Paddy Woodworth, who has written two books on the Basque Country — Dirty War, Clean Hands and The Basque Country: A Cultural History — has written an op-ed piece in the NY Times about the recent bombings by ETA in Spain.
August 13th, 2009
Though this journalist seems to be more impartial than most, still he is missing an important point when comparing the Basque separatists with the Northen Ireland ones.
While Northen Island was a conquered territory by the English and thus still claims for their freedom, the Basque region has been a part of Spain since Spain as such has existed. The only time when the Basque people have been really independant was prior to the roman colonisation. After that time, and with the gothic invasions of Hispania, the basques have been mergen into the different kingdoms that where founded and that finally united into Spain over 500 years ago.
It is true that they have their own original culture and language, which is currently a recent amalgamation of the original Basque dialects that where spoken in every different valley, but they have been the heart of Spain, together with other regions that also have inherited their own traditions and languages (Catalonian, Galician, Asturian, Aragonian, Valencian, Andalusian, Castillians, etc).
The great beauty of Spain is that its culturally rich thanks to this mix of traditions that where united by the common religion and the need to liberate themselves from the Muslim domination that Spain suffered for close to 800 years.
Most Spaniards will consider the Basque region as close to their own heart as any true Basque, the same as with the other regions. They are proud of the Basque region to be part of their own country and will defend it agains any external attack.
Unfortunately, the current Basque Nationalist parties have created a false need to be independant, feeling that only appeared in the late 19th century after an ill-iluminated mesianic madman called Sabino Arana tried to reinvent history and historical geography picturing the Basque as an independent nation that has always been opressed by the Spanish, as if they where not as Spanish as any from any other region. This is totally untrue and has no historical background or evidence to prove it.
This recent nationalism is managing to alianate part of the Spanish population, who are becoming sick and tired of being targets for ETA’s murduring and are willing to let them have the independance just to get rid of the problem, but fortunately most Spaniards still will not
Those who fail to see this and bypass nearly 2000 years of history in their analysis will never really understand the real issue that is trying to divide Spain.
The Basque are a great people because they are Spanish and Basque, like the Castillians are a great people becasue they are Spanish and Castillian, and so on for the rest of Spanish regions. I am Spanish of Basque origin, and I am proud to be so, and will continue to be so as we will never surrender part of the heart of our country.