Guest Op-Ed
Submitted by Lucian
I was very interested in Mr. Fidanakis' strategy of Italiote/Siceliote identity, and the idea of preserving the language of Katoitaliotika. Southern autonomy is not just a political or cultural concept but an ethnic one, and language is an important part of it. The suppression of native languages is a hallmark of the cultural leveling that is symptomatic of both Communist and Imperialist ideologies, neither of which are friendly to ethnic identitarians.
I also agree in principal with most of what he said; however, it must be recognized that while the Neo-Bourbons may not represent a majority of Southern Italians, they certainly represent a significant number of activists that are fighting for Southern autonomy. I myself am not a monarchist, but I have to admit that in most respects I find myself allied with Neo-Bourbons. I would also add that I do not believe that we are dealing with an either/or situation. The concept of Italiote is not incompatible with that of the Neo-Bourbons. It correctly portrays Southern Italians as an ancient and distinct people, a people who were last ruled independently by the Bourbon dynasty.
Katoitaliotika should be preserved and treasured for its cultural and political value, but so should other indigenous tongues, such as Sicilian. It may be strategically ideal to choose one as a rallying point, but the various peoples of Southern Italy who embrace their regional heritage are attached to their "dialects," and may not feel entirely comfortable with such an action. Katoitaliotika needs to be marketed as something to complement their heritage, and not appear as something to replace it with. After all, with a history as long and rich as the South, we have a lot to work with.
The idea of using our ancient heritage as a bridge between the Neo-Bourbon movements and the regionalist parties is excellent, and Mr. Fidanakis is quite correct in asserting that our ethnic identity is larger than our church affiliation or political ideology. I do believe that most of the secessionist movements in Southern Italy are doing more to promote their common cultural heritage than Mr. Fidanakis realizes, especially the Partito del Sud, which he neglected to mention. However, when it comes to such efforts more is always better. I would like to thank him for his efforts to familiarize both Southern Italians and the Hellenic people with their common ancestral roots.
