Hungary - Népszabadság
On March 19 the right-wing nationalist journalist
Zsolt Bayer published a libelous attack on
“Jewish journalists” in the daily Magyar Hírlap.
The once liberal newspaper has pursued a
stalwartly right-wind conservative line since it
was taken over by the industrialist Gábor Széles
in 2005. Countless Hungarian intellectuals have
now voiced their protest in a open letter to
Széles. György Vári is not optimistic about the
success of this action: “The gesture of a
petition presupposes a consensus within society,
on the basis of which one can object when norms
are violated. … This consensus [against
anti-Semitism] does not currently exist in
Hungary, which is why the signees are unlikely to
achieve their aim. In this case a signature
action can accomplish no more than to strenghten
a feeling of community. It is not enough to point
out a violation of the norm, because it is not
obvious to many people: You have to explain it.
… This requires a great deal more intellectual
effort than just a signature.” (09/04/2008)
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