Love Letter to Keith Johnson

Here it is, enjoy it:

Dear Mr. Johnson,

I take this opportunity to congratulate you for your excellent article titled "Basque Inquisition: How do you say shepherd in Euskera?".

The editorial staff at the Wall Street Journal must be so proud to count with such an intelligent, well informed and witty reporter like you.

It was about time to put those Basques in the place were they all belong, watching over a herd of something, be it pigs, donkeys, cows, whatever, who cares, their basic intellects fit perfectly with their cavemen-era language and shepherding is the only activity that they should be allowed to perform. Your article will finally make them understand that they do no belong in this world.

Even more, I like your brave posture regarding the languages that modern people should speak, besides the Spanish that you mention (how else could we interact with the janitors and the groundskeepers slaving away in our transnational megacorporations) the only languages that should be allowed in this high tech world are English, French, Russian and Japanese. All the other ones should disappear along with that Euskara non sense. I think you should take it a step forward and call for all the books written in Euskara and other dialects to be burn in huge bonfires in front of the city halls of all the cities of the world. Who needs dialects like Mayan, Hebrew or Tagalog when we can all communicate perfectly in English?

The Basques must understand that the day that they decided to be part of Spain and France a compromise to learn real languages was included in the deal, I mean, they begged to be French and Spanish for so long, why then this useless obsession with speaking a language that only cows, sheep and donkeys understand?

Plus, we have to remember the warning given to the free world by the great human rights champion and liberator of the Iraqi people, José María Aznar, who constantly reminded us that every single Euskera speaking person is a potential terrorist. Why else would he help making the world safer by clamping down on the Ikastolak (the Basque language school system) and shutting down evil media outlets like Egunkaria and Euskal Irratia?

We need to take our fight against terrorism one step further, why don't you contact your congressman in order to get the USA to donate the money needed to build walls around the Basque towns were people still speak their barbaric and violent Euskera language? We can not afford for them to switch back from wielding grammar to wielding guns. A wall is working for the USA and for Israel, why not for Spain and France?

I specially liked the part where you tell the Basques that they are so stupid that 2,000 years ago they did not come up with Euskera words for airport, computer, fiber optic, quantum physics, television and space station; I mean, they did not have those back then?

This lack of words in their vocabulary indicates just how inferior Basques are when compared to their Spanish and French counterparts. That explains why the Spaniards have been trying to erase them from the face of the earth like they did with those tribes in America called Aztecs and Incas. If the Spanish were not so obedient of the international laws that bestow rights to the Basques and other üntermenschen Madrid could have solved this problem a long time ago.

So Keith, I hope you can accept my invitation to a nice bullfight in Madrid so we can share together the amazing and progressive Spanish culture, then we could go to the subway and kick a Latin American teenage girl on the head, later we could take part in a paramilitary parade organized by the Ermua's Forum and the Falange Youth, finally we could cap it up by taking flowers to the Valle de los Caídos to honor Francisco Franco and thank Adolph Hitler and Benito Mussolini for ushering a new age of light and brotherhood in Spain.

Yours Truly.

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Herri Urrats in Senpere

We applaud any initiative to strengthen Euskara, even more so these days that Spain and France are bent on denying the Basque culture and identity. This article was published at EITb:

Senpere celebrates Basque schools day

The commitment to the Basque language and to the Basque schools is so rooted in the Basque society that thousands of people attend every year the festival in order to enjoy the day and to pay tribute to the ikastolas.

Thousands of supporters of the Basque language and culture are expected to meet today in Senpere to celebrate Herri Urrats. Herri Urrats is the festival of the Basque schools in the Basque provinces south-west France.

Every year events are organised in the different regions of the Basque Country to raise money for ikastolas (Basque language schools). The commitment to the Basque language and to the Ikastolas (Basque schools) is so rooted in the Basque society that thousands of people attend every year the festival in order to enjoy the day and to pay tribute to the ikastolas.

Music will be the main protagonist. Basque bands such as Peio ta Pantxoa, Anje Duhalde, Gatibu, Zea Mays and Kerobia will entertain the spectators. Even children will have a place with stands with games and clowns. The day will also be packed with dance performances as well as sports activities and other kind of attractions.

Organisers aim at getting enough funding to be able to guarantee a wide teaching offer. The funds raised from this event will go towards the restoration of the Bernat Etxepare and Xalbador Kanbokoa school’s facilities and towards the victims of the floods that have hit the area recently.

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Applying to Ikastolak

Today at Berria English what I would call excellent news:

Record number of applications for Ikastola school places in last 10 years

The Partaide School network has asked the Education Department of the Basque Autonomous Community Government to renegotiate the map of direct-grant schools, because their offer has been “stretched to the limit” in many areas

Iñigo Bilbao – BILBO

The Partaide network of Ikastolas has asked the Education Department of the Basque Government to renegotiate the map of direct-grant schools, because the offer of their schools has been “stretched to the limit” in many cases. Another six or seven direct grant streams will be needed to respond to the demand they have received during the registration period that has just ended. This is especially so in Gipuzkoa, because a number of children have been left out due to a shortfall in the number of places.

In Navarre the Ikastolas are full to bursting and in the Iruñea area, even though 78 children more than those authorised by the Administration have applied, all of them will have to be left out. If this upward trend continues in the coming years, the people in charge of the Association of Ikastolas will be looking into the possibility of opening a new Ikastola in Iruñea (Pamplona).

In Bilbo yesterday Koldo Tellitu, chairman of the Partaide Ikastolas, and Pello Mariñelarena, chairman of the Ikastola Association of Navarre, provided details of the reservations for school places: for the next academic year the highest number of children in the last ten years have had their names put down for places in the schools belonging to the Ikastola Association of Navarre and the Partaide Ikastolas Association. There are 2,934 applications for places in all. This year, however, they have been catering for 2,747 pupils. This means a 6.8% rise in the number of children applying for places.

The figure is significant for the Ikastolas of Araba, Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia; in 1993 the Public Basque School Law came into force in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country and this has enabled them to see the evolution that has taken place since then: the number who want to study at these schools has been increasing from one year to the next.

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Oleaga is Free

Today at Berria:

Oleaga free after eight and a half months behind bars

Judge Del Olmo also ordered Xabier Alegria’s release on bail, but the latter will have to remain in custody in connection with the ‘Udalbiltza’ case; Inaki Uria will also have to stay in prison as the judge has taken no decision with respect to him

Imanol Murua Uria – DONOSTIA (San Sebastian)

After being behind bars for eight and a half months in connection with the Egunkaria case Xabier Oleaga was released from prison last night after posting bail of 30,000 euros. Juan Del Olmo, the Spanish National High Court Judge, also ordered the release of Xabier Alegria on bail of 50,000 euros, but the latter will have to remain in the prison of Soto del Real [near Madrid], because he is in unconditional custody in connection with the Udalbiltza case. Judge Del Olmo did not announce any decision regarding Inaki Uria, so the unconditional custody of Egunkaria’s Managing Director in the prison of Aranjuez will remain unchanged for the time being.

According to the writ issued yesterday, the Public Prosecutor had requested the release of Oleaga and Alegria on bail arguing that the “change in the personal situation of these two among the three accused” will not impede the case proceedings. The writ made no mention of Uria’s situation.

Oleaga, Alegria and Uria were arrested by the Spanish Civil Guard in the police operation to close down Egunkaria on February 20 along with another seven people, who were later released on bail. Like Martxelo Otamendi [Egunkaria’s Chief Editor], the three reported that they had been tortured during the five days held incommunicado in the hands of the Spanish Civil Guard and were later taken to the prison of Soto del Real. Alegria is still there, Uria was taken to Aranjuez [Madrid] and Oleaga was in the prison of Navalcarnero, [Madrid], until last night. Xabier Oleaga is from Errenteria (Gipuzkoa) and worked for Egunkaria from 1994 to 1996 as Deputy Chairman of the Board. From 1997 onwards he worked for the “Partaide” association of Ikastolas [Basque-medium schools].

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Building a New Ikastola

Today at Berria:

Auction to be held to build a new “Ikastola” in Irunberri

Well-known writers, musicians, sportspeople and artists have donated many articles to be sold by telephone and raise funds

Edurne Elizondo – IRUÑEA (Pamplona)

There is no let-up in the wave of solidarity with the Arangoiti Ikastola [Basque-medium school] of Irunberri (Lumbier, Navarre). Celebrities from the fields of science, culture and sport expressed their solidarity yesterday with the organisers of Sunday’s “Nafarroa Oinez” that was washed out by the rain.

A campaign has been launched with the slogan “Euroak euri, eutsi ametsari” (A deluge of Euros, cherish the dream): sportspeople, musicians, writers and other celebrities have donated things connected with their careers to the Ikastola to be auctioned by telephone (on 902 013883). The highest bidder will be able to take the gift home.

More figures than the Arangoiti people expected showed up at the Iruñea Planetarium yesterday for the launch of the new initiative: the physicist Pedro Migel Etxenike, the sculptor Nestor Basterretxea, the stone-lifter Iñaki Perurena, the Osasuna football team players Krutxaga, Puñal and Sanzol, the Basque pelota players Fernando Goñi, Oskar Lasa and Patxi Ruiz, the writer Aingeru Epaltza, the musician Enrike Zelaia, the mountaineer Mari Abrego… “The list is just growing and growing,” said the people in charge of the Ikastola.

October 29 is the deadline for anyone who would like to donate something. On that day and the following day the auction will end and the Arangoiti Ikastola staff will begin to distribute the prizes. The Ikastola chairman, Jose Enrique Garces, announced that on the Friday, October 31, there would be “a children’s festival” in Irunberri.

“We know that we are using the time that belongs to the Ikastola of Lizarra so we want to finish this campaign as soon as possible,” explained Nora Uribeetxeberria, Arangoiti’s head teacher. The Ikastola staff wanted to thank the Lizarra students for the fund-raising they had begun.

Garces explained that the cost of the damage caused by Sunday’s bad weather had not yet been worked out, but added that they would be “announcing it as soon as the figures had been completed.” As an example he said that the damaged stage cost 50,000 euros.

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Aznar's Threats

The Francisco Franco wannabe by the name of Jose Maria Aznar is quite upset. He decided that he needed to apply some damage control for the electoral process that just took place in Spain last week. He knew his extreme-right political party was facing tough times due to Aznar's political blunders. Both his support of the war against Iraq (where Spanish troops have been deployed and Iraqi civilians are being murdered by the thousands) and his Prestige oil tanker blunder were a heavy weight on every single one of the candidates running for his party. So he resorted to the historic scape goat for Spain, Euskal Herria.

February saw the first stages of his strategy, his attack against Egunkaria and Ikastolak heralded a new period of violence against Basque society. The goal was simple, to cut the losses by appearing like the great hero of Spain's unity before the average joe.

The strategy did not work as he expected, so now he's mad and he wants to retaliate, and guess who is the target of his fury?

Read this article and you'll find out:

Spain's Aznar Warns Basques Against Autonomy Push

World - Reuters to My Yahoo!

MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria ruled out Sunday any negotiation on Basque proposals to hold a referendum for more autonomy, saying any vote would be illegal.

While Aznar's tough line against Basque separatists is applauded in most of Spain, it is highly divisive in the northern Basque country where at least half the population of two million seeks greater autonomy from Madrid.

Aznar said Basque Premier Juan Jose Ibarretxe's push for a referendum was a "capitulation to the blackmail of terror" of armed Basque separatists ETA.

A bomb killed two police officers in northern Spain last Friday in an attack which the government immediately blamed on the armed Basque separatist group ETA.

"Either Ibarretxe withdraws his plan or he will be presenting a challenge to the rule of law," Aznar said in an interview published by conservative daily ABC.

"The rule of law does not admit challenges from anyone. The law must be complied with," Aznar said. He added there was not sufficient support in the Basque Country for Ibarretxe's plan.

Ibarretxe is due to present his proposals before the Basque regional parliament when it reconvenes after the summer break in September.

To win approval it would require the support of banned Basque separatist party Batasuna, which the Supreme Court outlawed in March as the political wing of ETA.

Batasuna deputies are still allowed to sit in the regional parliament in Vitoria until the end of the current legislature.

A protest vote for Batasuna won almost 10 percent of the ballot in the Basque Country in May 25 municipal elections.

Can someone ask Aznar how come "the rule of law" was never applied against the Franco regime's members? Oh wait, they are all part of the Partido Popular today... nevermind.

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Step by Step

I've just received this information via emai:

Basque Country Step by Step

Information Service from Basque Country

Introduction

This is an information service focused on the struggle of the Basque Country for freedom and the respect of human rights included the right to self determination.

1.- Spain, a criminal state

On the 31st of March it was discovered that Cesid Spanish "intelligence" services was spying the quarters of the political party Herri Batasuna in the city of Gasteiz years before the banning. This spying had taken place for three years. During the last days of March of the present year former heads and agents of Cesid had been processed with the result of the last Director of Cesid being sentenced to three years in prison, a fine of 11,160 Euros and the inhabilitation to be employed in a public post for 8 years. The Spanish State has also being declared liable on this affair.

It has been know that the General Public Prosecutor if Spain pressured the public prosecutors of the Provincial Audience of Alava, so no penal charges would be imposed on the accused members of Cesid. The Spanish General Prosecutor is appealing the sentence.

2.- The Ikurriña banned

The Parliament of the Navarrese Autonomous Community debated on the 26th of March the new Symbol’s act. The votes of the governing conservative party, Union del Pueblo Navarro, plus the votes of the Socialist Party and conservative Convergencia Democratica approved the Draft of the Symbols’ Act that bans the use of the Ikurrina, Basque emblem, flag, in public institutions.

3.- Trade Union’s compromise with political rights

The majority of the Basque Trade Union movement in the Basque country facing the ilegalisation of Batasuna subscribed on the 5th of April a document titled "For the right to politically participate". The trade union movement claims the need "of ensuring all rights for all persons in the Basque country".

The Basque Trade Union movement hopes to build within and from the workers movement a solution to the political conflict at the Basque Country.

4.- Here comes Korrika

On the 4th of April Korrika began in the north of the Basque Country, in Maule. Korrika, meaning "running" in Basque, is one of the most important initiatives that takes place in favour of Euskara.

Aek and Korrika

The Korrika is an event organised by the Alfabetatze Euskalduntze Koordinakundea (AEK), the co-ordinating committee for promoting literacy and teaching Basque.

AEK is a popular movement that promotes literacy in Basque and teaches Basque to adults. This organisation has over a hundred centres and thousands of students throughout the Basque Country.

The Korrika is not a regular event, it is a giant race that crosses the whole Basque Country during 10 days, non-stop, night and day. It is not something that can be seen everyday: thousands of people from all walks of life and all ages taking part in this race and running over 2,100 kilometres.

Korrika, which happens every two years, has become a phenomenon that rouses Basque society. The number of people who take part in the race increases from one Korrika to the next. Thousands of people collaborate in the organisation of the Korrika in the committees formed in towns and neighbourhoods. While the campaign is on, hundreds of festivals and cultural acts are organised.

The movement created around the Korrika reflects the size of the effort that Basque society makes to recover its language. From the moment that the first Korrika crossed the Basque Country from Oñati to Bilbao in 1980, it has been one of the most highly participated events organised in support of the Basque language. Twelve Korrikas and more than 20 years have gone by since, but the success of the Korrika continue.

Korrika 13th, A nation carving its future

The work done at the Basque Country in order to recover its culture and language is not new.

During the end of the 60’s and the beginning of the 70’s Basque culture experienced a very important renaissance in all areas; music, literature and plastic arts amongst others. Ikastolak (primary schools where subjects are taught in Basque) and night schools (where adults are taught the Basque language) spread to many towns. A standardised Basque language was created (euskara batua). In music for instance, it is clear that the reason why we have a decent production level in respect of both quantity and quality, and a ‘normalised’ market today, is due to the effort made at that time.

In order to recover this spirit, the Korrika wants to pay tribute to the protagonists of this renaissance. Many people worked very hard at that time and they all deserve the tribute. Amongst them we find the cultural movement called ‘ez dok amairu’ (there is no thirteen).

This 13th Korrika wants to remember the enthusiasm and vitality of those who created ‘ez dok amairu’. Jorge Oteiza chose the name which he borrowed from a popular tale collected by Azkue in the Basque province of Bizkaia to show that Basque culture could break the spell of the unlucky number thirteen and continue to bloom.

Today the Korrika wants to tell society exactly the same thing; there is no thirteen, there is no curse. In the same way they managed to give Basque music and culture a big push during the inflexibility of the dictatorship, we also want to be able to carry on over all measures against Basque. We have to take Basque society through another period of renaissance because we are able to.

Euskal Herria, on the 15th of April, 2003.

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Egunero

As you may know by now, taking advantage of the situation created by their authoritarian and fascist decision to shut down Egunkaria, the Spanish repressive forces have raided the headquarters of Ikastolak, the Basque language school system. This is an all out attack against one of the cornerstones of Basque culture and identity which is Euskara, the Basque language.

This note was published today by the New York Times:

Basque Paper Changes Name After ETA Link

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 2:50 p.m. ET

MADRID, Spain (AP) -- A Basque newspaper that was shut down over suspicion on aiding the armed separatist group ETA came out Friday with a new name and a vow to keep publishing.

A day after being shut down by police, Egunkaria renamed itself "Egunero'' and published a 16-page edition with a banner headline proclaiming: "Closed, but not quiet.''

Egunkaria means "newspaper'' in the Basque language. Egunero means "every day.''

Egunero dedicated all of its coverage on Thursday's police raids that closed down its offices across the Basque region and neighboring Navarra.

Police arrested 10 executives of Egunkaria's publishing company and editor-in-chief Marcelo Otamendi. They also seized documents and computer equipment.

Xavier Lekuona, Egunkaria's assistant director, denied the newspaper has links to the ETA.

"We are going to continue with the same drive that we were born with and we'll continue as an homage to the detained and to the readers of the newspaper,'' Lekuona said.

Authorities say the newspaper was a communications tool for ETA --alleging that when police arrested ETA commando groups, Egunkaria alerted other operatives.

Egunkaria was Spain's only Basque language newspaper, with a circulation of 15,000.

National Court Judge Juan del Olmo described Thursday's closure as temporary while he probes the fund-raising network of the separatist group ETA.

Police shut down another Basque-language paper, Egin, in 1998. The paper, also accused of aiding ETA, has never reopened although no one at the paper has been tried.

A march to protest the closure is scheduled for Saturday in the northern Basque city of San Sebastian.

Notice the bias against the Basque people, the news corporations know that with Aznar supporting Bush's war in Iraq the "correct" thing to do is to blemish the image of the Basque people as much as possible. That shows you the moral decay of the US based journalists.

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