Hungarian Heritage Review, 1990 (19. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1990-01-01 / 1. szám
Dateline: Budapest (EDITOR’S NOTE: What this courageous man-ofthe-cloth did is now history. When the Hungarians of Transylvania would not permit Ceasescu’s hitmen to take him, it triggered such a bloodbath that the Romanian people, with the help of the army, rose up in anger and toppled the government. The brutal oppression of the Hungarian minority in Transylvania is now over and the Romanian people now have a chance to live in freedom under a more humane form of government. The prelude to this historic development was this man’s insistence upon being heard, regardless of the consequences. Here, then, is a transcript, translated into English, of an interview with the Reverend László Tőkés that was presented on the Budapest TV-program called “Panorama.”) (TV Commentator): “In Romania today, the really brave man, the real patriot, is he who can break through the terrible wall of silence and fear, and who is ready to face up to the ruthless, bloodsucking ideas and inhuman practices prevailing there. In this neighboring country, more and more Hungarians, as well as some Romanians, are penetrating this wall of silence without fear of consequences to reveal their common absence of rights and their humiliations. Such a courageous man is László Tőkés, a 37-yearold Minister of the Reformed Church in Transylvania, who dared to confront the dictatorship and destructive policies of Ceacescu and, consequently, also defied the leadership of his own Church who, as we shall see and hear, slavishly serve the power of the State because of fear and will not protect its ministers and the faithful against oppression. The Brave “Voice-in-the-Wilderness” of Transylvania Which Sparked a Revolution Against Tyranny: THE REVEREND LÁSZLÓ TöKES Part I This brave minister’s father, Dr. István Tőkés, a well-known Professor of Theology in Kolozsvár, was forced into retirement and was deprived of the right to preach in Reformed churches. Then, when this son, the Reverend László Tőkés, addressed a note of protest to the hierarchy of his Church in which he urged them to speak up against the destruction of villages, and was subsequently interviewed by a French journalist, he was suspended and exiled to a village. There, he went into voluntary house arrest in protest against the discriminatory policies of the Romanian authorities. This outspoken and defiant Minister, as well as his father, have since been subjected to brutal reprisals. We asked him why he takes the risk to give an interview that may be very dangerous for him. He answered as follows:" (Rev. László Tokes): “You see, gentlemen, I brought you here to my Church for we dare not speak in our homes. According to a friend of mine, there are bugs even in the bathrooms. I don’t know whether this is true or not. But I am afraid to speak, except outdoors, and not even in halls or in the church. Worship services are certainly tapped. But I think that this morning, when no services are being held, there may be no danger. You ask me why I am ready to speak with you. It may be absurd. For it is not a well-considered decision, but it is an irresistible decision, an urge to speak out at last about what I have so often swallowed. It is not for personal gratification. I must- continued next page 10 HUNGARIAN HERITAGE REVIEW JANUARY 1990
