Syrian fragment

Author: Gergely PÉTERFY

Original title: Szír töredék

Publication: Népszabadság, Photo: MTI – Sándor UJVÁRI

Date: 19/09/2015

The real question is why and how was it possible in post-war Western Europe to establish humanitarian values in the minds of the thirty- fortysomething generation in the past 25 years, how were the monsters raised by a thousand years of wars and Nazism vanquished, and why did the exact opposite happen in Hungary, where those very same monsters are thriving now.

“Most people love lies so much, they are only satisfied when they tell no morsel of truth and will only listen to others if they tell complete lies.” – Lucian

I write this note in Szentendre (small town north of Budapest- translator), the one-time Ulcisia Castra, which started to be built by the 2^nd Syrian archery legion named after Antonius, at the end of the 2^nd Century, under Caracalla. I bought the ‘Collected Works of Lucian’ (for the second time in my life as I had been reading the first one until it broke into pieces). Lucian, is my favorite author from the antiquity, happened to be Syrian. He was born in Samosata (today Samsat, near the Turkish-Syrian border, its antique architecture buried under mud and water of the dam of Atatürk), and died around 200, approximately when the Syrian legion arrived in Szentendre.

Now I have no clue what all this means. Beyond the fact that Syrians were here before the Hungarians, probably nothing.  But even if it doesn’t mean anything more, it doesn’t matter.

For me the real question is the difference between Western Europe and Hungary. In Western Europe the past 25 years brought not only economic development, but established the humanism, empathy and social responsibility of today’s 30-40-year-olds together with education, social mentality,the founding of the European Union and peace, i.e. it has destroyed the monsters created by 1000 years of war and Nazism. In post-socialist countries, but especially in Hungary, the past 25 years since the change of regime brought a different kind of change that nurtured the exact same monsters that were destroyed elsewhere.

Has communism crushed the morality of people living here? Maybe. However, the morality of Hungarian society used to be in a much better state right at the time of democratisation than today.

It is possible that loneliness led to the current shameful state of mind. There were no Turks, Austrians, or Russians living among us in large numbers who could have shown us that people can live and think differently, not just the way we do.

The country has gone mad like a dog that was left in a small apartment while the family went on a holiday. It is possible that Western civilizations have become tolerant and rich because of their long-term co-habitation with foreigners, foreign cultures, different religions and skin-colors –because of the multiculturalism that has been reviled and denounced so loudly and with such pagan anger? Is it the lack of multiculturalism that makes us mad and poor?  If it is so, then the only way to change the current deplorable state is to start living with foreigners.

The other reason – that may be related to our loneliness – is the complete irreverence for facts. It is like the fox terrier that goes crazy and starts chewing its own leg.

The majority of Hungarian society has basically been unable to distinguish between facts and opinions ever since the mid 90’s. Democracy – in the eyes of the public – is summed up in the one sentence that ‘everybody is allowed to express their opinion freely’.

But people don’t seem to know any more what the heck “opinion” is. “In my opinion is that the World was created by God”. “In my opinion Jesus did not exist.” “In my opinion there was no holocaust”. “In my opinion refugees are terrorists.” “In my opinion Hungarian is the world’s oldest language”.

It’s quite evident that respect for two things has fatally and lethally deteriorated: one is science for sure. The other might be the future. The ‘black magic’ of the government’s communication is based on lies, deceit and diversion. It is a typical strategy of those who want to take away your integrity, enslave you and take control over your thoughts. You can experience the same tactics from an evil spouse, an aggressive mother- or father-in-law, a perverted boss or a sly guru.

The person who uses this tactic always wants to take something from you. Most commonly your soul – as the soul is the most precious trophy for an evil person.

This person takes your body, your money, will kick you out of your apartment, turns you into a sex slave, takes over your life and strives to destroy you. He/she condemns everything that is dear to you, will ridicule your values, disregard your arguments. Only your darkest desperation and deepest misery will make him/her happy.

That is why it is most important to do everything to clear up facts and define the truth most precisely: black magic can only be defeated by facts and truths. If you know the facts and the context, and you can name them, these soft-bodied creatures of the swamp cannot bear the clarity and light. It is very difficult however to put facts against the magic of words – see the Syrian saying under the title.

The West was appalled fundamentally because they could not understand how a country they believed to be part of the Western world could behave with such pagan barbarity (yes, I use this word on purpose).

Why are Hungarian politicians and churches pagan when they scream about Christian values? How can the state mock those who answer the calling of their basic human nature and help those in need? How can goodness and compassion be publicly ridiculed?

How is it possible that millions of people lack basic morality and the least amount of solidarity – and the government even supports and encourages them? Why is the pagan mob the fetish of the right-wing ? Why do they hail themselves as the last bastion of the West, even though they only defend themselves, their money, idiocy of their voters or Putin’s arse? They defend all this, but not the West, in fact they deceive, ,misinform and undermine them.

The West does not need protection from Islam, but from the weakening of the secular state and democracy. And this is exactly what the extreme right – funded by Russians- is trying to do.

Islam has the same problem Christianity used to have: people go crazy for it, they do not regard people who are not following their religion as fellow human beings, they threaten them with hell and ostracise them. Or they try to convert people forcefully, and if they don’t convert, they burn at the stake.

We should rather work in our secular and liberal democracies in Europe to make Islam as well as Christianity retreat into the private life of its followers, into the peace and quiet of prayer halls and libraries, into a modestly dull school curriculum. Extreme Islam, just as militant right- or left-wing groups or any aberrant subculture should be simply a police and intelligence problem.

I browsed Facebook long enough to discover what these pagans are like – these Kádár-era grannies, moustachioed Protestant dads, tattooed girls and others who post banalities and hatred alternately. I found that these people are simply green with envy, much more so than they are racist. They are outraged that these illegals have smart phones and tablets, Adidas shoes and cash.

Our favorite, aunt Mici fumed that these bastard refugees had such healthy teeth, while the poor Hungarian pensioners had no money in their own country to have their teeth fixed. The thing is that the average Hungarian is poorer or considers himself / herself poorer than the refugees. Migration Aid should add in its mobile application – if it gets developed – that migrants would only experience any type of solidarity if they looked poorer than the average Hungarian. They should come in rags, without shoes and have their teeth broken by police at the Bulgarian-Turkish border.

It seems our country has neither historical memory, nor historical consciousness or responsibility – all three have been successfully eradicated by the Horthy- and Kádár eras, and the brainwashing is now being completed by the Orbán regime. As a result our country has absolutely no idea what it has gotten into.

They do not understand why the refugees were running to Germany, why Germany welcomed them with open arms. They do not understand that Germans have freed themselves from a historical feeling of guilt with a huge, euphoric sigh, and they do not understand why this was important.

Major difficulties like integrating migrations are still ahead – not to mention the rest of the masses who are still on their way. They will surely struggle, the country will be in upheaval, but they will manage in the end.

People here do not understand this slow, dedicated, democratic management procedure. They do not understand why the West believes that the wave of migrants will do good to their economies and their self-confidence, as most people here have no idea about guilt, relief, repentance of sins, or the satisfaction of a good deed. Mostly because they are not allowed to have any idea about these feelings.

No, it is not the fault of the international conspiracy of Jews and freemasons, nor the western liberal media, or the evil communists: it is the fault of those pagans claiming two-third majority. And what makes me really sad is that many do not even understand why treating migrants like this is a problem. What is wrong with shouting at them, kicking them, feeding them like animals, letting children freeze in the cold fields, or making women trek for endless miles?  And they genuinely do not understand the problem, because the majority of Hungarians actually live like that.

The majority of Hungarians do not regard this kind of treatment inhumane and  they are surprised that these people get annoyed, that they protest, that there is conflict. They don’t understand why the West turns its back on us appalled and disgusted.

And that is the real problem.

The real problem is that our beloved country continues to live in violence, arrogance and paganism, and no one is even concerned about it.