Pyrenees' Language Summit

This note comes to us via EITb:

Organized by Euskaltzaindia

The Languages of the Pyrenees "meet" in Iruña

10/06/2008

The Basque, the Catalan, the Occitano and the Aragonese will take part in the conference. Michael Metzeltin will open “The Languages of the Pyrenees”. The past and the present of the languages will be discussed.

Euskaltzaindia, the Royal Academy of the Basque Language, will hold its 16th International Conference in Pamplona, in the “Baluarte” Convention Center and Auditorium of Navarra from 6th to 10th October .

This Conference, which will be carried out under the generic title of “Pirinioetako hizkuntzak: lehena eta oraina” (The Languages of the Pyrenees: Past and Present), will go in depth into multiple aspects of the languages and cultures of both sides of the Pyrenees mountain range.

Four historic languages of the Pyrenees will take part in the conference: the Basque, the Catalan, the Occitano and the Aragonese. A for the Basque language, Metzelin thinks, its situation is better than before, and he added that some progress has been made towards the creation of a standard language, something that, in his opinion, is essential so that a language can develop.

The conference will also mark be the beginning of the commemoration acts of the 90th anniversary of Euskaltzaindia.

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Peace March in Irunea

Thousands of demonstrators carrying Basque flags are seen during a protest against Spanish judge Grande Marlaska's decision to ban a demonstration in Pamplona because of its possible links with Batasuna, in Pamplona northern Spain, Saturday, June 17, 2006. Batasuna is widely considered the political wing of the Basque separatist group ETA that recently announce a cease of fire. Batasuna is likely to be a key figure in possible negotiations between Basque separatists and the Spanish government. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

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McGuinness in Irunea

Sinn Fein's Deputy leader Martin McGuinness wears a typical Basque beret as he holds a Basque cane he was given in Pamplona, northern Spain, Wednesday June 14, 2006. McGuinness is in the Basque area of Spain to support the peace process between the armed Basque separatist group ETA and the Spanish government. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

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Permach in Irunea

Batasuna Basque separatist party's spokesman Joseba Permach addresses the media at a news conference in Pamplona March 24, 2006. Basque separatist group ETA on Wednesday declared a permanent ceasefire after almost four decades of bombings and shootings in Spain during its campaign for independence. ETA said the truce would start on Friday. Banner reads in Basque language: 'Respect the decision of the Basque people. Now the country, now the peace'. REUTERS/Pablo Sanchez

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Txupinazo!!!

Chupinazo

Revelers throw an unidentified woman into the air as others wave the Basque flag during the 'Txupinazo' of the official opening of the 2004 San Fermin Festival in Irunea, Euskal Herria, Tuesday July 6, 2004. The festival includes morning running of the bulls down the main street of the city and afternoon bullfights.

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PP's Defeat

The rule of the Francoist PP in Spain is over.

The castle of glass that the Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar built on lies and manipulations came crumbling down after the rotten core of his party was exposed to the Spanish people and the international community. I don't know if there is anything worst than to try to profit politically from the tragedy of your own people.

What happened in Spain was simple, there was just to many lies coming from a bunch of arrogant and Fascist minded idiots. Immediatly after the terrible bombings in Madrid the Spanish regime issued a condemnation on Basque nationalism as the responsible for the tragedy. It was a political move, they knew they could get more votes that way.

The Spanish regime moved so quickly than within hours the UN High Council and the European Union had issued similar condemnations against ETA. The media in Spain and around the world championed this version. There was a few specialists in terrorism and members of intelligence agencies that put this version in doubt, it was simply not ETA's modus operandi.

The Spanish Interior Minister Angel Acebes told the press that everysingle piece of evidence pointed at ETA.

But then the truth started unraveling, first a van with detonators and tapes with Quran verses in Arabic, then an email to a London based news paper by a front group of Al Qaeda claiming responsability, then the arrest of three Moroccans and two Spaniards of Indian background linked to a cellphone that was in a knapsack bomb that did not went off, and the straw that broke the camel's back, a video-tape by Al Qaeda claiming responsability for the attacks.

The Spanish Foreign Minister Ana Palacio instructed the Spanish ambassadors to stick to the by then "official version" of ETA's responsability even after the van with the detonators and the email from Al Qaeda was received.

Then the worst, in Irunea (Pamplona), fueled by the governments lies a police officer from Salamanca that works on a sort of political groups' intelligence unit gunned down a Basque baker, the police officer's son finished it up by stabbing the 61 year old man. Then the police attacked the family members and neighbors and brought down the Ikurrinas and black ribbons the mourners had place on the bakery. The baker, Angel Berroeta was a member of "Gurasoak", a human rights group for parents and family members of Basque youths accused of belonging to the "Kale Borroka", a youth organization that time to time stages violent demonstrations in the Basque Country.

By Saturday night the Spaniards were demanding the truth, and they took the streets once again banging pots and pans in front of each local PP headquarters. They were common folk hurting from the loss of innocent people on such a horrible way, but the PP presidential candidate Mariano Rajoy accused them of violating the electoral law (??!!).

On Sunday the Spaniards went to the voting poles, they started the slow process of kicking the Francoist scumbags out of office in the best way possible, vote by vote.

Then it happened again, in the Basque town of Hernani a group of people dediced to demonstrate for the death of Angel Berroeta, the Ertzaintza stopped them first but then allowed the demonstration to continue, suddenly they started firing rubber bullets and gas cannisters at the crowd, the people scattered and when the smoke cleared out they found 58 year old Conchi Santxis who was suffering a heart attack, the crowd begged for help from the Ertzaintza officers, who refused it, soon after Conchi Santxis died, one more victim of the intolerance.

Vote by vote Basques, Catalonyans, Galizans and Spaniards said no to Aznar's Francoist postures, vote by vote they said no to Mariano Rajoy's perpetuating the PP's Francoist agenda.

At the end of the day a grim faced Aznar had to conced defeat, Mariano Rajoy did the same not before making a fool of himself by calling the PSOE a bunch of ignorant reds.

Victorious was Jose Luis Rodrigues Zapatero for the PSOE, the Socialists that have nothing to do with Lenin, the same PSOE that eight years ago was voted out of office due to their corruption and the way they handled the Basque conflitct, by deploying their own terrorist group known as the GAL.

So, the political landscape is not really an improvement for the Basques or Catalans that did managed to reinforce their respective autonomic parties. Lets see how Zapatero will manage the present political crisis in Spain.

Someone please tell Powell to read the news so he stops babbling nonsense, he can try to help Kofi Annan to find a way to revoke that condemnation the UN approved on Thursday when they were fooled by a bloodthirsty and pseudo-democratic Spanish regime.

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Angel Berroeta, Fallen Hero

Angel Berroeta, the Basque baker from Irunea has died as a result of the gun shots inflicted on him by the police officer.

Now the police is preventing his family from hanging an Ikurrina (Basque flag) at their own bakery.

And to think that the intelligence services are now 99% certain it was Al-Quaeda, I guess that 1% entitles Spaniards to go around hunting down innocent Basques, what a shame to the memory of all the innocent victims of the bombings.

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Basque Escape Goats

Just last night, Bill, from the Peoria Pundit, was telling me about how after the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington President Bush had issued an statement in which he strongly condemned any act of violence against Arab-Americans and/or Muslims.

Not such luck for the Basques in Spain, the Prime Minister Aznar has blamed the Basques, not only ETA but the whole of the Basque society for the sad events in Madrid. On his first speech he said that the victims had been killed "because they were Spaniards", heightening with one phrase the xenophobic attitudes of the people.

Later he has Spaniards demonstrating with banners that read "With the victims, with the Constitution and against terrorism". The "with the Constitution" part is aimed at the Basque Prime Minister Ibarretxe and every single political and cultural group in Euskal Herria that has been working peacefully and within the frame of the law towards advancing the Basque right to self determination.

Aznar and his junta have been feeding the drivel to the Spaniards that the Plan Ibarretxe, a proposal to redefine the relationship between Euskal Herria and Spain is a direct attack against the Spanish Constitution, never mind that Euskal Herria is an invaded and colonized country with its own legal frame.

Aznar's attitude produces ill sentiments from the Spaniards towards the nationalists from Euskal Herria, Catalonia and Galiza. Confused and sad some Spaniards have reacted and we have seen in the last couple of days demonstrations against the Basques in general and ETA in particular because the Spanish regime refuses the possibility that it was an Al-Qaida attack and insists on blaming ETA. The Spanish Foreign Minister Palacio went to the extreme of commanding the Spanish ambassadors to stick to the "official version" and insist to the governments and media in the countries were they are deployed that the authors of such heinous crimes are ETA, even after Al-Qaida had claimed the authory of the bombings.

As a result, today an Spanish police officer gunned down a Basque baker in the city of Irunea after the baker refused to post and anti-ETA sign on the window of his bakery as requested by the police officer's wife.

There has been multiple reports of Basque political prisoners being attacked in Spanish jail by Spaniards prisoners while the authorities doing little or nothing, or acting against the Basque political prisoners like it happened at one jail were the guards prevented them from reaching the food line at the mess hall.

Those xenophobic acts are one more legacy of Jose Maria Aznar's commitment to perpetuating Francisco Franco's fascist designs for Spain.

And I'll say it here, even if Osama Bin Laden himself claims the authory of the bombings, the sheepish Spaniards will still vote for Mariano Rajoy who Aznar tapped to be his successor

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Navarre Versus Ibarretxe

This plays right into the hands of those who insist that Navarre and the Basque Country are two different entities.

It was published today at Berria English:

Navarrese Government lodges two appeals against Ibarretxe’s Plan

Arguing that “it infringes on the powers of Navarre and the Spanish Constitution” they have lodged an appeal with the Constitutional Court and will shortly be filing another one with the High Court of Justice of the Basque Autonomous Community

Irene Arrizurieta – IRUNEA (Pamplona)

The Navarrese Government lodged an appeal yesterday morning with the Spanish Constitutional Court against Ibarretxe’s Proposal, arguing that it “infringes on the powers of Navarre and the Spanish Constitution”. They will soon be lodging another administrative one with the High Court of Justice of the BAC (Basque Autonomous Community of Araba, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa). In each one the Government of the UPN and the CDN has requested that Ibarretxe’s plan be dropped.

The Government of the Navarrese President, Miguel Sanz, has presented a substantive power conflict before the Constitutional Court. Yesterday Alberto Catalan, the Navarrese Government spokesman, explained the reason: “The powers and legal system of Navarre have been infringed upon and a mockery has been made of the people of Navarre.” In Catalan’s view the references made to Navarre in the preface and in Article 6 of Ibarretxe’s proposal inflict “serious damage” on the Charter or Regional Community [of Navarre]. He criticised the fact that “When the BAC Government refers to Navarre without having the legitimacy to do so, it is taking the representation of Navarre and its institutions upon itself.” The Navarrese Government spokesman held that the BAC Government did not “have the power to say that the people of Navarre have the right to decide their own future”. Another reason for taking the issue to court is that the Proposal contravenes Article 145 of the Spanish Constitution. The Proposal states: “The institutions of both Navarre and the BAC shall decide on the links between them.” Catalan, however, when referring to the Constitution, said that “these decisions” require “Spanish Government approval”.

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EBLUL Defends Euskara

Today at Berria English:

EBLUL says curbs on Basque language "totally unacceptable"

The situation in Navarre is "extremely worrying" for the European Bureau of Little Used Languages. It will be submitting its report to the European Council today; yesterday it was at the Parliament and Education Department of Navarre

Alberto Barandiaran – IRUNEA (Pamplona)

According to the report of the EBLUL, the European Bureau of Little Used Languages, presented in the Navarrese Parliament and Education Department yesterday, the status of the Basque language (Euskara) in Navarre could be comparable with that of a ghetto. The advisory body to the United Nations Organisation and the European Council believes that the situation of the language in the territory is "extremely worrying" and that the steps backwards taken in the last few years are "totally unacceptable" in Europe.

The EBLUL completed its report after analysing the situation in Navarre, and the organisation’s representative, Aureli Argemi, is scheduled to submit it today to the European Council itself. A group of experts from the Council will in fact be visiting Navarre next month to gather information and then put together its own report. The report will decide whether the Spanish State is complying with the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, which the country ratified in 2001.

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Basque Prisoners to Euskal Herria!

Today at Berria English

Thousands in Bilbo call for transfer of prisoners to Basque Country

In the rain they proclaimed the right of the Basque prisoners to participate in the political process

Aitziber Laskibar – BILBO

In Bilbao yesterday thousands of people demanded the transfer of Basque political prisoners to the Basque Country in response to the demonstration called by the “Amnistiaren Aldeko Mugimendua” (Pro-Amnesty Movement). Numerous people put up with the rain and appeared on the streets of Bilbo in support of the slogan: “Euskal Herriaren alde eraginez euskal presoak Euskal Herrira” (Basque prisoners to the Basque Country in favour of the Basque Country).

Carrying a huge version of the symbol demanding the transfer of Basque prisoners to the Basque Country (*) dancers opened the way for the marchers just after five in the afternoon from the Aita Donostia square. Behind the symbol came the logo of the “Euskal Preso Politikoen Kolektiboa” (Basque Political Prisoners’ Group) followed by photos of 700 political prisoners held by as many prisoners’ relatives. Then came the banner with the slogan of the demonstration. This was carried by members of the Pro-Amnesty Movement, relatives of Basque political prisoners, lawyers and former prisoners. Behind came thousands of people in the rain taking refuge under umbrellas and repeating the demands being given out over the public address system. Shouts mainly in favour of amnesty could be heard, there were also some in favour of the return of Basque political refugees and against the dispersion of prisoners. There were also shouts in memory of Sara Fernandez, who was killed in a car accident last November while on her way to visit the Irunea (Pamplona)-born prisoner Inaki Etxeberria. As is customary, the photographers took most of the photos in the Zabalburu square, where the big rallies held in Bilbo tend to be measured; in the photo of this protest it was not possible to make out the back of the demonstration. The organisers were therefore happy with the number of people who had turned out.

(*) The symbol consists of a number of red arrows converging on a map of the Basque Country.

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Nafarroa: A Basque Voice

At Berria English:

Aralar, EA and EAJ join forces to give Basque Nationalists of Navarre “a voice”

The three parties say the coalition is open “to those who agree with the pact”

Irene Arrizurieta – IRUNEA (Pamplona)

In Irunea, yesterday, the Navarrese branches of the EAJ, EA and Aralar parties presented the joint list of candidates they will be fielding in the Spanish general elections scheduled for March next year. The coalition has adopted the name "Nafarroa Bai" (Yes to Navarre) and they stress that it has been created with the aim "of representing the thousands of Navarrese citizens who have not had a voice in the Spanish parliament for the last few years."

At the presentation were Patxi Zabaleta and Txentxo Jimenez of Aralar, Maiorga Ramirez and Fermin Ziaurriz of Eusko Alkartasuna (EA) and Joxe Antonio Urbiola, Jabier Leoz and Jose Angel Agirrebengoa of the EAJ. They pointed out that it was "a coalition to represent the thousands of Navarrese citizens who have neither voice" nor representation in the Spanish Congress and Senate (lower and upper chambers, respectively). They stressed that this was the way "they want to respond" from Navarre "to the new historic era" being ushered in.

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Removing the Ikurriña

Today at Berria:

Government of Navarre takes Leitza town council to court for not removing Basque flag

It has brought a charge with the High Court of Navarre for keeping the “Ataka-beltza” house Basque flag

Irene Arrizurieta – IRUNEA (Pamplona)

The Government of Navarre has brought a charge against the Leitza Town Council before the High Court of Navarre. “For not abiding by the Law of Symbols and for keeping an “Ikurrina” [the red, white and green Basque flag] on a public building,” explained Alberto Catalan, the Navarrese Government spokesman, yesterday.

The Government of Navarre has taken legal action for failure to abide by the order to remove the “Ikurrina” hanging from the first balcony of the “Ataka-beltza” municipal building. The Leitza Town Council received the order to remove the “Ikurrina” from the “Ataka-beltza” house in October. Patxi Saenz, the Aralar mayor, was given 15 days to remove the “Ikurrina”, and if he failed to comply with the order, he was told that the Government would bring a charge before the courts. The Government of Navarre announced the court action yesterday but the letter announcing that a charge would be brought before the High Court of Navarre was received by the Leitza Town Council on November 5.

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Sanz Against the Ikurriña

Today at Berria:

Sanz wants mayors who fly Basque flag barred from office

The Government of Navarre will resort to the courts to ensure that town councils abide by the Law of Symbols

Editorial Staff – IRUNEA (Pamplona)

In an interview given yesterday on TVE1, the Spanish TV channel, the Navarrese President, Miguel Sanz, said he was planning to take action against the town councils that did not abide by the Law of Symbols; the aim is to penalise the councils who fly the “Ikurrina” or red, white and green Basque flag, and he will be asking the Navarre Government to have the mayors concerned barred from office.

To this end Sanz announced that they would be filing appeals and that it would be the courts which would compel the town council to remove the “Ikurrina”. He said: “We are going to resort to the courts so that they deliver a judgement and if the town council decides not to take any notice, we will be able to bar the mayor from office.” The Law of Symbols prohibits the flying of any flag which is neither the town’s one, the Spanish one nor the European one next to the flag of Navarre. “In fact the flag of the Basque citizens of Navarre is the flag of Navarre; and the “Ikurrina” is the flag of the Basque citizens of Gipuzkoa, Araba and Bizkaia,” as Sanz pointed out yesterday. Indeed, the preamble to the Law of Symbols passed in April makes it clear what this law is designed to achieve: “Previous legislation does not include the necessary legal tools to enable public powers to correct common irregularities effectively . Many town halls fly the flag of the Basque Autonomous Community [of Araba, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa], either alone or alongside other flags, when it is clear that Navarre is not a part of that autonomous community. This can lead to confusion with respect to the institutional sphere of the Charter Community of Navarre.”

The EAJ (Basque Nationalist Party), EA (Eusko Alkartasuna-Basque Solidarity Party) and Batasuna (left-wing Basque nationalist party) lost no time responding to the Navarrese Government’s announcement. Fermin Ziaurriz of the Navarrese wing of EA declared that this was “yet another example of the petty tyranny of Sanz’s Government and a further consequence of its inquisitorial behaviour.” EA claimed that the citizens of Navarre were “entitled to express their feelings”.

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Christmas in August

Last night when I came home from work it was like Christmas in July, only that it is August, or something like that.

A friend of mine, Philippe, had the chance to take part of a world congress for Basques that took place last month, he was representing the San Francisco Eusko Etxea. While in the Basque Country he had the chance to meet with a few other friends, among them Juan, who lives in Lekeito. Juan was nice enough to send me a CD of Benito Lertxundi, one of the most reknown Basque singers. He also send me a book called "El Arbol de Gernika" by war correspondent George Steer. He gave those items to Philippe who brought them to the USA after touring the whole Basque Country.

Now, Philippe had the chance to be in Irunea (Pamplona) the day of the "Chupinazo", which is the day when the famous San Fermines start, the San Fermines is a religuous celebration that is known around the world for the crazy runs with the bulls. Irunea is in the heart of the Basque Country, yet, the spanish government and the Navarrese foral government decided to ban the Ikurrina, which is the Basque flag.

Philippe by chance was filming a group of Basque youths who were approaching the main square to take part of the festivity, they were carrying Ikurrinas, when suddenly they were attacked by anti-riot police officers, the police officers were good at dispensing stick blows and proceeded to stomp on the fallen Ikurrinas, it is all now on tape. Little they knew that another group of Basque youths had managed to enter the square from a different direction and it is like that that the whole world was able to see the Ikurrina, which is the Basque flag at a main Basque religious celebration, in Irunea, one of the oldest Basque cities in the Basque Country. Take that one sorry ass fascists!

Along with the book and the CD, Philippe sent me a copy of the tape.

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Defending Euskal Herria

In the mean time, the Basques have to defend their land from open attacks on their history and their natural resources, for those of you interested, see what is taking place in Itoiz and Irunea.

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Two Pictures/Picture 1

What is wrong with this picture?

Ok, take a good look of these two pictures and read the footnotes, then try to figure out what is wrong, what does not match between the footnotes for the pictures:

Irunea

Two children hold up banners reading: 'No to War' in both the Basque (Euskara) language, left, and Spanish during a demonstration against a possible U.S.-led war on Iraq, in Irunea, Euskal Herria, Saturday March 15, 2003.

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