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AHF thanks US Ambassador to Rumania

AHF thanks US Ambassador for his "moral and political courage in being photographed with the Szekler flag"9/29/2016 - The "Hungarian Free Press" attacked AHF for supporting a senior American diplomat who had the wisdom and courage to pose with the Szekely flag. While it is our general policy not to respond to such attacks, we make an exception when appropriate. AHF later thanked the publication for the resulting dialogue.

AHF's letter and subsequent responses are below. Refer to our original letter to Ambassador Klemm [here]

Mr. György Lázár:

Hungarians express solidarity with Hungarians in Rumania and unveil Szekler Flag made up of lights in Budpest's Heroes' SquareNormally we at the American Hungarian Federation would not respond to the kind of posting you made on September 22, “Exploiting the naiveté of Hans Klemm, the US ambassador to Romania,” but we are making an exception in this case since you have gratuitously defamed not only an outstanding career American diplomat but our organization as well.

The tactics you employed reflect neither a responsible use of logic nor a fair understanding of the issues involved.  Any display of the Szekler flag by radical groups no more vitiates its symbolic legitimacy than that of the American flag when it is displayed by extremist groups. This is a form of guilt by association which is a thoroughly discredited polemical tactic and never used by respected interlocutors.

Hungarians carry the Szekely flag in TransylvaniaYour painting of Ambassador Klemm as naïve for posing with Mayor Árpád Antal of Sepsiszentgyörgy with the flag in the Hungarian speaking region of Romania is as absurd as it is ill informed. American career diplomats are highly trained experts charged with carrying out U.S. policy abroad, and it as an established feature of American interests and values to promote diversity and minority human rights around the world. Ambassador Klemm was doing nothing other than what American diplomats do elsewhere in similar circumstances.

Finally your ad hominem depiction of the American Hungarian Federation as a “right-wing organization,” is as ludicrous as it is preposterous. Our hundred year old mission in preserving Hungarians' cultural and historical heritage and promoting minority rights has drawn popular support across the political spectrum and faith community as well as across the professions, including medicine, history, science, diplomacy, and the law. For your information, our governing board currently includes professionals with differing political views, reflecting its nature as a federation.

Since you say you enjoy spending time in Hungary, we wish you would also find it enjoyable backing our worthy mission, including our efforts to combat the discrimination confronting Hungarian minorities in their ancient homeland, instead of trying to tear it down. We would welcome your support.

Sincerely,

The American Hungarian Federation

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HFP's response:

Dear Mr. Koszorus,

Thank you for your letter and for sharing your organization's thoughts on Mr. Lázár's article with our publication. We have published your letter, as well as Mr. Lázár's response:

http://hungarianfreepress.com/2016/09/28/in-defence-of-transylvanias-szekler-flag-a-letter-to-the-editor-from-the-american-hungarian-federation/ 

Sincerely,
Christopher Adam

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AHF's thanked HFP:

Dear Messrs. Adam and Lazar,

I believe our exchange has amply demonstrated that one can disagree on an issue and yet carry on an intelligent and respectful  discourse without lapsing into personal attacks and defamatory labeling. 

While there is an unfortunate tendency on both the Left and the Right to over politicize every question, our Federation strongly believes that discrimination, intolerance and hate speech directed at any group are unacceptable.  We are concerned that when it comes to the Hungarian minorities in some of the states neighboring Hungary, this principle sadly and inexplicably is ignored. [See our letter

We champion those rights for the Hungarian minorities and hope that those who otherwise support human rights, the rule of law and democracy will join in our efforts.

Thank you for publishing our letter and for carrying on this discussion on its merits.

Sincerely,
Frank Koszorus, Jr.
Chairman

[< Go to all AHF news]

Go to [all news from Rumania]

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9/15/2016 - AHF thanks US Ambassador for his "moral and political courage in being photographed with the Szekler flag... It is unacceptable for Romania to stifle measures by the Hungarian minority, such as using the Szekler flag, to preserve their unique culture in their ancient homeland and to overcome the effects of discrimination, persecution, and in some instances violence they have faced." [read more]

AHF thanks US Ambassador for his "moral and political courage in being photographed with the Szekler flag"10/25/2016 - AHF sends follow up to US Ambassador to Rumania for praising Rumania's "model democracy." "Considering the irrefutable record of discrimination, intolerance, and anti-democratic attitudes, practices and policies by Romanian authorities, not to mention your experience relative to the Szekely flag, we are puzzled... by your statement last week praising Romania for being a model of democracy and observing the rights of minorities. [read more]


"Unfortunately we must continue to remember Trianon, not merely as a historical event -- “the greatest catastrophe to have befallen Hungary since the battle of Mohacs in 1526,” as noted by Sir Bryan Cartledge -- but as a current problem that needs to be judiciously addressed. What is the current problem ninety-one years after the Treaty was imposed upon Hungary? It is the discrimination, intolerance, and, in some cases, hatred directed toward the Hungarian minorities living in the Successor States. Steps must be taken to ensure that Western values, democratic principles and international norms and practices relating to national minorities will finally prevail in Central and Eastern Europe, thereby at long last relegating Trianon to the history books." - Frank Koszorus, Jr., AHF President

Shortcuts

With the conflict in Ukraine and ethnic tensions once again on the rise, AHF republishes prophetic 1996 essay from the Fletcher Forum of World Affairs: "Group Rights Defuse Tensions,"
6/20/2014
- With the conflict in Ukraine and ethnic tensions once again on the rise, AHF republishes prophetic 1996 essay from the Fletcher Forum of World Affairs: "Group Rights Defuse Tensions," written by Csaba Zoltani and AHF President Frank Koszorus. "Moreover, the strong U.S. interest in a stable and peaceful Europe is contingent upon the resolution of minority disputes and the elimination of tensions that arise from such disputes. When European minority issues were ignored or improperly addressed in this century, the United States was called upon to intervene in two world wars." [download the essay]

AHF Book Review: "Transylvania Today: Diversity at Risk," edited by Csaba Zoltani. 6/17/2014 - AHF Book Review: "Transylvania Today: Diversity at Risk," edited by Csaba Zoltani. Written by noted experts, describes the issues faced by minorities in Transylvania in their effort to retain their identity in an adverse environment. The essays of the book capture some of the fault lines in Transylvania, created by the incorporation of a territory with western traditions into one of Byzantine culture. Minorities, according to the official census, constitute nearly one-quarter of the population of Romania. Contributors include Amb. Geza Jeszenszky, Prof. Andrew Ludanyi, Tilhamer Czika, Viktor Segesvary, and Andreas Bereznay. [read more]

AHF submits memorandum to US Helsinki Commission in follow up to both the Congressional letter to Secretary John Kerry requesting that the “State Department vigorously engage the Romanian government to end the travesty of justice which it has perpetuated by failing to fully restitute properties illegally confiscated from religious denominations after 1945" and AHF's April 25th meeting with the Commission during which AHF expressed its deep concern about threats to democracy and human rights arising from discriminatory actions and policies affecting members of the Hungarian minority in some of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.6/19/2013 - AHF submits memorandum to US Helsinki Commission in follow up to both the Congressional letter to Secretary John Kerry requesting that the “State Department vigorously engage the Romanian government to end the travesty of justice which it has perpetuated by failing to fully restitute properties illegally confiscated from religious denominations after 1945" and AHF's April 25th meeting with the Commission during which AHF expressed its deep concern about threats to democracy and human rights arising from discriminatory actions and policies affecting members of the Hungarian minority in some of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. [read more]

Why So Many Hungarians
Across the Border?

How Hungary Shrank: Ostensibly in the name of national self-determination, the Treaty dismembered the thousand-year-old Kingdom of Hungary, a self-contained, geographically and economically coherent and durable formation in the Carpathian Basin and boasting the longest lasting historical borders in Europe. It was imposed on Hungary without any negotiation, drawing artificial borders in gross violation of the ethnic principle, it also transferred over three million indigenous ethnic Hungarians and over 70% of the country's territory to foreign rule.One thousand years of nation building successfully delineated groups based on culture, religion, geography, and other attributes to create the countries with which we are so familiar. While some Western European nations would continue power struggles and princely battles and civil wars, Hungary, founded in 896, was a peaceful multi-ethnic state for a 1000 years and her borders were virtually unchanged. Until 1920...

The Treaty of Trianon in 1920... in the aftermath of WWI, was extremely harsh on Hungary and unjustifiably one-sided. The resulting "treaty" lost Hungary an unprecedented 2/3 of her territory, and 1/2 of her total population or 1/3 of her Hungarian-speaking population. Add to this the loss of up to 90% of vast natural resources, industry, railways, and other infrastructure. The clear winner of the land grab, was Rumania, who, established only 60 years earlier, more than doubled in size overnight.

Ethnic Distribution in the Kingdom of Hungary in 1910 (Hungarians shown in red)

Ethnic Distribution in the Kingdom of Hungary in 1910 (Hungarians shown in red)
[download extra large image 4962x3509]
[download large image 1000x707]

Hungarian populations declined significantly after forced removals such as the Benes Decrees and other pograms, the effects of WWI, and Trianon in 1920. With continued pressure and discriminative policies such as the 2009 Slovak Language Law, this trend continued over the past 90 years.

Hungarian populations declined significantly after forced removals such as the Benes Decrees and other pograms, the effects of WWI, and Trianon in 1920. With continued pressure and discriminative policies sucha s the 2009 Slovak Language Law, this trend continued over the past 90 years.

  • In Upper Hungary (awarded to Slovakia, Czechoslovakia): 1,687,977 Slovaks and 1,233,454 others (mostly Hungarians - 886,044, Germans, Ruthenians and Roma) [according to the 1921 census, however, there were 1,941,942 Slovaks and 1,058,928 others]
  • In Carpathian Ruthenia (awarded to Czechoslovakia): 330,010 Ruthenians and 275,932 others (mostly Hungarians, Germans, Romanians, and Slovaks)
  • In Transylvania (awarded to Romania): 2,831,222 Romanians (53.8%) and 2,431,273 others (mostly Hungarians - 1,662,948 (31.6%) and Germans - 563,087 (10.7%)). The 1919 and 1920 Transylvanian censuses indicate a greater percentage of Romanians (57.1%/57.3%) and a smaller Hungarian minority (26.5%/25.5%)
  • In Vojvodina 510,754 Serbs and 1,002,229 others (mostly Hungarians 425,672 and Germans 324,017)
  • In Vojvodina and Croatia-Slavonia combined (awarded to Yugoslavia): 2,756,000 Croats and Serbs and 1,366,000 others (mostly Hungarians and Germans)
  • In Burgenland (awarded to Austria): 217,072 Germans and 69,858 others (mainly Croatian and Hungarian)

[read more on the Treaty of Trianon]

AHF Statements on Trianon:

Congressional Resolutions and Records

  • H.RES 191 - A RESOLUTION urging the "prompt and fair restitution of church properties by Romania and Slovakia - TOM LANTOS / TOM TANCREDO (April 6th 2005) in the House of Representatives [download]
  • A RESOLUTION REGARDING THE ISSUE OF TRANSYLVANIAN HUNGARIANS -- HON. DONALD E. `BUZ' LUKENS (Extension of Remarks - February 26, 1990) in the House of Representatives [download]
  • VIOLENCE IN TRANSYLVANIA -- HON. DON RITTER (Extension of Remarks - March 22, 1990) in the House of Representatives [download]
  • Transylvanian Monitor #14: Property Restitution.
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