Remembering Tony Benn

Remembering the one and only indomitable Tony Benn who died at the age of 88  ten  years  ago on Friday 14 March 2014.  which  incidentally  was  the  same  day  that Karl  Marx  died  in 1883. A constant thorn in the establishment’s side, Tony Benn was an inspiration to me and to all who struggle for peace and justice worldwide. 

Anthony Neil Wedgwood Benn was born  into an affluent political family on the  3rd of  April 1927, and was influenced heavily by his mother, a feminist and prominent member of the reformist Congregationalist Church, as well as his father, a Liberal MP who advised him aged eight to “never wrestle with a chimney sweep”. Taking this advice on board, Benn strived to keep personal abuse out of politics for the entirety of his career. He became famous for his exemplary parliamentary manners, often taking even the harshest of media attacks with a smile.

Coming to power in the Wilson government in 1950, he became the Labour Member of Parliament for Bristol South East. Benn became a household name with his ultimately successful three-year court battle to be rid of a hereditary peerage following the death of his father, setting an important precedent. His efforts to secure re-entry to the lower house rendered him a class traitor to many on the right. In his view, little good came from ennoblement; he would later lament how the establishment uses the Upper House as a tool to decapitate radical movements. Tantamount to political castration, ennoblement would often turn the most hard line of communist trade unionists in to purring kittens overnight.

Tony Benn  would  be one of Labour’s longest-serving MPs, whose radical vision of a better, fairer society continues to inspire today. His contributions were always fearless, optimistic, full of humour and were always placed in the context of the historical struggles to demonstrate that through organisation and dedication anything was possible.

There  was hardly ever been an important working class gathering that did not  have  Benn as a speaker. And whenever possible he would speak. With his articulated voice Tony Benn delivered a vision of the possible, a tireless fighter for peace, justice and equality who for decades was the most independent-minded, powerful and passionate voice at Westminster, and the man whose crusading zeal led to the new law which allowed him to renounce his own peerage and return to the House of Commons in 1963. He represented Bristol South East until 1983, when the constituency was abolished.  

From 1964 to 1966, Benn served in Harold Wilson’s Cabinet as Postmaster General. He was then appointed Minister of Technology, in which office he oversaw the development of Concorde. The 1970 election was won by the Tories, but Benn returned to government on Labour’s victory four years later, first as Secretary of State for Industry and later as Energy Secretary. 

In 1979, Thatcher came to power, and Labour were to remain in opposition for the next eighteen years. Benn was at the heart of the internal discord that convulsed his party in the early 1980s: he infamously stood for the deputy leadership in 1981, but was very narrowly defeated by Denis Healey. Seven years later, he challenged Neil Kinnock for the leadership, but was soundly beaten. In between, Benn had become the MP for Chesterfield.  He retained his seat at the next three general elections, and watched from the backbenches as neo-Thatcherites Blair and Brown ascended to government. 

Benn was widely seen as a key proponent of democratic socialism and Christian socialism, though in regards to the latter he supported the United Kingdom becoming a secular state and ending the Church of England's status as an official church of the United Kingdom.

Originally considered a moderate within the party, Benn moved left,  after leaving ministerial office seeing himself more and more as the modern embodiment of the old radicalism. He took to making frequent historical references in his speeches, and commemorated calendar-occasions - the Levellers of the 1640s, the Peasants' Revolt of 1381, the suffragettes, the Chartists. 

The terms Bennism and Bennite came into usage to describe the left-wing politics he espoused from the late 1970s and its adherents. He was an influence on the political views of Jeremy Corbyn, who was elected Leader of the Labour Party a year after Benn's death, and John McDonnell, who served as Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer under Corbyn.

A great campaigner  who  used  his voice  to  speak  about the greedy among us, the multinationals,  consistently in  opposition  to wars  from the  Falklands to Afghanistan and Iraq. A tireless supporter of  the  anti austerity  movement and for Palestine. He denounced the British government’s role over the years as “less than honest” in its supplying of arms to Israel and all too often joining the US in giving them the support they demanded. He insisted that a British Government should act firmly and independently, and not supporting Israeli troops who he described as “An occupying army in a neighbouring state which they have attacked in acts of aggression against international law.”  Tony Benn was also in favour of a boycott of Israeli goods. 

A champion of so many  progressive  causes. he proposed the Commonwealth of Britain Bill — which aimed to transform our democracy by devolving power, guaranteeing social rights and abolishing the monarchy. Benn supported any strike that was going. standing shoulder to shoulder with us all. with his  strong voice clearly saying that the powerful should always be held to account. Benn also had a strong connection with Wales throughout his parliamentary career and campaigning work. He openly supported Welsh miners during the 1984 strike. He also received an honorary doctorate from the University of Glamorgan in June 2011 for his work as an author and politician.

He was a rare breed indeed, who offered genuine ideas, based on unwavering principles and convictions. A man of great honesty and integrity. famed for  his  belief  in socialism and for being  a  political  radical. who believed not only in parliamentary activity but also in extra-parliamentary activity. Frustrated at politicians’ inability to get involved with grassroots projects, he retired from parliament in 2001after 51 years in parliament.  – famously “in order to spend more time on politics”.  After leaving Parliament, Benn was President of the Stop the War Coalition until his death. He became the elder statesman of the left, a familiar face at demonstrations, puffing away on his pipe, or taking a brief rest from the marching to chat with anyone and everyone who wanted to speak with him. He addressed protests and television audiences with as much fervour as activists a quarter of his age. Crowds rallied in their thousands to hear him speak at the 2002 Glastonbury festival  and he went on to address each Glastonbury festival there, 

 One of the greatest politicians in the history of this country, he was well loved and respected. even following his retirement  in 2001.In 2006 the left wing icon topped a poll conducted by BBC Daily Politics that asked people to pick a political hero, pushing Margaret Thatcher in to second place. Tony Benn was a beacon of integrity in a forest of deception and expedience. The world remains poorer without his warm spirit. Two  of  my  favourite  possessions are  signed copies of  his  1984 book Writings on the Wall: a Radical and Socialist Anthology 1215-1984 and his 1979  book Arguments  for  Socialism.

I will never forget the moment when this wonderful man walked into the studio unannounced and demonstrated principles and courage missing from most MPs today by challenging the refusal by the BBC to simply air a humanitarian appeal for Palestinians following Israeli bombing. and shone a light on the shameful BBC bias. His words  have  never been more  relevant. Where have Politicians like this gone?

We must continue his deeds, set about building a genuine alternative to capitalism. On the torch of his unfaltering belief  in a better world , there lies a world where politics is not the language of brute force but an articulated vision of the possible - of justice, progress and peace and equality.

"There is in every human heart from the beginning of time there have been two flames burning, the flame of anger against injustice and the flame of hope that you can build a better world. And those two flames are burning in our hearts today, in the hearts and minds of millions of people. " - Tony  Benn

‘In politics there are weathercocks and signposts. Weathercocks spin in whatever direction the wind of public opinion may blow them. Signposts stand true, and tall, and principled. Signposts are the only people worth remembering in politics’ -Tony Benn

Dare to be a Daniel, was the title chosen by Tony Benn for his early memoir, the first lines of the following poem are from an old salvation Army hymn that had been sung to him by his parents. I try to keep faith, dare to be different.  

Dare to be a Daniel

Dare to be a Daniel, 

Dare to stand alone, 

Dare to have a purpose firm, 

And dare to let it know.

Dare to stand with the voiceless, 

|the occupied daily denied, 

stand shoulder to shoulder, 

with  devoted  words of meaning, 

committed breaths carrying no fear.  

Seed the earth with love, 

persistent grains of freedoms cry, 

move forward with language of hope,

in blazing movements of united flow.  

Seek out the hallmarks of truth and justice,

drink from the vessels of life, 

keep faith as our changeless songs hum out, 

In fearless cry, together we right their wrongs.  

On the breeze, our voices lift, 

for tomorrows bright sun to shine again,

leave footprints by rivers' wave of friendliness,

in flows of solidarity and stealth.

Happy Ramadan/Ramadan Mubarak

Yesterday marked the start of the month of Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic calendar.⁠ ⁠For Muslims worldwide, the month of Ramadan is precious. It is one of the most important dates on the Islamic calendar observed by around 1.8 billion Muslims across  the  world. The festival begins with the sighting of the crescent moon, which usually appears one night after a new moon. 

One of the five pillars of Islam - along with faith, prayer, charity, and the pilgrimage - Ramadan commemorates the Quran first being revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, A sacred moment which is honoured by Muslims  who  observe a month of fasting (known as sawm), a time of year when spiritual, family and community connections are prioritised, and when the practice of taking care of others and working for the collective good, is more vital and more urgent than ever. 

Whilst Ramadan is a deeply significant time for Muslims worldwide, it marks an opportunity for people of all backgrounds to come together and make a positive impact. The values of empathy, generosity and compassion resonate all  over  the  globe. 

Ramadan is  also  a  time  of  peace . which is needed now  more  than  ever. May this month bring about lasting peace to all in Gaza and other war ravaged regions of the world. 

To  all my Muslim brothers and sisters Ramadan Mubarak at this special time of year. I'd also like to reiterate my own steadfast solidarity with the Muslim community, who continue to be dismissed, denigrated and dehumanised. I stand with you, always.

To all the  politicians such as Keir Starmer who have  enabled and justified Israel’s genocide in Gaza, blocked calls for a ceasefire, I  will never  forget your  empty Ramadan Mubarak messages  and total  hypocrisy.  

To wish someone a Happy Ramadan, the greeting most commonly used is ‘Ramadan Mubarak’. This translates to ‘Blessed Ramadan’. Another commonly used greeting is ‘Ramadan Kareem’, which translates to ‘Generous Ramadan’.

To everyone  who’s marking Ramadan I hope this month inspires us to spread peace, love, kindness and unity across the world. May this holy month fill your lives with blessings as full as the stars in the sky and  the lessons of solidarity, compassion and mercy be an inspiration to all of  us. 

In Praise of St David's Day/ Dydd Gŵyl Dewi

 

It's become a bit of a tradition to mark the very special occasion of St David's Day/ Dydd Gŵyl Dewi, which celebrates my nations patron saint.Today we, as a country. come together to celebrate our culture. history and everything that makes us proud to be Welsh.

As with St. Patrick’s Day, the Welsh have parades in their major cities, where you’ll see the traditional dress and the red dragon proudly on display on the Welsh flag, or the flag of St. David himself, a yellow cross on a black background,alongside the wearing of one or both of Wales’s national emblems, the daffodil and leek.

This is because the daffodil begins to bloom early in the year around this time, and the ancient tradition of eating and wearing leeks on St David’s Day supposedly goes back to the 6th century. It is said that St David told Welsh warriors to wear leeks in their helmets in battle against the despised Saxons to differentiate themselves from their enemies,  and that the leeks won them victory. This is pure legend of course, but soon the association between leeks and war was firmly cemented in the Welsh mind. In the 14th century Welsh archers adopted green and white for their uniform in honour of the leek. And to this day the Royal Welch Fusiliers uphold the tradition of eating raw leeks on 1 March.

Welsh women will often dress in their national finery. The Welsh dress was a traditional farming dress with an apron topped with a distinctive tall Welsh hat. It was worn on special occasions such as going to church, and today it is kept for celebrations such as St. David’s Day parades.

Schools across Wales hold celebrations, with a number of children dressing in traditional costume – a black hat with white trim; long skirts and shawls. Many boys, meanwhile, will wear a Welsh rugby or football shirt. Schools across the country will also hold an Eisteddfod (a traditional festival of Welsh poetry and music) on this day.

St David’s status as a modern national icon is a good example of how easily myth can trump historical evidence (or rather the lack of it). He lived and died fifteen hundred years ago, during a period of Welsh history often referred to as ‘the Age of the Saints’. The fifth and sixth centuries saw an intense bout of religious activity in Wales as holy men like David preached the word of God, founded churches and, if the monkish historians of the Middle Ages are to be believed, performed all manner of miracles.

Yet we have very little reliable information about who St David was, what he did, or even when exactly he lived. It seems likely that his fame stemmed from the establishment of a monastery in modern-day Pembrokeshire in the late sixth century – a settlement which we know today as the cathedral-city of St Davids. However the earliest direct references to him are found in manuscripts dating from the eighth century, almost 200 years after his death, so it is difficult to be sure about much else.

Luckily the Welsh have never been inclined to let a lack of evidence get in the way of a good story. While little is known  about his life, much of the traditional tales about St David are based on Buchedd Dewi (Life of David), which was written by the scholar Rhigyfarch at the end of the 11th Century.

Rhygyfarch's life of St David is regarded by many scholars as suspect because it contains many implausible events and because he had a stake in enhancing St David's history so as to support the prestige of the Welsh church and its independence from Canterbury, the center of the English church (still Catholic at the time). According to David Hugh Farmer in The Oxford Dictionary of Saints, Rhygyfarch's history of St David "should be treated as propaganda, which may, however, contain some elements of true tradition." So most of what we know about Saint David is really legend; and none the less inspiring for it.

St David's existence at least does not seem to be in doubt; it is attested to in written records from earlier dates. He was born in the 6th century in or around South Cardigan and North Pembrokeshire in what is now southwest Wales, the exact year of his birth is unknown, with estimates ranging from 462 to 515 AD.  Born into local royalty, his mother was Saint Non, daughter of a Celtic chieftain, a  woman of great beauty and virtue.St David's father was a prince called Sant, son of the King of Cardigan But David wasn't the child of a love-filled marriage. He was concieved after his father either seduced or raped Non, who went on to become a nun.

St David's greatness was prophesied, both in the Christian and pagan worlds. Merlin, the great mage at the court of King Arthur, foretold his coming. St Patrick, patron saint of Ireland, who at that time lived near St Davids, or Mynyw as it was then known, is said to have wanted to found a monastery nearby, but was told by an angel that the place was reserved for another who would appear in due course. St Patrick’s disappointment was soothed by a vision which showed him that his true vocation lay in Ireland. St Davids father, was also warned by an angel that he would find three treasures by the River Teifi in Cardiganshire, which should be set aside for his son; a stag, a salmon and a swarm of bees. These seemingly strange gifts each had a great significance. The stag, said to eat snakes, represents Christianity's conquering Satan (the serpent); the fish represents Saint David's abstinence from liquor; and the bees represent his wisdom and spirituality.

Even from his birth strange things have been said about St David. It is said he was born in a wild thunderstorm, the birthing process was said to have been so intense and fraught that his mothers fingers left marks as she grasped a rock. As St David was born a bolt of lightning from heaven is said to have struck the rock, splitting it in two and at the moment of birth a spring of pure water gushed out of the ground. A blind old man who held St David at the baptism had his sight restored by applying this remarkable water to his eyes. This is one of the colourful stories about the childhood of Dewi Sant.

Non named her son Dewidd, though local Dyfed pronunciation meant he was commonly called Dewi. David is an Anglicised variation of the name derived from the Latin Davidus.

Brought up by his mother in Henfeynyw near Aberaeron, David is said to have been baptised at nearby Porthclais by St Elvis of Munster. It is said that a blind monk, Movi, was cured after drops of water splashed into his eyes as he held David.

St David was educated at a monastery, usually taken to be Whitland in Carmarthenshire, under St Paulinus of Wales. He is said to have cured his tutor of blindness by making the sign of the cross. Seeing him as blessed, Paulinus sent him off as a missionary to convert the pagan people of Britain. Having chosen life as a missionary monk,he travelled to France, Ireland, and the Middle East to learn and to proselytize and went from place to place helping the poor, and teaching men to live as he did and is known for converting his countrymen to Christianity.

It is said  that once when St David  was preaching at a large outdoor gathering, in Llanddewi Brefi people complained they couldn’t hear or see him  until a white dove landed on St David’s shoulder, and as it did, the ground on which he stood rose up to form a hill, making it possible for everyone to see and hear him , both near and far off, where a church now stands. The dove became his emblem often appearing in his portraits and on stained-glass windows depicting him. Doves are considered pure due to their typical role as a messenger or a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

There are many other stories about the man, no one can actually tell if any of them are actually true or not but create a nice tale to tell nevertheless. It is also said that he once rose a youth from death, and milestones during his life were marked by the appearance of springs of water.

In 550 AD, St David was named the Archbishop of Wales at the Synod of Brefi church council and stayed in the settlement of Mynyw and set up a large monastery. David was a bit of a disciplinarian and hard task masker, but the monks in this monastery  obeyed him and lived a simple life, drinking water and eating only herbs and bread. He became known as Dewi Dyrfwr (David the water drinker) as meat and beer were forbidden. Although the monks farmed the surrounding land, St David insisted that they did not use animals to carry their tools,and they were to carry them. Also none of the monks were allowed any personal possessions and they spent evenings praying, reading and writing.

Eventually became so unpopular with his monks for the life of austerity he made them live, that they tried to poison him. St David was informed about this by St Scuthyn, who as legend says, presumably in the absence of a ferry or a Ryanair flight, travelled from Ireland on the back of a sea-monster for the purpose.

He frequently visited other places in South Wales, and churches were afterwards built in  many of these villages in memory of him.  A legend says that he once went to Jerusalem with two companions, St Teilo https://teifidancer-teifidancer.blogspot.com/2016/02/st-teilos-day-dydd-sadwrn-teilo.html?m=1 and St Padarn. The three left Wales together "with one mind, one joy, and one sorrow." When after a hard journey they arrived at Jerusalem they were received with joy and hospitality, and the Patriarch of Jerusalem gave St David, before he returned to Wakes, a remarkable bell which " shone with miracles," a staff, and a coat woven with gold. 

His last words to his followers before his death are thought to have been: "Be joyful, keep the faith and do the little things that you have heard and seen me do." The phrase gwenwch y pethau bychain mewn bywyd - 'Do the little things in life' - is still a well-known phrase in Wales.

Here I offer you this beautiful song from Bob Delyn a'r Ebillion called Pethau Bychain Dewi Sant ( St David's Little Things) from the album Dore.

 

Geriau/ Words

Pethau bychain Dewi Sant
nid swn tan ond swn tant.
Nid derw mawr ond adar mân,
nid haul a lleuad ond gwreichion tân.

Ond o, dyna chi strach, trio cael hyd i sach
 i gadw'r holl bethau bach.

 Pethau bychain Dewi Sant,
 y ll'godan ond nid yr eliffant.
 A darnau'r gwlith nid dwr y moroedd,
 ond yn y briga', stwr y mae.

 Ond o, dyna chi strach, trio cael hyd i sach
 i gadw'r holl bethau bach.

 Pethau bychain Dewi Sant,
swn 'yn traed ni yn y nant.
Yr hada' yn disgyn yma a thraw,
a'r tamad, y tamad ola' o wenith yn dy law.

Ond o, dyna chi strach,
trio cael hyd i sach i gadw'r holl bethau bach.

Map y byd yn llyfr y plant,
pethau bychain Dewi Sant.

Y pellter sydd rhwng dant a dant ar ol nawdeg naw a chant
 pethau bychain Dewi Sant.

Ond o, dyna chi strach,
 trio cael hyd i sach i gadw'r holl bethau bach.

English Translation Lyrics:

St David's little things,
not the sound of fire
but the sound of chords.
Not a large oak but small birds,
not the sun and moon but the sparks of fire.

But oh, what a hassle it is to try and find a sack
to keep all of the little things.

St David's little things,

the mouse but not the eliphant.

And the dew drops, not the water of the seas,
but in the branches, uproar is found

But oh, what a hassle it is to try and find
a sack to keep all of the little things.

St David's little things,
the sound of our footsteps in the stream.
The seeds fall here and there,
and the scrap, the last scrap of wheat in your palm.

But oh, what a hassle it is to try and find a sack
to keep all of the little things.

The world's atlas in a children's book,
St David's little things.

The distance between a tooth and a tooth between ninety nine and a hundred - St David's little things. But oh, what a hassle it is to try and find
a sack to keep all of the little things.

 St David is also said to have lived for over 100 years, and some say, hold your breathe, to the age of 142 or 147 (his clean living ways, sure must have helped him) and died on Tuesday 1 March 589, in the week after his final sermon. He was buried in the grounds of his monastery, which was said to have been "filled with angels as Christ received his soul". 

 Mynyw is now known as St David’s, the UK’s smallest city (,near the southwestern tip of Pembrokeshire.) in his honour. The monastery has since become the magnificent St David’s Cathedral and was a prestigious site of pilgrimage in the middle ages and is still a site of immense interest to this day. It is said by some that two pilgrimages to St Davids are equal to one pilgrimage to the Vatican in Rome. His shrine  became so famous that three English monarchs - William 1, Henry 11 and Edward 1 are said to have made pilgramages to it.  

 

 

St David’s Day has been celebrated in Wales on 1st March since the 12th Century when David was made a saint by Pope Callixtus II, at the height of the Welsh resistance to the Normans. You will find churches and chapels dedicated to him in south-west England and Brittany, as well as Wales. His influence also reached Ireland, where the Irish embrace his beliefs about caring for the natural world.

The nickname ‘Taffy’ for a Welshman links back to St David as the original and ultimate Welshman – the term dates to the 17th century and derives from ‘Dafydd’, the Welsh for David.

William Shakespeare name-dropped St David in Henry V. When Fluellen’s English colleague, Pistol, insults the humble leek on St David’s Day, Fluellen insists he eat the national emblem as punishment: “If you can mock a leek, you can eat a leek” (Act V, Scene I).

Although now replaced by the daffodil, the leek was originally the symbol of St David’s day. There are differing stories about how the leek came to take its place in Welsh history. 

 One account tells the story of the ancient British king, Cadwaladyr whose soldiers were about to fight the Saxons. The story goes that St David advised the Welsh to wear a leek on their clothes so they could recognise each other in battle. Another legend is set in 1346, when the Prince of Wales (Edward the Black Prince), defeated the French at the Battle of Crécy. The story tells us that the Welsh archers fought heroically in a field of leeks, and as a reminder of their bravery, the Welsh began to wear leeks in their caps every St David's Day. 

However, it seems that the daffodil supplanted the leek in the 20th century after the Welsh politician David Lloyd George (later to become prime minister) allegedly insisted that daffodils be used during the 1911 investiture of the Prince of Wales. Today, although the leek remains associated with Wales, the daffodil is undoubtedly a more attractive and fragrant alternative. And of course, daffodils are usually plentiful and in full bloom by 1st March.

Whatever the true story of Dewi Sant is , there is no doubt that he was indeed a figure of much historical and spiritual significance that still carries with him much importance to the people of Wales today,  a cheerful and celebratory day as my country comes together in honour of their patron saint to celebrate Welsh history, culture, and identity with pride.

Out of all the saints in the UK, David is the only one to have been born in the country where he is a saint. Scotland’s St Andrew was Palestinian, Ireland’s St Patrick was Romano-British and England’s St George was a Roman soldier who was actually born in Cappadocia, Turkey, around 270AD.with Greek family ties.

In 2000 the National Assembly for Wales voted unanimously to make St David’s Day on the 1st March a bank holiday.to celebrate out patron saint just like they do in the Republic of Ireland and Scotland, but sadly the idea was rejected by Westminster, surprise, surprisea, because  of  the  cost  to  the economy although a one off bank holiday for the s Diamond Jubilee in 2012 cost £1.2 billion  .It's that time of year again when we must ask the same question. St Andrew's/St Patrick's Day are public holidays, why not so in Wales. Dydd Gŵyl Dewi St David's Day Bank Holiday has overwhelming public support in Wales and the support of all Senedd political parties. Why do we allow a foreign country to forbid us to celebrate our national identity on St. David's Day with a bank holiday?  Does Germany overrule French Bank Holidays?

Nevertheless, St David’s position as the patron saint of Wales has only grown stronger since then, with parades and concerts now a staple part of the festivities each year.

Every year in Cardiff there is a National St David’s Day parade. Performers range from local school children, who usually wear traditional Welsh clothing, to theatre groups and dragons. Daffodils and leeks are pinned to clothes. Flags and banners are waved during the parades, including the Welsh flag and the flag of St David.

The parade typically ends at the Hayes in the town centre, where crowds will gather to proudly sing the national anthem, “Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau”. 

Other villages and towns in Wales may also hold their own parades, and lots of Welsh heritage sites allow free admission for the day. People also attend church services and choir recitals by professional choir groups or school children. 

There’s also a concert held in St David’s Hall in Cardiff, where the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales perform traditional Welsh songs.  In Swansea, there’s the Croeso (meaning “welcome” in Welsh) festival, which is a two-day event that  celebrates  Welsh  culture. With music, food stalls, cookery demonstrations, and an event called the daffodil dash. See  the  full  line  up here. https://www.visitswanseabay.com/events/croeso/

Some visit St David’s in Pembrokeshire, known as the religious centre of Wales. The purple-stoned cathedral is found in the UK’s official smallest city (roughly 1,600 people), where two trips to it are equal to one pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Wow!  The residents like to decorate the city with bunting and have a weekend of events in the cathedral and around the town. Events include their very own St David’s Day parade: the Dragon Parade and the Ras Dewi Sant marathon, said to be one of the toughest and prettiest races in the world, with the route going through the changing Pembrokeshire Coast Path.  The annual Dragon Parade journeys from Oriel y Parc across the city to Cross Square. The parade is so popular, the road is closed for the duration of the parade so that everyone can join in safely. Typical visitors include families, schools and children dressed in traditional Welsh costume.  Those part of the parade will pridefully hold their handmade dragons high so that they can be seen from all around. The theme of the St David’s Day parade changes slightly each year to celebrate a different aspect of the event. For example, in 2020, the theme celebrated the colours of Saint David’s famous black and yellow flag.

To conclude this post  I share the following moving poem Rhyfel (War) in both English and Welsh by the Welsh language poet/ pacifist Ellis Humphrey Evans, better known by his bardic pen name Hedd Wyn. (Blessed Peace).https://teifidancer-teifidancer.blogspot.com/2017/07/remembering-pacifist-poet-hedd-wynn_42.html It is one of his best known and most frequently quoted works in which he interweaves ideas about faith, music, class and conflict in a lament for the brutality and devastation caused by the First World War which  still  has  much  relevance  in  the  times  we  live.

 War (Rhyfel) by Hedd Wyn

English translation by Gillian Clarke

Bitter to live in times like these.
While God declines beyond the seas;
Instead, man, king or peasantry,
Raises his gross authority.

When he thinks God has gone away
Man takes up his sword to slay
His brother; we can hear death’s roar.
It shadows the hovels of the poor.

Like the old songs they left behind,
We hung our harps in the willows again.
Ballads of boys blow on the wind,
Their blood is mingled with the rain.

Original Welsh poem by Hedd Wyn

Gwae fi fy myw mewn oes mor ddreng,
A Duw ar drai ar orwel pell;
O’i ôl mae dyn, yn deyrn a gwreng,
Yn codi ei awdurdod hell.

Pan deimlodd fyned ymaith Dduw
Cyfododd gledd i ladd ei frawd;
Mae sŵn yr ymladd ar ein clyw,
A’i gysgod ar fythynnod tlawd.

Mae’r hen delynau genid gynt,
Ynghrog ar gangau’r helyg draw,
A gwaedd y bechgyn lond y gwynt,
A’u gwaed yn gymysg efo’r glaw. 

This time of the year also serves to remind me that the miracle of spring is just around the corner. Dydd Gŵyl Dewi hapus i bawb /Happy Saint David’s Day to you all. Heddwch/ Peace.

 Even the smallest of things can cause the biggest of change and help the most people. 'Do the little things', click the link below and then the button to help people in palestine!  I 'wneud y petha bychan', cliciwch y linc isod a wedyn y botwm i helpu pobl yn palestine!https://arab.org/click-to-help/palestine/

Links to a few earlier St David's Day/  Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Posts

Gillian Clarke - Miracle on St David's David's Day 

 https://teifidancer-teifidancer.blogspot.com/2013/03/gillian-clarke-8637-miracle-on-st.html

The Praise of St David's Day Showing the reason why the Welch -men Honour the Leeke on this Day 

https://teifidancer-teifidancer.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-praise-of-st-davids-day-showing.html

Evan James (Ieuan ap Iago) An Ivorite song to be sung to the tune of Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau

https://teifidancer-teifidancer.blogspot.com/2014/03/evan-james-ieuan-ap-iago-1809-2091878.html

Harri Webb -  The Red , White and Green

https://teifidancer-teifidancer.blogspot.com/2017/03/harri-webb-7920-311294-red-white-and.html

The Welsh Language - Alan Llwyd

https://teifidancer-teifidancer.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-welsh-language-alan-llwyd-b1948.html

 

Rest in Peace Aaron Bushnell

 

Yesterday 25 year old Active duty serviceman Aaron Bushnell self immolated outside israeli embassy in Washington in protest at the genocide in Gaza. Aaron Bushnell, recorded a video live on the Amazon-owned Twitch platform, enroute to the embassy gates in which he said he could 

‘no longer be complicit in genocide’. 

Despite the terrible protest he was about to make, he seemed quite calm and composed, saying that what he was about to suffer was nothing compared to the suffering of innocent Palestinians in Gaza:

 I will no longer be complicit in genocide. I’m about to engage in an extreme act of protest. But compared to what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonisers, it’s not extreme at all. This is what our ruling class has decided will be normal.  Aaron Bushnell 

Arriving outside the front gate, Bushnell set down his phone, took eight paces, turned to face the camera, doused himself in an unknown accelerant, donned his service cap, and set himself alight. Security personnel attempted to put out the fire before Bushnell was rushed to hospital with extensive burns, but family members said that he later died of his injuries.

Before the act, which he reportedly live-streamed, Bushnell sent a message to news agencies: 

Today, I am planning to engage in an extreme act of protest against the genocide of the Palestinian people. 

I cried when I saw Aaron Bushnell's final video. Don't look for it. He burns himself to death, shouting his  last words "Free Palestine." He remained standing for an unbelievable amount of time while he was burning. I don’t know where he got the strength to do it. He remained standing long after he’d stopped vocalizing. Such a brave young man.

As an emergency crew rushed to try and save Aaron Bushnell’s life an Israeli Embassy Agent held a gun fixed on him as he was dying from his self-immolation. That’s all they know how to do. One of the officers at  the scene said we need fire extinguishers not guns, those few words mean so much in so many different ways and can be used as such a big metaphor

Bushnell is said to have worked in IT for the US air force. Whether that led him to seeing things that his conscience couldn’t bear is not known. They'll smear Aaron Bushnell as mentally ill, but  his resume speaks for the shit he had access to. An active duty devops engineer, he really meant it when he said he will no longer be complicit in the genocide. 

The protest was reminiscent of Thich Quang Duc, Vietnamese Buddhist monk and the first of several to do so, who set himself on fire in protest against the persecution of Buddhists by the US-friendly South Vietnamese government in the 1960s. Duc’s sacrifice galvanised public opinion around the world and focused international attention on Vietnam.  Another victim of Israel’s genocide and war crimes, Bushnell clearly hoped that his protest would do the same and shock a complacent US government and (in part) public into action against the apartheid occupation regime and its war crimes.  

There were two aspects to his protest. One was against the subjugation, colonisation and genocide of Palestinians, the other was against its normalisation. 

Shame on all those media outlets who have ignored Aaron Bushnell’s protest or have left out what he said was the purpose of his action

 “Many of us like to ask ourselves, ‘What would I do if I was alive during slavery? Or the Jim Crow South? Or apartheid? What would I do if my country was committing genocide?’ The answer is, you’re doing it. Right now.”  Aaron Bushnell’s last Facebook post,

What a tragedy when brave young men, with high moral standards and acute sense of justice set themselves on fire while the world is thriving with genocidal psychopaths. This American soldier is a martyr of humanity and we shouldn't let his name be forgotten.

Aaron’s decision to take such extreme action underscores the depth of his commitment to raising awareness about the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza. His selfless act serves as a poignant reminder of the immense suffering endured by innocent civilians caught in the crossfire of conflict and violence. While the circumstances surrounding Aaron’s passing are undoubtedly tragic, his courageous protest has sparked important conversations about the urgent need for peace and justice in the region. 

The incident happened as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking cabinet approval for a military operation in the southern Gazan city of Rafah while a temporary cease-fire deal is being negotiated. Israel ’s military offensive in Gaza, however, has drawn criticisms, including genocide claims against the Palestinians.

Aaron Bushnell's unwavering dedication  advocating for the rights of the oppressed will not be forgotten, and his sacrifice will serve as a catalyst for change. As we mourn the loss of Aaron Bushnell, let us also reflect on the issues he sought to address through his activism. The plight of the Palestinian people demands our attention and action, and Aaron’s sacrifice reminds us of the urgent need to work towards a peaceful resolution to the conflict. In the wake of this heartbreaking loss, my thoughts and prayers are with Aaron’s loved ones, friends, and fellow activists.

The flames that consumed Aaron Bushnell today were more than a physical manifestation of anguish; they symbolized the depth of his despair and the urgency of his message. In a world marred by conflict and indifference, Aaron sought to ignite the collective conscience, sacrificing himself in a final act of defiance against the silence surrounding the suffering in Gaza.

Rest in Peace Aaron Bushnell your bravery will  not  go in  vain, your selflessness is a real lesson of courage for us, may your memory be blessed. You refused to be an accomplice to genocide. Standing up for what you believe in, and sacrificing your life to do it (in this case alone) takes more than what most of us have. May we all have the courage and bravery you showed us. There is only so much evil in the World people are prepared to stomach. 

Let us turn our sorrow into anger, and our anger into action. Honour Aaron Bushnell.  Don’t stop talking about Rachel Corrie. Don’t stop talking about Shireen Abu Akleh. Don’t stop talking about Refaat Alareer. Don’t stop talking about Palestine. May Aaron Bushnell's resounding last words become a reality in our day. We cannot allow his tragic death to be in vain and must continue calling out the evil atrocities perpetrated daily against Palestinians. We must all say "I will not be complicit" and  "Free Palestine."

Boycott Israeli dates - a 5 step guide

Palestinians call on us to boycott Israeli products to pressure Israel to end its apartheid and genocide against Palestinians..In 2005, Palestinian civil society called for Boycott Divestment and Sanctions to assist Palestinian people to also achieve freedom and justice, founded  in the same year BDS thttps://bdsmovement.net/, is a global movement which takes inspiration from the campaign that targeted South Africa’s apartheid regime, focusing on non-violent methods to accomplish its goals. Its basic principle is that Palestinians are entitled to the same rights as the rest of humanity, and it seeks to mount international political and economic pressure on Israel in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

The worldwide consumer, cultural, sporting and economic boycott, divestment and sanctions of South Africa contributed to the end of that apartheid state. 

Israel is a major producer and exporter of dates to the European market!  They are grown in the Jordan Valley, West Bank, and are the most profitable crop of the illegal Israeli settlers, who exploit the desperate poverty of their Palestinian workers – including children – with appalling working conditions.

Many dates sold in UK supermarkets and grocery stores are grown in Israeli settlements which are illegal according to international law as they are located on Israeli Occupied Palestinian land.

Dates are an important part of Israel’s economy, producing over half of the world’s leading varietal the Medjool date. Medjoul dates are grown in the Jordan Valley within illegal Israeli settlements. They form a large part of the agricultural produce from these settlements which are then exported all over the world.Buying these dates means that you are actually helping Israeli settlers steal Palestinian land.  Israelis claim Palestinians are given jobs working on the land of these settlers and a boycott will harm them. In actual fact, these Palestinians are employed for paltry wages, to do the back-breaking work that the Israeli settlers will not do themselves. 

Settlers exploit Palestinian children, who are forced to miss out on their education and work long hours under the hot baking sun for small sums of money.The price of settlement produced dates are cheaper compared to those produced by Palestinian farmers as a result.Israeli exporters are using their profits to support these illegal settlements that help entrench the brutal, military occupation and colonisation of Palestine. 

Additionally, Israel has maintained control of Palestine’s water resources since 1948, leaving Palestinians with insufficient water for their individual needs or to produce food for their own economy.

As Ramadan approaches, make sure you stand with Palestinians by boycotting dates from Israel. Say no to the dates of oppression, occupation and apartheid! Free Palestine.

Boycott Israeli dates - a 5 step guide 

Step 1: When you’re buying dates, always check the label. Don't buy dates that are produced or packaged in Israel or its illegal settlements. Keep Israeli goods off the table.

Unfortunately checking the label doesn't always help as Israel has been caught falsely labelling settlement in  order to evade boycotts, they are often disguised using labels such as: Jordan Valley, West Bank (settlements), or ‘produce of more than one country,

So  please be mindful of such devious marketing ploys and mechanisms

Step 2: Check the retailer’s website. If you can't find a country of origin on the box this information is often online.

Step 3: Don’t buy dates from Hadiklaim  This is one of Israel's largest exporters. It sells dates under the names: King Solomon, Jordan River and Jordan River Bio-Top, and under supermarket brand labels  Check the box, if the dates were “exported by Hadiklaim" don’t buy them 

Step 4: Avoid these companies: Mehadrin, MTex, Edom, Carmel Agrexco, and Arava. They are major exporters of Israeli agricultural goods.

Step 5: Support the Palestinian economy by buying Palestinian Palestinian dates  Buy Palestinian dates with  @Zaytoun_CIC  These are social enterprises supporting Palestinian farmers, that imports Palestinian dates to the UK. Support Palestinian farmers defending their land against Israeli colonialism.https://zaytoun.uk/

The boycott of Israeli dates is already working and is sending a strong message to Israel’s government that its conduct will result in economic losses..Spread the word by downloading updated boycott Israeli dates postcard: 

https://palestinecampaign.org/resources/leaflets/

Saunders Lewis : ‘Tynged yr Iaith’ (‘The Fate of the Language’)

 

Welsh poet, dramatist, historian, dramatist literary critic, and political activist.Saunders Lewis is considered one of Wales' leading literary and political icons, and is considered by some a nationalist hero.was born John Saunders Lewis, into a Welsh-speaking family in Wallasey, Cheshire on the 15th October 1893, and grew up among the Welsh community in Merseyside. 

He was a prominent Welsh nationalist and a founder of the Welsh National Party (later known as Plaid Cymru). Lewis is usually acknowledged to have been among the most prominent figures of twentieth-century Welsh-language literature. Lewis was a 1970 Nobel nominee for literature, and in 2005 was voted 10th as Wales' 'greatest-ever person' in a BBC Wales poll.. 

Lewis studied English and French at Liverpool University until the breakout of World War One, after which he served in the South Wales Borderers. After the end of the war Lewis returned to university and graduated in English.In 1922 Lewis joined the University of Wales, Swansea as a lecturer in Welsh. Lewis' nationalism was heightened by his wartime experiences, and fighting with Irish soldiers in particular seemed to shape his ideas on the importance of Welsh identity.In 1925 he joined other nationalists at a 1925 National Eisteddfod meeting with an aim to establishing a national party for Wales. Plaid [Genedlaethol] Cymru was established, of which Lewis was President from 1926 to 1939.
In 1936 in protest to a bombing school being established at Penyberth on the Llŷn Peninsula, Lewis along with along with Rev. Lewis Edward Valentine, pastor of the Llandudno Welsh Baptist Church and David John Williams, senior schoolmaster at Fishguard County School had in protest set fire to a structure on a RAF base at Pwllheli, Caernarfonshire, Wales. They felt the recently built RAF base "was an immoral violation of the sure and natural rights of the Welsh people", Lewis saying that “the UK government was intent upon turning one of the ‘essential homes of Welsh culture, idiom, and literature’ into a place for promoting a barbaric method of warfare”. After setting the blaze, the trio informed the police what they had done and turned themselves in and claimed responsibility for the act of arson.Lewis was dismissed from his post at Swansea University following the crime.

Following the arrests of D.J Williams, Saunders Lewis and Lewis Valantine for the "tân yn llŷn" in 1936 all three were tried on charges of arson  in Caernarfon crown court where their pleads were deemed invalid as they all pleaded in Welsh.

Following the jury's indecision on the matter it was decided that the case should be moved to the Old Bailey causing outrage though Wales which along with the lack of status for the Welsh language in the legal system. 

The Penyberth Three were jailed for nine months at Wormwood Scrubs for the act, an event which had major repercussions in the run-up to the Second World War and provoked a backlash against Wales and the Welsh in England. However after being released from prison the men were given a hero's welcome by 15,000 people in Caernarfon.They had won the hearts of the Welsh people when they opposed the building of a bombing school in Wales .Sympathy for this case will depend upon feelings for the nationalist cause. However, what is striking is that the government’s lack of willingness to engage and compromise with the protestors led to a few people taking an extreme form of action. It may not have worked as far as the Llyn Peninsula was concerned but it probably helped galvanise nationalist feeling in Wales for many years to come.
After being released from prison in autumn 1937, Lewis moved to Llanfarian on the outskirts of Aberystwyth, and spent the following fifteen years earning an uncertain living between teaching, farming and journalism. 

In 1939 he resigned from the presidency of the National Party. 1941 saw the publication of the slim volume of poetry, Byd a Betws, in which the opening poem, ‘Y Dilyw 1939’ (‘The Deluge 1939’), refers to unemployed miners of the industrial south as ‘y demos dimai’ (‘the halfpenny demos’) and to Wall Street financiers ‘[a]'u ffroenau Hebreig yn ystadegau'r chwarter’ (‘with their Hebrew nostrils in the quarter's statistics’). It was repeatedly quoted from then on by left-wing critics attacking his snobbery and his anti-semitism. His column ‘Cwrs y Byd’ (‘The Course of the World’) in Y Faner was more substantial. Between 1939 and 1951 he contributed more than 560 weekly articles on life in Wales, Europe and the world as it faced the inevitability of war, the conflict itself, and the new world which emerged from the subsequent peace. These columns show Lewis at his best and his worst. Prophesying doom and convinced that no good would come of victory for either side, he said that Wales should remain above the fray. His column was withheld more than once and often cut by the censor's blue pencil.
His  half-halo came to be cancelled out by one diabolical horn. Lewis’s support for the dictatorships inaugurated first by Portugal’s Salazar and then Spain’s Franco became a subject of concern to Plaid members and voters. Possibly influenced by his embrace of Catholicism – in whose pre Vatican 2 reading of the Christ story and certainly influenced by Maurice Barres, the market-leader in what has been called ‘the first wave of French Fascism’ and a high priest of French anti-semitism (of whom Lewis once wrote, acknowledging his debt, that ‘it was through him that I discovered Wales’), Lewis was certainly a political and literary anti-semite.

His position during the Second World War was also controversial as he felt that Wales should take a completely neutral position and supported the campaign for the Welsh to become conscientious objectors. He argued with the left of the Welsh nationalist movement and was seen by some as having an elitist approach. Perhaps his most controversial statement, though, was when he appeared to show admiration for Adolf Hitler – as late as 1936, the year of the arson attack, when he wrote: “At once he fulfilled his promise — a promise which was greatly mocked by the London papers months before that — to completely abolish the financial strength of the Jews in the economic life of Germany.” Though he is considered one of the leading Welsh political figures of the Twentieth Century, Lewis reputation should now be forever held into question like his comtempraries T.S Eliot and Ezra Pound whose work is still marred by the same stain that lingers over Saunder Lewis.It would be a dereliction if I whitewashed this thorny issue from Lewis's story.
Saunders Lewis was a complex, tortured individual, a poet and dramatist, described by  historian Gwyn A Williams as “deeply conservative, a monarchist, a believer in leadership by a responsible elite”. Under him, Plaid called for “a nation of ‘small capitalists’, cooperation, the deindustrialisation of South Wales and the restoration of agriculture as the basic industry”. Lewis also called for the annihilation of English as a national language: “It must be deleted from the land called Wales”. He served as president of Plaid for 13 years and became its public face.
During the Second World War the party moved rightwards, and its toleration of anti-Semitism and refusal to oppose Hitler, Mussolini or Franco alienated many who believed they had joined a liberal, even left wing, nationalist party. By the end of the Second World War Lewis was disillusioned by the ‘communal socialist’ and pacifist tendency of Plaid Cymru (as it was called by then), by its lack of emphasis on the language, and later by what he regarded as the half-hearted stance of its liberal pacifist president, Gwynfor Evans, on plans by Liverpool Corporation to drown the village of Cwm Celyn in order to create the Tryweryn reservoir. https://teifidancer-teifidancer.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/cofiwch-dryweryn-remember-tryweryn.html Over the next 15 years the party moved from being a right wing nationalist movement to being a party in favour of trade unions and social reform. Nationalist sentiment was heightened in the late 1950s and 1960s with the case of the Tryweryn Valley, where, despite nationwide Welsh protests, the village of Capel Celyn was flooded to build a reservoir for Liverpool. Plaid’s share of the vote went up from 0.7 percent in 1951 to 3.1 percent in 1955 and 5.2 percent in 1959.
Lewis will probably be best remembered today for his literary legacy. His first play, "Blodeuwedd" ("The woman of flowers") opened in 1923. His play "Buchedd Garmon" ("The life of Germanus") was broadcast on the BBC in 1937. Later plays like "Siwan" (1956), "Brad" ("Treachery") (1958) and "Esther "(1960) would establish his reputation as a poet and a philosopher. Lewis wrote two novels, "Monica" in 1930 and "Merch Gwern Hywel" ("The daughter of Gwern Hywel") in 1964. These works along with many others garnished him a nomination for the 1970 Nobel Prize for Literature.
He returned to lecturing in 1952 at Cardiff and remained there until his retirement five years later.
On February 13 1962 Lewis gave a  now  famous lecture on BBC radio entitled ‘Tynged yr Iaith’ (‘The Fate of the Language’), Addressing his fellow Welsh-speakers in a mixture of realistic fact-finding and wry humour, he pilloried the ‘English government’s’ deliberate efforts over the previous half-millennium to eradicate the Welsh language, and warned his compatriots that this persistent policy was about to be rewarded by their own failure to resist. “Restoring the Welsh language in Wales is nothing less than a revolution,” he declared “It is only through revolutionary means that we can succeed " predicted the extinction of the Welsh language and declared that the language would die unless revolutionary methods were used to defend it. Tynged yr iaith was a clear defiant rallying cry that  sounded the alarm that, if what Lewis called ‘the present trend’ continued, and warned that Welsh would disappear as a living language by the start of the 21st century.

Welsh developed from older Celtic languages in the 6th century and 90% of the population spoke Welsh as recently as 1850. There were two main reasons for its rapid decline, firstly, the industrial revolution with its mass immigration and secondly, the active and often forcible discouragement of its use.

As far back as Henry VIII's Act of Union in 1536, which fixed English sovereignty over Wales, the use of Welsh for legal, administrative and business purposes was largely prohibited.

In Wales, Welsh school children were punished for speaking their own language in the belief that the English Language would solve all their educational problems. hey tried to kill its language and damned nearly succeeded, because in the nineteenth century their was a superficial belief that English was superior, and that English was the only language which should be used throughout the British Empire.

A report of 1847 which became known as the Treachery of the Blue Books written by English barristers who did not speak any Welsh between them castigated Welsh culture in general, and referred to the Welsh language as a drawback and that the moral condition of Welsh people would only improve with the introduction of English.

The ' Welsh not ' consisted of a small piece of wood or slate inscribed with the letters 'W.N ', which was hung barbarically around the neck of any child caught speaking Welsh. At the end of the day , the child wearing the 'Welsh Not ' would be punished by the schoolteacher with the cane.. It was a form of cultural genocide and it was only at the beginning of the 20th century that this draconian measure and attitude to Welsh slowly began to change.

Yet  at the same time, right  up until the early part of the 20th century, Welsh was actively discouraged in education and government. The population colluded; English was seen as a route to well paid white collar jobs.

Lewis' radio speech was in response to the 1961 census, which showed a decrease in the percentage of Welsh speakers from 36% in 1931 to 26%, of the population of about 2.5 million. In the census the counties of Meirionnydd (Merionethshire), Ynys Môn (Anglesey), Caerfyrddin (Carmarthenshire), and Caernarfon (Caernarvonshire) averaged a 75% proportion of Welsh speakers, with the most significant decreases in the counties of Glamorgan, Flint, and Pembroke.

A result of the lecture led to the foundation of the Welsh Language Society/ Cymdeithas Y Iaith – a protest organisation which subsequently forced the adoption of equal legal validity for the Welsh-language in official communications and road signs –  and forced a Government U-turn leading to the establishment of S4C – the Welsh Fourth Channel and saw a revival in the use of spoken Welsh. Here is a link to full transcript of this historical lecture;-

https://morris.cymru/testun/saunders-lewis-fate-of-the-language.html
It would have an impact, and the language movement went through an important shift, ceasing to be just a conservative concern and beginning to draw in many students and young people. The action focused on campaigning for the use of Welsh in official documents, in the media and on road signs. Many members of Cymdeithas were involved in a high-visibility campaign of direct action in 1969, in which English road signs were vandalised and painted out. This period saw numerous hunger strikes, prison sentences and occupations of TV studios. The campaign against the Investiture of the Prince of Wales at Caernarfon, also in 1969, saw a separate bombing campaign, in which two young men died after bombs went off prematurely.This speech also ironically made the old man into an idol for a new generation bred on the ideals of the civil rights movements in the southern United States and South Africa. The arch-conservative had become a symbol of revolution.

The impact and influence of the speech  contributed to a renewed sense of purpose among those resistant to the language’s increasing marginalisation. Over the subsequent three decades the case for Cymraeg would be campaigned and argued for with an applied fervour.

With concern for the Welsh language mounting in the 1960s, the Welsh Language Act 1967 was passed, giving some legal protection for the use of Welsh in official government business. The Act was based on the Hughes Parry report, published in 1965, which advocated equal validity for Welsh in speech and in written documents, both in the courts and in public administration in Wales. However the Act did not include all the Hughes Parry report's recommendations. Prior to the Act, only the English language could be spoken at government and court proceedings. 

In 1990, Welsh became a compulsory subject for all pupils in state schools in Wales up to the age of 14. Three years later the Westminster government passed a Welsh Language Act, which formally recognised that “in the course of public business and the administration of justice, so far as is reasonably practicable, the Welsh and English languages are to be treated on the basis of equality”.  

Although the Welsh Language Act 1967 had given some rights to use Welsh in court, the Welsh Language Act 1993 was the first to put Welsh on an equal basis with English in public life. 

The Act set up the Welsh Language Board, answerable to the Secretary of State for Wales, with the duty to promote the use of Welsh and to ensure compliance with the other provisions. Additionally, the Act gave Welsh speakers the right to speak Welsh in court proceedings under all circumstances. The previous Act had only given limited protection to the use of Welsh in court proceedings. The Act obliges all organisations in the public sector providing services to the public in Wales to treat Welsh and English on an equal basis; however it does not compel private businesses to provide services in Welsh: that would require a further Language Act. Some of the powers given to the Secretary of State for Wales under this Act were later devolved to the National Assembly for Wales (Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru), but others have been retained by Westminster. 

Today Welsh language comprehensive schools are multiplying. There is a Welsh language TV channel, S4C and a thriving cultural scene, including a vibrant youth culture.Today thankfully the Welsh language remains very much a living language, and is spoken by 20% of the population, concentrated mainly in the west of Wales. The concern for its survival ignites much passion and political activity. Its survival is remarkable, given its culturally powerful neighbour. Despite this dramatic reversal in the language's fortunes, its future remains in the balance and  consequently is still very  much worth fighting for.Siaradwch Cymraeg

Saunders Lewis died on September 1st 1985 at the age of 91.Yes he stood up for the Welsh language but despite efforts to sanitise his story by members of the Welsh establishment, it would be wrong to airbrush the ugly whiff of fascism that stays attached to him today, however by the time of his death  he  remained one of  the most celebrated of Welsh writers.

‘Tynged yr Iaith’ (‘The Fate of the Language’) - Saunders Lewis

All eyes on Rafah! All out for Palestine!

Those who have been silent have been complicit: 12,300 Palestinian children killed by genocidal Israel. When 70% of the dead are Women and Children the ratio in itself shows intentional War Crimes.   

In less than an hour Israel indiscriminately killed 63 Palestinian civilians in Rafah and heavily bombed homes and mosques. 

Rafah is home to 260,000 Palestinians,in addition to more 1.2 million displaced civilians the majority of them children.With no where to run or hide. Deliberately told to go to Rafah as a "safe place". Now being murdered. Whilst the world watches and cannot help, Many have been displaced multiple times, pushed further and further south.They have been living in tents, in relatives’ crowded homes, or informal shelters like cafes. Conditions are already dire, with severe shortages of essential supplies including water and food, and diseases spreading. They barely have any protection from the cold wind or rain.  

Palestinians in Rafah are bracing for a major ground offensive. Israeli state officials have planned the permanent mass ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza to Egypt. We know military officials have discussed it during the current assault.

My  heart is  heavy now  with the unfolding tragedy happening in Rafah right now.where  children, women, and men are being killed. Just as it has happened in all the cities of Gaza over the last four months.

For months, Israel's relentless aggression has systematically herded Palestinians into Rafah, transforming it into the most densely populated area on Earth. With each bombardment, the already dire situation plunges further into the depths of despair.

The recent escalation of violence has exacted a heavy toll on Gaza's people, with over 27,000 lives taken and a staggering 1.9 million displaced, seeking refuge wherever they can find it amidst the rubble of their shattered homes. Half a million individuals teeter on the brink of starvation and disease, their plight exacerbated by the relentless onslaught.

The attack on Rafah  escalated as the Super Bowl kicked off, and began at about the same time the Stop Hate/Antisemitism ad played. This isn’t coincidence. It is planned. They would have known that most eyes in the US  wuld have been  glued to the game and not paying attention.Football and Genocide what a spectacle.

My thoughts are with everyone in Rafah. I have no words for the images I’ve seen, just tears.What kind of sick evil dystopian world do  we live in? F16 aircraft from 30,000 feet dropping US and British supplied bombs, killing starving infants and women.This is insanity.The images out of Rafah are sickening. The most horrible fiction could barely hold a candle to what grown armed adults are doing to defencless people and children corralled for slaughter.

Rafah’s population has increased x5 since the Israeli offensive began in October and now Israeli forces are preparing to launch a ground operation in Rafah. Civilians have nowhere to go to escape the bombardment and are facing the real and imminent risk of genocide.This is the worst war crime in modern history. The "final solution" has started. We are living a live tragedy supported by Europe and US.  

Looking at the unthinkable, unspeakable images of the Israeli state’s depraved genocide of Palestinians in Rafah, and thinking as these  crimes against humanity take place that  something in our moral selves has been altered forever by this moment. I’m ashamed that we haven’t been able to stop this horror and  feeling shame, rage, and grief.

The number of  people killed in Rafah is increasing every hour and who knows how many will be trapped under the rubble? Many children already have grave injuries like amputated arms or legs. Medical supplies are scarce and Israeli bulldozers have flattened most of the hospitals in Gaza. 

Politicians who cry crocodile tears instead of doing all they can to stop the extension of Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza to Rafah deserve all the anger and contempt that is surely coming their way. Labour and the Tories have both refused to oppose genocidal violence, which has now reached the point of carpet bombing over a million of people seeking safety in Rafah. We must not be complicit! Do not vote for them. Do not vote for parties that permit genocide. No ceasefire no vote! 

Israel can only continue its genocidal rampage because of the complicity of governments like the UK, which continues to provide diplomatic and military support for Israel’s assault. The UK continues to license weapons to be supplied for use in Israel’s attacks. We  must demand the government immediately ends all arms trade with Israel. 

In the face of such unyielding suffering, we must not allow ourselves to become desensitized. We must raise our voices in unwavering solidarity with the people of Gaza, demanding accountability from the Israeli government and justice for the victims of this senseless violence.

Mass protests on short notice have  been tajing place across the  UK to call out its complicity in the ongoing genocide, in support of Palestinians in Rafah All eyes on Rafah! All out for Palestine! In  our  thousands  and in our  millions, we  are  all Palestinians.Whether an action is small or big we cannot stop fighting the genocidal Iisraeli state. and keep calling  for  the full liberation of Palestine,  from the rivers to the sea!

Lingering Echoes

Memories of stolen dreams, convoluted truths

Nights of deceit and chaotic mayhem,

Distempered times of heated atmosphere

Twisted yesterdays, wrapped up in bent todays, 

She dreams of days of welcomed thunder

The patter of rain against her window pane,

Soothing sounds to cancel the intoxicating misery

Forces of unreason, biting ferociously,

Cloaked insecurities, dampening down happiness

Snarling forcefields of whirling crappiness, 

Intrusive thoughts, weighing down heavily

That trigger internal doors of rattling insanity,

Longing for emerging light, springs alchemy

To release the forcefields of inner maladie,

Shrouding herself from the mists of heartache

Beyond the chords of bitterness that break,

Remembers that the entire earth is a masjid

Can be a place of unbounded sanctuary,

Where the nectar of human kindness is stored

Healing the cracked illusions that once roared.

Remembering the Battle of Jarama and the fight against fascism in the Spanish Civil War

The Spanish Civil War broke out on July 18th 1936. after fascist ‘Nationalist’ forces commanded by a group of military generals led by General  Francisco Franco  attempted to overthrow the democratically elected Republican government of Spain.Franco gained military support from various regimes and groups, especially Nazi Germany and the Kingdom of Italy. 

Alarmed at the prospect of another European country falling into fascist hands, and dismayed at the inaction of their political leaders,almost immediately volunteers throughout the world joined the International Brigade, risking their lives to go out to Spain to fight against Franco and fascism.and to defend the Spanish Republic.

Those who signed up either sympathised with one or more of the radical groups trying to reorganise life in republican Spain, or were just acutely aware of the danger that the rise of fascism would pose for the whole world.

This cause, in support of the democratically elected Spanish Republic, brought together an estimated 45,000 to 55,000 men and women from over fifty countries, with the largest contingents coming from France, Italy, Poland, the United States, Germany, the Balkan countries (including the former Yugoslavia), and Great Britain. 

Among the many intellectuals world-wide who rallied to the Republican side were George Orwell, W.H. Auden, Federico Garcia Lorca, John Dos Passos, Andre Malraux, Arthur Koestler, and Langston Hughes,while many other writers and artists devoted their writing and art to the subject, most notably Picasso in his tour de force Guernica, on exhibit in Madrid’s Prado museum.

This week in history on the morning of 6 February 1937 General Francisco Franco’s Nationalist army launched a massive attack on Republican lines in the Jarama valley to the southeast of Madrid seven months following the army revolt.The  attack  launched was an attempt by General Franco's fascist forces to dislodge the anti-fascist (Republican) lines along the river Jarama, just south east of Madrid, and lasted until Feb 28th, Following the failure of the attempts on the west of Madrid in November and December 1936, Franco had prepared a new offensive to the south of the capital, aiming to cut the vital road that linked Madrid with the Mediterranean port of Valencia, restricting vital supplies of food, fuel and munitions to the besieged capital. the seat of the Government.

Initially intended to be part of a combined operation with Italian troops to the east of the city, Franco decided to push ahead with the Jarama action despite the Italians having being delayed by heavy rain. Colonel Varela, Franco’s field commander, had five brigades of six battalions at his disposal, plus eleven reserve battalions, totalling some 25 000 men – mostly elite Moroccan regulares and legionnaires – and  nationalist forces were supported by the German Condor Legion, two heavy machine gun battalions, a tank corps under and batteries of 155mm and 88mm guns and two heavy bombers provided by Mussolini backed up by German armour..

The Republicans had a similar number of men available, who had been mustered for an impending Republican offensive in the same sector, which had also been delayed by the weather.The volunteers were a mixture of Communists, Labour Party members, socialists, anarchists, trade unionists and other sympathisers, all bitterly opposed to the idea of fascism. They came primarily from the unemployed areas of Mersyside, Manchester, Scotland, Tyneside and London.

They had travelled by boat and land to join the fight. Hardened by the British weather, they hadn’t anticipated Madrid’s temperature drops at night and it weakened them. For many of the British volunteers, this was also their first experience of action and they had been given as little as six weeks’ training when they faced Franco’s battle-hardened and weather-ready Army of Africa. 

The Rebel offensive pressed forward quickly and by the evening of the 6th the Republicans had been pushed back to the Jarama River, and Rebel troops were within shelling distance of the Madrid-Valencia road. Over the next three days, Franco's troops forced back the anti-fascists,despite the Republican commander, General Miaja, throwing the elite Spanish Lister, El Campesino and 11th International Brigades into the defence. but after days of fierce fighting no breakthrough was achieved. Anti-fascist counterattacks along the captured ground likewise failed, resulting in heavy casualties to both sides.

Many American anti-fascist volunteers from the Abraham Lincoln Brigades fought and died in this battle to stop the spread of fascism.Jarama marked the beginning of a bruising and often dispirited campaign and witnessed one of the bloodiest battles of Spain's Civil War.By the end of the first day of battle, the British batallion found itself with less than half the number they had set out with.

Early in the morning of 11 February, hostilities begin again. The Tiradores de Ifni ("Ifni Rifles" or "Ifni Shooters") takes the  Pindoque Bridge by surprise. The second part of the offensive begins with the passage of the river. The Third National Brigade, under the command of Colonel Barrón, is going to launch itself towards the conquest of the heights of the vertices Pajares and Valdeperdices, although the republican resistance is beginning to make the advance of Franco’s troops very difficult.

In the early morning of the 12th, another bolt jumps again over the Jarama. On this occasion, it is the III Tabor de Regulares de Tetuán which takes the bridge that joins the San Martín de la Vega road with Morata, which was defended by a company of the 17th Mixed Brigade. The II and the IV National Brigades commanded by the colonels Saénz de Buruaga and Asensio Cabanillas are launched towards Morata ascending to the plains that separate the valleys of Tajuña and Jarama, with the so-called “Army of Africa” in vanguard (Tabores de Regulares and Flags of the Legion).

Opposite Morata they meet with the XI and XV International Brigades, producing a very hard conflict between the two armies in the olive groves that surround the Galiana Way. The Republican units manage to stop the offensive. In the following days the attacks and counter-attacks take place in this olive grove maze, turning the struggle into a battle of exhaustion. It will be considered the first modern battle in history due to the participation of battle tanks, artillery and aviation in coordination with the infantry; and the first open field “Great Battle” of war. 

The maximum point of the Francoist advance on Morata takes place on February 16th, with the road cut of the Arganda bridge and the conquest of the Radio House (El Alto) amid a bleeding of casualties. They’re not moving any further. 

From February 17 onwards, the initiative changes in the battle. There is a changeover in the Republican command, with General Miaja taking charge of the operations, replacing General Pozas. The rebel army is exhausted and has no reserves. They’re going to entrench and try to hold the conquered terrain. On the contrary, the government army launches a counteroffensive in all fronts with the intention of expelling the rebels to the other side of the Jarama River. The key to this counteroffensive will be the reconquest of Cerro Pingarrón, located in the municipal district of San Martín de la Vega. The Republican troops, led by Enrique Líster, head of the 11th Division, are going to throw themselves over and over again against this position.  The most critical day will be the 23 February, when as many as three times the Republicans are on the verge of taking the high ground, recognized as one of the bloodiest places in the Civil War. From this day forward, the battle is fading, although there will still be a last and desperate republican attempt to break the front lines.

On February 27, beside the San Martín de la Vega highway, the Americans of the Abraham Lincoln battalion and the 24th Mixed Brigade launched themselves against Franco’s positions with a disastrous result. It was the epilogue of one of the most important battles of the Civil War. It made it clear that the war was going to be a long one. The front was stabilized without the two sides having achieved their objectives, remaining almost unchanged until the end of the war, beginning a hard fortifying work that has left our landscape marked with innumerable traces of that conflict.

The second part of the offensive begins with the passage of the river. The Third National Brigade, under the command of Colonel Barrón, is going to launch itself towards the conquest of the heights of the vertices Pajares and Valdeperdices, although the republican resistance is beginning to make the advance of Franco’s troops very difficult.

In the early morning of the 12th, another bolt jumps again over the Jarama. On this occasion, it is the III Tabor de Regulares de Tetuán which takes the bridge that joins the San Martín de la Vega road with Morata, which was defended by a company of the 17th Mixed Brigade. The II and the IV National Brigades commanded by the colonels Saénz de Buruaga and Asensio Cabanillas are launched towards Morata ascending to the plains that separate the valleys of Tajuña and Jarama, with the so-called “Army of Africa” in vanguard (Tabores de Regulares and Flags of the Legion). 

Opposite Morata  in a place that became known as 'Suicide Valley" ,they meet with the XI and XV International Brigades, producing a very hard conflict between the two armies in the olive groves that surround the Galiana Way.The Republican units though they were outnumbered manage to stop the offensive and  manage to keep the fascists at bay. but suffered heavy losses. 

In the following days the attacks and counter-attacks take place in this olive grove maze, turning the struggle into a battle of exhaustion. It will be considered the first modern battle in history due to the participation of battle tanks, artillery and aviation in coordination with the infantry; and the first open field “Great Battle” of war..

On February the 18th the brigadiers launched a counter attack, but this was stopped by the fascists. Despite the poor conditons, the brigadiers managed to stand firm. As the men made their way up an outcrop that was later known as " Suicide Hill " they were mown down mercilessly  by machine gun fire. They had little chance.Of the 500 brave men only 140 survived, the memory of this battle haunting them for many years later. 

But the vital road that Franco needed to have cut remained open. The most critical day will be the 23 February, when as many as three times the Republicans are on the verge of taking the high ground. From this day forward, the battle is fading, although there will still be a last and desperate republican attempt to break the front lines.

Mussolini and Hitler continued to give Franco large amounts of aid in men, aircraft, bombers, tanks and ammunition, much of it coming in via Portugal, throughout the war.

On February 27, beside the San Martín de la Vega highway, the Americans of the Abraham Lincoln battalion and the 24th Mixed Brigade launched themselves against Franco’s positions with a disastrous result. It was the epilogue of one of the most important battles of the Civil War. 

The 28 February 1937 marked an end to 'The Battle of Jarama', one of the most vital yet deadliest battles to have taken place during the Spanish Civil War.  Lasting for 21 days, fespite heavy losses – 10,000 dead on the Republican side, the Republican lines held, and a stalemate ensued which stayed in place until the final days of the war in 1939. In all, more than 15,000 died on both sides, making it one of the bloodiest confrontations of the war. 

Depending on the author, an estimated 600 to 1,200 members of the International Brigades lost their lives in the Battle of Jarama, while hundreds were taken prisoner or declared missing in action.Nobody  will  know exactly how many died, let alone the names of all those who fought there

While the rest of the world was either complicit or stood by, the International'l Brigades in Spain showed generations to come what solidarity looked like.Although the Spanish Republic would eventually be defeated in 1939,.the Battle of Jarama forever stands as an example of the courage and determination of the Spanish and international anti-fascists during the civil war.

Franco would establish a military dictatorship, which he defined as a totalitarian state. Franco proclaimed himself Head of State and Government under the title El Caudillo, a term similar to Il Duce (Italian) for Benito Mussolini and Der Führer (German) for Adolf Hitler. Under Franco, Spain became a one-party state, as the various conservative and royalist factions were merged into the fascist party and other political parties were outlawed.  Franco’s regime committed a series of violent human rights abuses against the Spanish people, which included the establishment of concentration camps and the use of forced labor and executions, mostly against political and ideological enemies, causing an estimated 200,000 to 400,000 deaths in more than 190 concentration camps. Spain’s entry into the Second World War. on the Axis side was prevented largely by, as was much later revealed, British Secret Intelligence Service (MI-6) efforts that included up to $200 million in bribes for Spanish officials to keep the regime from getting involved. Franco was also able to take advantage of the resources of the Axis Powers and chose to avoid becoming heavily involved in the Second World War..

The Civil War ravaged the Spanish economy. Infrastructure was damaged, workers killed, and daily business severely hampered. For more than a decade after Franco’s victory, the economy improved little. Franco initially pursued a policy of autarky, cutting off almost all international trade. The policy had devastating effects, and the economy stagnated. Only black marketeers could enjoy an evident affluence. Up to 200,000 people died of starvation during the early years of Francoism, a period known as Los Años de Hambre (the Years of Hunger).

The Spanish Civil was  was a decisive moment in the history of the world. It was of immense significance internationally. From 1936, Europe’s future participants in the Second World War came into direct or indirect conflict with each other during the Spanish civil war. Spain was the first great battle of the Second World War, the test bench for a war to come that would devastate Europe.

For the first time in history civil populations were bombed. We all remember Guernica,https://teifidancer-teifidancer.blogspot.com/2023/04/marking-horrific-anniversary-of-bombing.html but there were many Guernicas in Spain.  Europeans lost their lives on both sides and their names populate the cemeteries of Madrid, of Jarama, of Belchite, of Teruel, of Guadalajara, of the Ebro …, mythical names, where so many Europeans lie. 

For some people this war was the last great cause, for others it was a crusade.It was the most passionate war, in which the ideologies of the 20th century confronted each other for the first time: democracy, fascism and communism. It was a religious war, but at the same time a class war, a revolution faced with a reaction.  It was a conflict that would continue in Europe and which also continued in Spain after the war had finished, because it was not just a war. There was also a long and hard post-war period, during which it was no longer a question of beating the enemy, since the war had been won, but rather of eradicating it, in order to maintain a system that lasted for a long time and kept Spain out of the process of democratisation  until  freedom returned in 1975. 

Today I remember those who throughout this conflict their faith and ideals remained intact,with their bravery, sacrifice and committment to their noble cause. Comrades that stood together and fought for good against  the evils of fascism.Ordinary people who made the extraordinary choice to leave their friends and family and fight in a brutal war far away from home, a common cause bringing them together, shoulder to shoulder with the workers and peasants of Spain fighting for their emancipation. 

Those  who  lost  their  lives will never grow old, they will never fade from our memories or their names from our lips, they live on through us - they are legend.We should never forget theirs heroic struggle against the forces of fascism.,While their own government was appeasing the fascist dictators, these brave volunteers knew that fascism had to be defeated and were prepared to die in order to do so;They will continue to be an inspiration to all of us involved in anti-fascist campaigns today.

The International Brigade Memorial Trust (IBMT), https://international-brigades.org.uk/ keeps alive the memory of the 2,500 men and women who went to Spain from 1936-39 to join the International Brigades to help the Spanish republic as it tried to put down the military revolt launched by Franco with support from Hitler and Mussolini. The struggle continues, the fascists shall  continue to not pass. No pasaron. Remember the Internationale unites the human race.

" It was in Spain  that my generation learned that one can be right but can be beaten , that force can vanquish spirit, that there are times when courage is not its own recompense. It is this doubtless , which so many, the world over feel the Spanish drama as a personal tragedy" -   Albert Camus

The  following poem by the young International Brigades volunteer John Lepper charts the day's fighting in the Jarama valley ..Followed by two more reflections on this battle.

Battle of Jarama - John Lepper.

The sun warmed the valley
But no birds sang
The sky was rent with shrapnel
And metallic clang

Death stalked the olive trees
Picking his men
His leaden finger beckoned
Again and again

Dust rose from the roadside
A stifling cloud
Ambulances tore past
Klaxoning loud

Men torn by shell-shards lay
Still on the ground
The living sought shelter
Not to be found

Holding their hot rifles
Flushed with the fight
Sweat-streaked survivors
Willed for the night

With the coming  of darkness
Deep in the wood
A fox  howled to heaven
Smelling the blood.

Jarama Front - T.A.R Hyndman

I tried not to see,
But heard his voice.
How brown the earth
And green the trees.
One tree was  his he could not move.
Wounded all over,
He lay there  moaning.

I hardly  knew:
I tore his  coat
it was easy -
Shrapnel had helped.

But he was dying
And the blanket sagged.
'God bless you, comrades,
He will thank you.'
That was all.
No slogan,
No clenched fist
Except in pain.

Jarama - A.M. Elliot

Unrisen dawns had dazzled in your eyes,
Your hearts were hungry for the not yet born.
In  agony of thwarted love and wasted life,
Through all long misery, from countries torn
With savage hands, you did not shrink or bend,
But marched on straighter, prouder to the end.

Not blindly, fighting in another's war
Lured by cheap promises and dugged with drums,
Striking down brothers in the name of lies,
Slaves of the blackest with all senses numbed-
But clear-eyed, bravely, counting all the cost,
Knowing what might be won, what might be lost.

The rifles you will never hold again
In other hands will speak against the night.
Brothers have filled your places in the ranks
Who will remember how you died for right
The day you took those rifles up, defied
The power of ages, and victorious died.

Comrades, sleep now. For all you loved shall be.
You did not seek for death, but finding it-
And such a death - better than shameful life,
Rest now content. A flame of hope is lit.
The flag of freedom floats again unfurled
And all you loved lives richer in the world.

Poems reprinted from
The Penguin Book of Spanish Civil War Verse
1980.                                                                               

The following  "Jarama Valley" also known as "El Valle del Jarama" is a song from the Second Spanish Republic. Referring to the Spanish Civil War Battle of Jarama, the song uses the tune of Red River Valley.Written anonymously, it became the unofficial anthem of the British volunteers and has been sung by veterans and their supporters to this day at events to commemorate the legendary International Brigades.

Jarama Valley - Woody Guthrie