Do Hungarian churches agree with Orbán’s mixed race speech?
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s speech in Tusnádfürdő has caused a stir around the world. Many politicians defended or attacked the Hungarian PM. But what do the churches say? Read our article below to find out what Christian churches, Jewish religious organisations and experts have to say about Orbán’s speech.
Controversial speech in Tusnádfürdő
“…there is a world where European peoples are mixed up with people from outside Europe. Now that is a mixed-race world. And we have us, where people from inside Europe mix with each other: they move, they work together. That is why, for example, in the Carpathian Basin, we are not mixed-race. (…) We are willing to mix with each other, but we do not want to become mixed-race…,” said Viktor Orbán, Prime Minister of Hungary.
The speech was a talking point in several places. Many supported Orbán, but many condemned him for his statements. Zsuzsa Hegedűs, a long-time ally of Orbán, resigned after hearing the Prime Minister’s speech. She later changed her mind. The US Embassy also reacted to the Hungarian Prime Minister’s words.
What do religious organisations say?
It is not only politicians who are attracted to the issue, but also religious organisations. Among Jewish religious organisations, the national Chief Rabbi, Róbert Frölich, said that there is only one species on earth, Homo sapiens sapiens. The Federation of Jewish Communities in Hungary said in a statement that Viktor Orbán’s speech had caused serious concern within the Jewish community.
Telex.hu asked the three largest Christian churches for their views on the Hungarian Prime Minister’s words. The Hungarian Catholic Church and the Reformed Church of Hungary did not respond. Only the Hungarian Evangelical Church replied to the letter. They write that “the Hungarian Evangelical Church does not wish to comment on general political statements.”
This is how analyst think
After Orbán’s speech, several members of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences protested in a petition. Nézőpont Institute analyst Krisztián Talabér also examined the Hungarian Prime Minister’s speech. Talabér believes that Orbán is using the speech as a distraction. Because of the controversial speech, there is less talk about the reduction of overhead cuts, the change of the tax form called kata, and inflation, infostart.hu writes.
