At 05:37 PM 4/14/97 -0300, Agnes Heringer wrote:

>><snip>
>>>Sounds very similar to Quebec....
>>>
>>>Agnes
>>
>>In what way, Agnes?
>>
>>Joe Szalai
>
>You never heard about the language police?   Agnes

Yes, I have.  However, the situations are not similar to Quebec.

In Romania the majority is Romanian speaking.
In Canada the majority is English speaking.
In Romania, the Romanian majority wants to stop the use of Hungarian.
In Canada, the English majority doesn't want to stop the Quebecois from
speaking French.

For the two situations to be similar, you'd have to have the Hungarians in
those counties of Translvania that have a majority of Hungarian speakers
denying the minority Romanians from speaking Romanian.  I don't think
that's the case.

To side with the Hungarian minority in Romania and the English majority in
Canada shows an unprincipled political position.

Joe Szalai

At 10:10 PM 4/14/97 -0400, Joe Szalai wrote:

>For the two situations to be similar, you'd have to have the Hungarians in
>those counties of Translvania that have a majority of Hungarian speakers
>denying the minority Romanians from speaking Romanian.  I don't think
>that's the case.
>
>To side with the Hungarian minority in Romania and the English majority in
>Canada shows an unprincipled political position.

I think what Agnes meant was, that in Quebec, where it is my understanding
that French is the "official" language, there are problems with those who
speak English.

Gabor D. Farkas

At 10:47 PM 4/14/97 -0400, Gabor Farkas wrote:

>At 10:10 PM 4/14/97 -0400, Joe Szalai wrote:
>
>>For the two situations to be similar, you'd have to have the Hungarians in
>>those counties of Translvania that have a majority of Hungarian speakers
>>denying the minority Romanians from speaking Romanian.  I don't think
>>that's the case.
>>
>>To side with the Hungarian minority in Romania and the English majority in
>>Canada shows an unprincipled political position.
>
>I think what Agnes meant was, that in Quebec, where it is my understanding
>that French is the "official" language, there are problems with those who
>speak English.
>
>Gabor D. Farkas

I'm not in favour of language enforcement of any kind, anywhere.  However,
a one-sided, "my-sided", attitude contributes to the establishment of
language police.

The "problems" that English speakers experience in Quebec are about the
same, and in many cases much less, than Francophones have in the rest of
Canada.  You may not recall, but surely Agnes remembers, the rage and anger
that right-wing rednecks expressed when Canadian law was changed to require
both French and English on packaged foods, manufactured goods, etc..  There
was so much talk of "having French shoved down our throats".  Of course,
the Francophones didn't complain about English being shoved down their
throats.  Instead, in greater numbers, they're now willing to just leave
this marriage.  They no longer want to hear Anglophone rednecks and they
don't want to hear about the language police any more.  They just want out.
 Personally, I wish they'd stay, but I understand the attitudes that's
driving them out.

I don't agree with the limitations on Hungarian in Romania.  However, when
we were in charge, didn't we have a "magyarization" policy?  Why are we so
shocked now?

Joe Szalai

aheringer wrote:
>
> This is very interesting.  All I know is what I have read in Koestler's
> book.  I thought in Israel the Khazar origin is not acceptable, since if
> we (ashkenazim) are of Khazar origin, we have no "right of return" to
> Jerusalem.
>
> Re: Hungarian history, we always learned that there were khazars coming
> in with Arpad to the Carpathian basin, ergo, Jews were in Hungary since
> the "honfoglalas".  Only, when I went to school, we didn't know anything
> about "The Third Tribe".
>
> Agnes
>
> Please keep us abreast of further developments!
Agnes, what were you answering to?
Miklos