It is becoming commonplace for certain international organisations to be intent on undermining our fundamental rights.<\/p>\n
The latest example comes from Strasbourg. The so-called Committee of Experts on the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages \u200b\u200bof the Council of Europe has issued a report criticising Spain<\/a>, stating that \"the latest court rulings requiring a minimum percentage of teaching in Spanish in some regions<\/strong> conflict with the obligations assumed by Spain under Article 8 of the Charter, which is a cause for concern.\"<\/em><\/p>\n With this statement, the Council of Europe committee is referring to cases such as that of Catalonia<\/strong>, where some courts have been reminding the Catalan government of its duty to offer at least 25% of teaching hours in Spanish. Until now, the Catalan government has ignored all judicial rulings on the matter.<\/strong><\/p>\n One wonders whether this Council of Europe committee has read Article 8 of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages<\/a>, to which it refers in its complaint. This article speaks, for example, of providing for \"primary education guaranteed in the relevant regional or minority languages\"<\/em> or \"providing for a substantial part of primary education to be conducted in the relevant regional or minority languages<\/strong>\"<\/em>. But in addition to that, before listing its requirements regarding regional languages, this article states: \"without prejudice to the teaching of the official language(s) of the State<\/strong>.\"<\/em><\/p>\n Today, in Catalonia there is total immersion in Catalan, a language that is imposed on all students and families against their will<\/strong>, including the majority of Catalan students whose mother tongue is Spanish. Unlike other European countries, where there is freedom of choice of language<\/a> (which should be normal in a democratic country), in Catalonia there is a regime of exclusion of Spanish that is even more discriminatory than<\/strong> the linguistic regime of South African Apartheid<\/a>, founded on openly racist foundations.<\/p>\n So, this committee of the Council of Europe not only tramples on the charter that it claims to defend<\/strong>, by even denying the possibility of 25% of teaching hours in Catalonia in Spanish, but it also tramples on the right to study in Spanish in Catalonia<\/strong>, a right that all children in that region and in any other part of Spain should have. What this committee of the Council of Europe does is treat Spanish speakers in Catalonia as second-class citizens<\/strong>, as if they were blacks in Apartheid South Africa. For that reason alone, this report deserves the same use as a roll of toilet paper.<\/strong><\/p>\n ---<\/p>\n
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