively label Hungarians as individuals of poor work ethic, and, by extension, willingness to kill those who are more successful than them. This is simply a falsehood, and there remain no facts to support Mr. Kertesz’ point-of-view. Although we condemn the physical attacks against Mr. Kertesz, we also condemn any racial or ethnic discrimination against any group or people. Therefore, we remain perplexed of the decision by Canada to grant asylum to Mr. Kertesz. Just imagine how the Canadian public would react if a notable Canadian writer would state similar untruths about Canadians…We would appreciate if you could publish the above viewpoint in the next issue of Maclean’s.

Thank you. Regards,
The 17 members of the BoD of the National Alliance of Hungarians in Canada (NAHC)
an umbrella organization founded by 65 Canadian-Hungarian organizations (www.kmosz.ca)

The close to 1.5 million Hungarians now living in Romania – they were more than 3 million in 1920 when the Treaty of Trianon gave their land to Romania – are the largest ethnic minority in Europe. They live mainly in the region called Transylvania, whose most Eastern part is Szeklerland. This is where more than 700,000 Hungarian speaking Szeklers live in a nearly homogeneous block, on ancestral lands going back almost 1,000 years. They have endured continued discrimination for decades, and Romania is now planning to embark on a Territorial and Administrative reorganization of the whole country that would affect very harshly Szeklerland in particular by subdividing it into smaller regions and incorporating them into newly created administrative regions with a Romanian majority.

Vastly outnumbered, the Szeklers’ traditional way of life and culture would slowly be eroded. This, in turn would diminish their ability for self-governance on the local level in the areas of education, culture and economy, ultimately leading to forced assimilation by the Romanian majority. Their centuries-old identity and special Hungarian dialect would be lost forever.

Incidentally, this would break numerous bilateral agreements and international treaties that Romania has signed, for example the Proclamation from Alba Iulia/Gyulafehérvár on December 1st 1918, where equal rights and equality were promised to all nationalities within Romania (Section III.1):

“Comprehensive national liberty for all cohabitant nationalities. Each nationality will learn, administer and judge using its own language by its own individuals, and each nationality will have the right to represent itself in the legislative bodies and in the government of the country, in proportions corresponding to their own population.”

Sadly, these promises have not been kept for over 90 years, and the proposed legislative changes move reality even further from them.

On October 27, 2013, over 120,000 Szeklers and Hungarians formed a 53 km long human chain (The Great Szekler March) in Szeklerland to protest against the planned territorial and administrative reorganization of Romania, which would lead to the accelerated assimilation of Hungarians in Transylvania. On the same day, thousands of people organized solidarity demonstrations in cities throughout the world, including Ottawa and Toronto

In Ottawa, more than 70 people gathered in front of the Romanian Embassy and after a speech by the Hon. David Kilgour, a former Cabinet Minister and one of the longest serving MPs in the Canadian Parliament (1979-2006), a petition was handed to the Second Secretary of the Romanian embassy. The petition was prepared and signed by the National Alliance of Hungarians in Canada (NAHC), an umbrella organization founded by 65 Canadian-Hungarian organizations in 2012. After this, the demonstrators marched to Parliament Hill, where they peacefully ended their protest.

The petition handed to the Romanian Embassy – according to Embassy spokesman it has already been forwarded to the Department of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest – can be downloaded here.

The Szeklers (in Hungarian: Székely), are a group of the Hungarian people living mostly in the Székely Land, an ethno-cultural region in eastern Transylvania, Romania, for more than 1,000 years. The Székely Land consists of the Harghita, Covasna and Mureş counties, in which the Hungarian-speaking Szeklers collectively form the majority. In order to preserve their ethnic identity, the Szeklers have been calling for territorial autonomy within Romania. To emphasize the need for territorial autonomy, three organizations in Szekely Land has called for a worldwide demonstration on March 10, with its centre in Marosvasarhely and with demonstrations in other cities in the world, including Toronto and Ottawa.

As the Board of Directors of the National Alliance of Hungarians in Canada, we support the Szekler’s Demonstration for the territorial Autonomy of Szeklerland (Terra Siculorum) in Marosvásárhely on Szekler’s Freedom Day, March 10, 2013, organized by the National Szekler Council (CNS), National Council of Transylvania Magyars (CNMT) and the Transylvania Magyar People’s Party (PPMT). The aim of the Szekler autonomy initiatives, launched by local patriots, is to achieve the self-governance of Szeklerland inside Romania , restoring the traditional territorial autonomy, the only way of prosperity and peaceful coexistence of Szekler and Romanian people in this region.

Szeklers, as free citizens of Romania and the European Union, are exercising their democratic right of free association and free expression of opinion, cognizant of their responsibility to future generations.

• According to the Statute of the Council of Europe, Szekler-Magyars in Transylvania have right to feel at home in their ancient homeland.
• They must have the right to use their mother tongue and national symbols freely.
• They must have the right to independent education, from kindergarden to university.
• They must have the right to the control over their natural resources.
• They must have the right to be able to make decisions in matters concerning their life.

We agree that autonomy is the part of federalism and therefore autonomy, and federalism is the only solution for maintaining peace in the Carpathian Basin.

On February 12, 2013, an unprecedented attack was perpetrated against the employees of the Hungarian Embassy, among them against Ambassador Dr. László Pordány. A blog site operating under the name of Kanadai Magyar Hirlap (or “Canadian Hungarian Journal” in English, KMH in the rest of this release) published in Ottawa, ON, launched an English language petition with the purpose of defaming Ambassador Pordány and to force his recall by the Hungarian Government. The petition was to be sent to the members of the Canadian Government as well as to the leaders of the diplomatic core.

The petition’s initiator and author is Christopher Adam, editor-in-chief of the Canadian Hungarian Journal and a lecturer at Carleton University. Within the petition, Mr. Adam accuses Ambassador Pordány of being an anti-Semite, as well as of treating people with political bias, discriminating against those who have other political views, and by ignoring Hungarian-Canadian organizations.

The 17-member Board of Directors of the National Alliance of Hungarians in Canada (NAHC) – which was founded by 65 Canadian-Hungarian organizations in 2012 – would hereby like to refute the baseless accusations and very personal attack against Ambassador Pordány as well as against Canadian-Hungarian organizations.

Firstly, Christopher Adam and the KMH has, for more than two years since the last Hungarian elections, been conducting an open political campaign against the current, democratically elected 2/3 majority government of Hungary, the Hungarian Embassy in Ottawa, the Hungarian-Canadian organizations as well as their leaders.

To illustrate: in October 2011 the so called Canadian Hungarian Democratic Charter published a 20-page long indictment against the newly elected government of Hungary; (1) conducted a malicious discrediting campaign against Rev. Tamás Androvich, the then parish priest of Our Lady of Hungary Catholic Church in Montréal; (2) as well as published more than two dozen articles attacking the Hungarian Embassy and our own organization, the NAHC. Each one of these attacks – for the sake of community peace and tolerance – was left unanswered by the Embassy and the leaders of the Canadian Hungarian communities. Therefore, the accusation that those with alternate opinions are excluded from the public life is completely baseless, since until now, those who were touched by these judgmental articles have exercised the greatest possible tolerance and did not respond to any of these false – politically fuelled – allegations.

The accused did so despite the fact that the KMH did not shy away from stomping on human dignity and from using vulgar language in a routine manner. This is because in their articles and comments, they enable the use of the filthiest language and print blushing epithets against those with other views than them. Enabling the appearance of such language did not only violate their own moderation rules but also human dignity and personality rights of those accused.

It is indeed very sad to witness this vulgar language recently permeating their articles too. Christopher Adam states in his latest article: (3) that

“In Ottawa and elsewhere it should be important to think over, when we sign up for something like a Hungarian passport, or when we apply for Hungarian citizenship in front of the Orban regime’s anti-Semite and far-right diplomats, that we take our oaths to their 2/3 majority shit-pile”.

Note that “shit-pile” supposed to refer to the new Constitution of Hungary, passed by the Hungarian Parliament in 2011 and replacing the old Soviet-style constitution from 1947. It is shocking to see that a university lecturer, from whom one would rightly expect a certain level of cultured expression, can sink so low in his writing style as well as in labelling people using collective generalities.

Let us add that, beyond his function as editor of the Canadian Hungarian Journal, Christopher Adam has also co-founded – with about half-a-dozen other people – the so-called Canadian Hungarian Democratic Charter. This organization considers itself part of the Hungarian Democratic Charter established by deposed former prime minister Ferenc Gyurcsány, now an MP and an opposition party leader in Hungary. Thus, it is Christopher Adam who is clearly attached to an active politician in Hungary and so the question arises: who is obligated politically, the author of the petition or Ambassador Pordány and the many Canadian-Hungarian organizations he accuses of being so.

It is obvious that Christopher Adam, who during the ruling of the previous Hungarian government, maintained a close relationship with the then Hungarian Ambassadors, is clearly driven by his political affection to a certain political party in Hungary and his resentfulness of being unnoticed by the current government. This is why he attacks anyone with different views than this.

The political party divisions are therefore clearly not planted among the Hungarian-Canadians by the Hungarian Embassy or the Hungarian-Canadian organizations, but by the KMH itself. And what is more: the exclusions due to different political views is advocated not by those accused by the KMH either, but by Christopher Adam himself, who recently stated in an article that (5): “I believe that between us and the members of Fidesz (the party currently in power in Hungary), their collaborators, and beneficiaries the only thing in common – thanks to the accident of faith – is that they also speak Hungarian and so do we. But, us and them do not belong to the same nation and cannot form a community with them.” We are shocked by this statement, which attempts to exclude people from the Hungarian Nation just because their political views do not coincide with those of Christopher Adam.

Hypocritical double standards are also not too far from Christopher Adam. While currently he accuses Ambassador Pordány with anti-Semitism regarding a certain incident a few months ago, when that incident occurred, Christopher Adam wrote (6): “Dr. László Pordány rejected anti-Semitism and racism in a respectful fashion.” The question to Christopher Adam is therefore: according to him, does Ambassador Pordány reject or does not reject anti-Semitism? And while he accuses others, we would like to pose a more important question: would the KMH and Christopher Adam isolate themselves from anti-Semitism? Or did not he make it possible to publish over one hundred articles from Tamás Szemenyei-Kiss (7), an author who openly confessed to be anti-Semitic? An author, who considered the Hungarian Jews as “guest citizens” in Hungary and who stated that (8): “We cannot accept the situation that the leadership of Hungarian Nation, on the cultural, political and economic levels is in the hands of Jews. On these three points in practice, so is the Power.” Once more we are astonished that the KMH and Christopher Adam, while accusing others of anti-Semitism, made it possible for an anti-Semitic author to publish over 100 articles without any limitations.

Finally, let us discuss the accusation by Christopher Adam that the Hungarian Embassy handles with contempt the Canadian-Hungarian organizations and claims that (9) “Hungary’s diplomats serving in Ottawa look on with the same contempt on our views and newspaper, as they look on a church dinner, an emigrant organization’s meeting or a national remembrance ceremony in the basement of an aging Canadian Hungarian church.” We as the leaders of Canadian-Hungarian organizations based on direct experience refute this statement in the strongest possible manner. At the present, there is an excellent cooperation and great relationship between the Hungarian-Canadian organizations and the Hungarian Embassy in Ottawa. There had never been such close contact with our Embassy in the past. Ambassador Pordány has introduced and established a new attitude based on proud ethnicity among the Hungarian Diaspora. In two years he visited almost every Canadian-Hungarian community, even many of the smallest ones. Besides this, for example the Ottawa Hungarian Community Centre and the Hungarian Embassy have celebrated our national holidays together in the past two years. In other words, the Canadian Hungarian organizations have not experienced such openness from the Hungarian Embassy ever before. If Christopher Adam would participate in our national holiday celebrations – which he does not consider important enough – than he would know all this from first hand experience.

In light of all this we most definitely refute the KMH’s attacks, which go beyond good taste. At the same time, we wish to stand up for Ambassador Pordány and all the personnel of the Hungarian Embassy. We greatly appreciate their work and their great endeavor for the preservation of our Hungarian identity and their care for Hungarians living in the Canadian diaspora.

We hereby ask Christopher Adam and the KMH to please refrain from any more comments built on the baseless, false and sensationalistic attacks, which only serve their political ends against those who think differently, and which clearly go beyond what is acceptable in a civilized society. We ask that they not only ask others to account for their patience and tolerance, but practice it themselves. As we can accept quietly and with patience that our views do not agree with theirs, – but we still consider them Hungarians – thus Christopher Adam and his friends should accept that the vast majority of the Canadian-Hungarians do not agree with their views. But for this, do not revile them and do not exclude them from the Hungarian Nation!Furthermore we respectfully ask: if they all believe in the democratic principles, then please accept the electoral decisions of the Hungarian people and that of the Canadian-Hungarian organizations. If they decided not to participate in the activities of the Canadian-Hungarian organizations – because they do not wish to build – then rather choose inactivity instead of destroying and vilifying.

References (most in Hungarian):

1. http://www.hungariancharter.com/chdc-indictment.php
2. http://kanadaihirlap.com/2011/12/06/reflexio-egy-reflexologusra-a-kanadai-magyar-demokratikus-charta-valasza-androvich-tamasnak/
3. http://kanadaihirlap.com/2013/02/09/magyarorszag-alkotmanya-valamennyiunk-szegyene/
4. http://www.hungariancharter.com/magyar.php
5. http://kanadaihirlap.com/2012/12/01/adventi-antifasiszta-tuntetes-menni-vagy-otthon-maradni/
6. http://kanadaihirlap.com/2012/04/26/pordany-laszlo-nagykovet-elhatarolodott-az-antiszemita-levelirotol/
7. http://kanadaihirlap.com/2012/11/10/a-kanadai-magyar-hirlap-bucsuzik-szemenyei-kiss-tamastol/
8. http://kertesz.freeblog.hu/archives/2007/07/24/2495311/
9. http://kanadaihirlap.com/2013/02/06/diplomaciai-kovetkezmenyei-lehetnek-a-kanadai-magyar-hirlap-legujabb-pordany-cikkenek/

December 19, 2012 There are numerous media sources which are held in high esteem around the world. They derive their strength from the professional, unbiased, balanced approach that remains at the core of solid journalism. It is, after all, our common goal to provide the most accurate and authoritative information to as many as possible.

CBC’s questionable standards

CBC TV The National aired a special “Seeking Safety” on December 12, 2012 which spoke to the perceived degradation of Hungarian democracy and the plight of Roma minorities fleeing Hungary for the relative safety of Canada.

While we acknowledge the need to find a resolution to the Roma issue, both in Hungary and Europe, it is of the utmost importance that CBC and others adhere to the highest standards and provide their viewers with the most equitable and objective information.

This standard was unfortunately not met with CBC’s “Seeking Safety” documentary which outright stated that “Hungary is becoming more authoritarian and less democratic”.

Hungary’s European standards

It is paramount that, at the outset, we emphasize that Hungary, its institutions, and its constitution represent and enshrine the most treasured European values of human rights, rule of law, and respect for the diversity that is present in Hungary and the region. Hungary is also member of the European Union, which was recently awarded a Nobel-piece prize.

As with any country, social issues permeate the fabric of the nation.

Hungary a leader on Roma issues

While Canada tackles its historical obligations and disparities among its aboriginal population for example; Hungary is equally determined to provide its most vulnerable individuals and groups the benefits and lifestyle accessible to all Hungarians.

Since 1993 – and soon to be reinforced in related legislation – the Roma of Hungary, unlike anywhere else in Europe, are guaranteed parliamentary representation – currently four sitting members – as permanent partners within Hungary’s federal and local governments (1).During the Hungarian European Union (EU) Presidency, the government proposed a far-reaching and consensus-based strategy for Roma in Europe. This ten-year strategy commits to reducing poverty levels, improving and guaranteeing access to education, opening new and rewarding employment options, and tackling social disparities between Roma and non-Roma through tangible cooperative solutions.

This strategy was adopted by all members of the European Union.

The one-sided CBC

CBC failed to even make a cursory reference to this initiative or its unprecedented strategic goals for Europe’s Roma peoples.

Furthermore, CBC decided to portray the Hungarian people as affable to racist, xenophobic, and tyrannical ideologies. Applying generalizations of this nature often implies a lack of proper information and unjustly victimizes a nation and its people, in this case Hungary and Hungarians. This is the message conveyed by the documentary by highlighting selective and isolated incidents.

Aside from Hungary’s gallant and well-known stand against communism and authoritarian regimes in the twentieth century Hungarians have demonstrated many times their distastes of any discriminatory and inflammatory gestures.

The Hungarian government and courts, both past and present have condemned declarations made by Jobbik – an opposition Party – and, since 2009, have banned its radical wing, the Magyar Garda – a fact recognized by the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board (2). So why did the documentary keep focusing on old footage of the Garda outlawed and banned more than three years ago.

Once again, this fact received no mention by CBC and should have featured prominently as it was verified by the Canadian government. It is telling furthermore that the Canadian government has just recently designated Hungary and 27 other countries as ‘safe’ (3) –notwithstanding the immigration lawyer’s assertion at the end of the documentary that ”The situation in Hungary is anything but safe.”

CBC’s questionable ”facts”

Further to our belief that the duty of media is to portray a balanced approach, CBC, we believe, has greatly damaged the credibility of its reporting by employing what was referred to as Hungary “experts”.Neither former EU MP Mohacsi Viktoria nor Christopher Adam is foreign to controversy, and they most definitely do not represent Canadian Hungarians or the Roma peoples. Ms. Mohacsi has often been the perpetrator of inflammatory and unjustified accusations without regard for facts or consequences. She was recently indicted by a Hungarian court for making false accusations after ‘‘seeking asylum’’ in Canada.

During the high-profile and tragic proceedings surrounding the murder of Romanian handball player Marian Cozma in Veszprém, Hungary, Ms. Mohacsi declared – but later retracted – that Cozma was responsible for provoking a group of Roma, thus leading to his murder. Both the courts and CCTV footage proved, beyond any doubt, that Marian Cozma was targeted and attacked without reason and was a victim of a heinous organized attack by Roma (4).It should have been the responsibility of CBC to report these and other events which reveal a tangible and very real criminal problem among the Roma. It is however saddening that Ms. Mohacsi has experienced threatening correspondence – if in fact this was the case – and this most certainly must be condemned. But it should be equally condemned that she is the one who fled from prosecution in Hungary to seek asylum in Canada.

Likewise, Christopher Adam, a contract instructor at Carleton University, neither teaches dedicated Hungarian history courses nor shares the credentials of countless Hungarian experts at universities or in lay society across Canada. Mr. Adam’s referral to an unsourced document during the documentary speaks to an alarming lack of credibility.

NAHC’s commitment

The National Alliance of Hungarians in Canada (NAHC) feels that its duty and mission is to further the cause of human rights and, in doing so, be the hub of accurate, reliable, and balanced resources accessible to all. The National Alliance of Hungarians in Canada condemns all racial, religious, and ethnic discrimination and anti-Semitism in all forms. We remain unaffiliated with any political party or lobby group.

We believe that CBC has surrendered to generalizations and the dramatized case of isolated incidences such as that of the Balogh family. It is in our common interest that the proper organizations and individuals be consulted in the Hungarian community so that CBC and others provide the highest standard of journalism – deserving of its name.

1. “Hungarian National Social Inclusion Strategy”, Ministry of Public Administration and Justice, State Secretariat for Social Inclusion, Budapest, December 2011.
2. Responses to Information Requests, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, September 29, 2011. http://www.irb-cisr.gc.ca:8080/RIR_RDI/RIR_RDI.aspx?id=453599&l=e
3. “Kenney names 27 countries as ‘safe’ in refugee claim dealing.” CBC, December 14, 2012.4. “Mohácsi Viktória: ‘cigányozott Cozma feltehetöleg’”, HirCity, March 4, 2009.http://www.hircity.hu/regiok/53934

The National Alliance of Hungarians in Canada (NAHC) was shocked to learn that a member of the Hungarian Parliament, Márton Gyöngyösi, has made the following comment on the 26 November 2012 session of the Hungarian Parliament:

“…it is time to assess that how many people living here (in Hungary) and especially in the Parliament or in the Government are of Jewish origin, who might mean a certain homeland security risk for Hungary.”

In accordance with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom as well as universal human rights, the National Alliance of Hungarians in Canada strongly condemns any discrimination based on race, religion, ethnicity, as well as any form of anti-Semitism. The NAHC views every human being as equal and intends to stand up for every discriminated person or community in this spirit.