Amerikai Magyar Hírlap, 2017 (29. évfolyam, 1-50. szám)
2017-01-20 / 3. szám
Hungary defends planned crackdown on foreign-backed non-goverment organisations Hungary’s government has offered a robust defence of its plans to curtail foreign-backed civil society groups and suggested the change in the US administration means a new era is at hand. In comments that will alarm many non-government organisations, an official spokesman for Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, confirmed there would be changes to the rules governing civil activists, many of whom he accused of behaving like de facto politicians. Several groups have voiced fears that Orbán - who has previously declared plans to create an “illiberal state” - will launch a crackdown in the coming months, emboldened by the forthcoming inauguration of Donald Trump as US president. In a telephone interview, Orbán’s spokesman Zoltán Kovács did little to allay those concerns and appeared to suggest the end of Barack Obama’s presidency would usher in a climate more favourable to marginalising NGOs. “Visibly there is going to be a new era and very obviously, even from Washington, you will have a different kind of opinion, a different kind of attention regarding these issues,” he said, adding that the Obama administration’s criticism of Hungary’s policy towards civil society groups had put “an unnecessary strain” on relations. Orbán’s increasingly authoritarian behaviour has sparked fears of an erosion of democracy in Hungary, which joined the European Union in 2004. He has already faced widespread condemnation over moves allegedly designed to muzzle press freedom and curtail judiciary independence since his Fidesz party took power in 2010. Kovács said Hungary had been subjected to “unfounded accusations about transparency and corruption”. “We believe that by getting rid of these elements of the political argumentation, it is going to be easier. A more pragmatic era is going to come,” he added. “Hungary is not going to be measured by the double standards or relativism that has been suggested by many of these accusations.” Both Orbán and Trump are staunch opponents of George Soros, Hungarian far-right leader: I respect Israel’s right to exist The chairman of Hungary’s far-right Jobbik party, whose leaders often have inveighed against Jews, Israel and Zionism, said his party will no longer single out the Jewish state. Gabor Vona, who last month for the first time sent Hanukkah holiday greetings from Jobbik to at least two Hungarian rabbis, made the remark about Israel during an interview published Wednesday by Reuters. “If we disagree, we want to be able to criticize Israel like we criticize Sweden or Germany, but naturally we respect its right to exist, form its own identity, opinions and articulate its interests,” Vona said. The Hanukkah greetings and the statement about Israel are part of an effort by Jobbik to rehabilitate its image ahead of the 2018 general elections, according to Reuters. Slomo Köves, one the rabbis who received Vona’s Hunakkah greetings, doubted the sincerity of the gesture, citing Jobbik’s long record as “an anti-Semitic party.” In an interview with JTA, Köves noted several anti-Semitic incidents involving Jobbik members, including Vona’s 2014 vow to “immediately resign if somebody found out I had Jewish ancestry.” Last year, Vona reaffirmed the statement in an interview. “Jobbik has played a double game: Paying lip service to democratic values to pass off as a people’s party and reach power, while winking at its audience not to take this seriously,” said Köves. Some Jobbik supporters opposed the Haunkkah greeting, but in the Reuters interview Vona insisted it was the right move. “We were right to do what we did during the holidays,” he said. “If you want to govern you need to partner with all religious and other groups. I will do the same thing (send greetings) in the next holiday season, too.” In 2012, a Jobbik parliamentarian called for registering Hungarian Jews as threats to national security, though he later said he meant to say Israelis. Last year, a Jobbik alderman from Budapest, László Benke, boasted about refusing to stand up at a memorial service for a rabbi. The party defended Benke’s actions. Also in 2012, Marton Gyöngyösi, then Jobbik’s foreign policy chief, said, “The Persian people and their leaders are considered pariahs in the eyes of the West, which serves Israeli interests, which is why we have solidarity with the peaceful nation of Iran and turn to her with an open heart.” That same year, Gyöngyösi delivered a national tour of lectures on the “Zionist threat to world peace.” Anti-Jewish and anti-Israel articles took up that year more than 30 percent of the content on the party’s English-language website that year, israelnationalnews.com the billionaire philanthropist whose Open Society Foundation gives grants to dozens of Hungarian civil organisations and funds liberal causes in the US and elsewhere. Soros, who was born in Hungary, has been repeatedly criticised by Orbán and his allies, who have branded him as a force for “political correctness”. Kovács claimed Soros had “very obviously” sought to interfere in Hungarian politics, for example by pushing for the acceptance of migrants and refugees in European countries. Some activists fear that Hungary may eventually follow Russia, where foreign-funded NGOs must declare themselves as “foreign agents”, thegmrdian.com Our advertisers make it possible for the HÍRLAP to appear. Please support us by l using their products and services! Attorney Andrew Friedman: Hungary is a democracy Attorney Andrew Friedman, Los Angeles County Commissioner, recently returned from Hungary. He had private meetings with Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, President of Parliament László Kover. During their meetings, it was emphasized that Hungary'is a democracy and guarantees freedom of press and freedom of religion to all citizens. Andrew Friedman and President of Parliament László Kover MY ONLY CHOICE - Hungary, 1942 - 1956 by HELEN M. SZABLYA Book Review by Judith Pfeiffer Nesleny When I met Helen, her name was still ILONA BARTHA-KOVACS, a beautiful young girl, heiress to the Molnár & Moser cosmetic chain in Europe. The daughter of a well established, upper middle class family, who had just survived WWII, and tried to get life rolling again, after the vast destruction of the war. The Nazis were gone and the Soviets were now in charge. It was after the most desperate inflation in history, when money was worth nothing, food was the only legitimate currency for the country. Matyas Rakosi’s regime was having its heyday. The „empire of the workers” had to destroy all that was left from the past, in the name of „building socialism”. The well-established parochial schools had to be” nationalized”, thus, all Catholic and Protestant schools were annihilated, and the students were forced to study together in one over-crowded school building, in the name of „peaceful reeducation” In 1945-46, those who belonged to a ’questionable’ background of intellectual, aristocratic or well-to-do lineage, the people who „were not to be trusted” lost their jobs. The Communists invited everyone to be interrogated and systematically harassed...perhaps as a punishment for the crimes never committed. Some of our fathers had already been on the list and experienced frightful adventures of the door bells, rung at 2 o’clock at night by the Secret Police. Well, one day in 1951 Helen did not come to school. After a few days, we heard, that not only her family, but others were also on the list of deportation to the country. Possibly ALL of us could be on the list! And now, my friend, Helen was in danger! Am I going to be the next one? I asked myself Are we never, ever to exchange our little girlish secrets anymore? What is happening? Helen’s book tells us of ALL that happened to her family. This well written saga of a family, reminds me of Margaret Mitchell’s „Gone with the Wind” reflecting on war and peace, family and atrocity, love and romance on Hungarian grounds. The photographs in the book are priceless. Lucky that those were not destroyed. As a scholar, she gives us important images of World happenings and Hungarian history in an informative, yet exciting way. Some of you, who lived through those irreparably harsh times, will sympathize with Helen. But those of you, who are younger, and never experienced oppression, will have a lively, firsthand experience of the terror, by reading her book. She leads us through those dark days, when you were suspicious, even of your best friend, not to say anything that might be held against you. She and her husband, Dr. John Szablya, a professor of electrical engineering - raised seven children in freedom, after seeking refuge in Canada in 1957 and emigrating to the USA in 1963. Helen authored several books on the 1956 Revolution and hundreds of articles on many topics, in multiple languages. After 23 years, she has just stepped down as Honorary Consul General of Hungary, for WA, OR and ID, based in Seattle. Give the gift of Love and Freedom TO YOUR VALENTINE! A suspenseful lave story for ail times: ‘My Only Choke — Hungary 1942-1956” and “Vasfiígötty Kölnivel.* Hefen M. SzdbSyas personal story of living through both Nad and Soviet occupation is a thrilling journey of love and conviction! • Join Helen on Friday, February JO at 7:00 pan at the Hungarian House in Los Angeles She will share her stwry md sign hmks for Htlr itt both Hungarian W ExgHfc. M1ERICAN ^ Január 20, 2017
