Message to Leyla Zana

by Joan Corominas i portella

(translated from Catalonian by Ricardo Gustavo Espeja)

Madam:

I write you in Catalonian because it is my language and I love it, although neither the Parliament, nor the Senate of the Spanish State (to which my country is still enclosed) allow my mother tongue in their Chambers. The Catalan is not an EU official language, despite the fact that Catalonia belongs to Spain and hence to the EU. It is necessary for the EU officials to remember this.

I have had a joyful surprise and I was very happy after I learned that in her first intervention in the EU Parliament Leyla Zana used a salutation in my language, in Catalan.

That was an attitude full of mirth and appreciation by those many who have been fighting for the recognition of Catalan. That was an attitude displayed by someone like you that must serve as an example to others including Mr. Josep Borrell, the President of the Europe Parliament, whose mother tongue is also Catalan. That was an attitude relevant to all international personalities who are to support the official recognition of all the European nations’ stateless languages such as Basques, Galitian, Welsh and Catalan.

Congratulations, dear Leyla!

I wish you happiness and tell you my gratitude!

Joan R.Corominas i Portella

P.s. I shall be gratefully if the Vice-President of the International PEN Lucina Kathmann through her channels could deliver this message to Leyla Zana.

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