‘Thank goodness there isn’t a single Muhammad among them,’ said the mayor.
A new school year started in Hungary this week. It is customary for local politicians to visit the opening ceremonies and deliver short speeches.
However, this year, the most attention went to a small city called Oroszlány, after 24.hu published an article in which the mayor said:
‘How good, there is not a single Muhammad among them.’
Károly Takács’s intention was to illustrate that there is immigration in Hungary, which he is happy about.
According to parents, the mayor mentioned that Muhammad is now the most common name in German schools. ‘I am very happy that there are no such names among the first-graders. This must be preserved.’
Takács confirmed that he had said this, but added that the press should write more about the success of the schools and the achievements of their pupils.
In a Facebook comment reacting to the outrage, he wrote:
‘If you don’t like what I have to say, don’t listen to it. And if you like the name Mohammed, by which I meant to express my opinion on migration, then find a country to migrate to.”
Ironically, the mayor proudly announced later the same day that he had granted citizenship to an Indonesian woman.
According to reactions to the mayor’s Facebook post, Márton Boros, the mayor of the neighbouring town Tatabánya wrote:
‘It is no coincidence that it is a fundamental principle that we do not deal with politics in schools. It is sad to see a festive moment, a joyful ritual marking the start of a new school year, become an occasion for exclusion. It is sad that such a statement is made in front of children.’
In brackets: Oroszlány is the town where the famous ‘floating village’ is located. We wrote about it a few months ago.
Update
Mónika Fehérvári, principal of the Mátyás Hunyadi Primary School in Oroszlány, distanced herself from the mayor’s words.
She writes on Facebook:
“I am sorry that a statement was made at the school’s opening ceremony that may have been hurtful. I would like to reassure everyone that all children are equally valuable at our school, regardless of their religious or cultural background. Our teaching staff strives to provide a loving and accepting environment where children can feel safe and develop their abilities. As an educational institution, our task is to focus on the development of our students, the building of our community, and the quality of education.”
