Barcelona allegedly reject Air Berlin over Catalan language problem
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Madrid - Barcelona have refused to fly with Air Berlin because the German airline does not use the Catalan language. This is the claim that sports daily Marca makes on Friday. Marca alleges that Barca were considering flying Air Berlin to Chicago, where they begin their tour of the United States on Friday. However, the German company was, in the end, rejected in favour of Pullmantur, allegedly because Air Berlin does not use the Catalan language on its flights. Barca president Joan Laporta has energetically promoted the Catalan language since taking charge at the club in 2003, in conjunction with the Catalan regional government. Barca have made no official statement about their alleged problems with Air Berlin. According to Marca, this airline has also had problems with the regional government of the Balearic Islands, because it does not use the Mallorcan language - very similar to Catalan - on its tourist flights to the islands.
Copyright DPA
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Catalan deserves respect!
By:
Brian Barker ,
Sun, 03 Aug 2008 08:45:19 GMT
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All minority languages deserve respect. Especially in an age where the British claim that "English already the global language"
The growth of interest in Esperanto therefore is encouraging. A non-national language, neutral language protects minority languages by placing all languages on an equal footing.
I say this as native English speaker - by-the-way.
Interestingly also, nine British MP's have nominated Esperanto for the Nobel Peace Prize 2008.
You can check detail on http://www.lernu.net
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incredible demagogy
By:
Biel ,
Sat, 02 Aug 2008 11:54:47 GMT
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It is not "because the German airline does not use the Catalan language". It is because Air Berlin wrote a racist article (by Mr Hunold, who is in touch with PP) against the Catalan language, saying it is not an imperial language like Spanish, saying it sounds stupid and inferior, saying demagogic things about the Catalan and Spanish situation in Mallorca, etc.
"Mallorcan language -very similar to Catalan-"??? I am Mallorcan and of course I speak Catalan. It is like saying "madrileņo" or "castilian" or "argentinian" are different languages -very similar to Spanish-. That's a nonsense.
Please check your information sources.
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This article is not accurate
By:
Pere Ramoneda ,
Fri, 01 Aug 2008 14:04:03 GMT
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Journalist should not take Marca's point of view on Catalan matters and I will tell you why:
1. Air Berlin's General Director wrote an article in Air Berlin's magazine laughing at the Catalan language (which is official in the Balearic Islands) just because the Government of the Balearic Isles suggested Air Berlin to start using the official languages of the islands. (if you fly to the UK you are expected the airline to provide the service also in English, aren't you?...then, why clients from the Balearic Islands should not be allowed to received the service in their own language?
2. The Air Berlin's Director made fun of the Catalan language, the Balearic Government and of the other co-official languages in Spain.
3. If somebody laugh at you, your country and your language...you do not fly with his airlines, do you? That is why FC Barcelona decided to fly with another company.
4. Air Berlin said that as a private company they can use any language they like...FC Barcelona, as a club, should have the right to decide who to fly with. Don't you think so?
Obviously the Spanish Government supported the German airlines. What a surprise...i would love to see their reaction if Air Berlin had made fun of Castillian and Spain...
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You need to check your facts
By:
Correction ,
Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:35:09 GMT
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The club did not refuse to fly with Air Europe simply because they do not use Catalan. They refused because, in response to a recent request to use Catalan from the government of the Balearic Islands, the president of that company wrote an astonishingly abusive, aggressive, ignorant, and offensive article in the in-flight magazine attacking the Catalan language. This has led to a widespread boycott of this airline, which hopefully will continue for some time.
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