New Assyrian Genocide monument in Australia

New Seyfo-monument in Australia
*Translated from Swedish to English



A final proposal for a Seyfo-monument is expected to break ground next week in Sydney, Australia. It is AUA, Assyrian Universal Alliance, which is behind the initiative and cost of the project.

The Seyfo monument will be dedicated to the memory of the victims of Seyfo-Genocide of 1914-1918 and the simela massacre which took place in Iraq in 1933. The monument will be placed in Bonnyrigg, at the intersection of Smithfield Road and Elizabeth Drive.

The 4.5 meter high monument was designed by the famous artist Lewis Batros and will be erected at Fairfield Park in Sydney. According to the timetable it will be unveiled at a ceremony in August 2010.

The sculpture depicts a globe held up by a martyr's hand, which symbolizes the people who devote their lives to creating a better and safer world. The hand is wrapped by the Assyrian flag to represent the survival and spiritual rebirth and the unity of the Assyrian people.

Around the wrist, there are several children who symbolizes the belief in the younger generation, who carries the torch forward for a better future for the Assyrian nation. At the corners of the monument are the Assyrian winged bull. According to Mesopotamian mythology is the winged bull, often as a protector to keep evil away. More information about the monument can be found here.

Other Seyfo-monuments

*15 October 2005 unveiled the first Seyfo monument in Sarcelles outside Paris. Next monuments "Genocide Memorial Wall" inaugurated on 17 February 2007 in Tarzana in southern California, USA.

*A third monument was erected near that in Södertälje. On 12 June 2007 the municipal council to build a Seyfo-monuments. But when some Assyrian organizations were arguing about what would be on the monument, it was the issue on time and ended with a fiasco.

*Pensioners Party, which appeal to the court, put an end to the memorial. Later it was noted that there was a Turkish lawyer who was behind the Party of Pensioners appeal to the court.

Although Sodertalje today has one of the largest Assyrian (also known as the Syrians and Chaldeans) "colonies" in the world, the group has not succeeded in creating a memorial to honor victims Seyfo-genocide 1915th

Tuma Palo
Seyfo Center

NICK STOYAN - ELLADA and A NAME IS A NAME

It’s good to be Israel

Whenever one decides to speak out on Israeli mistreatment and occupation in Palestine, they run the risk of being labeled an ‘anti-Semite’. This label, an offended misused and manipulated term, is used like a weapon to prevent individuals from speaking out for the Human Rights of Palestinians. It is used to ‘black list’ individuals and scare us to fear the wrath of today’s liberal society, for if you acquire this label, you can be sure that it will be used to discredit you and perhaps personally affect your very way of life. It is because of this label, that many shy away from saying and doing what is right. Are you truly an ‘anti-Semite’ simply because you oppose an apartheid state that violates the human rights of the indigenous people of that land? Can you be considered an ‘anti-Semite’ because you care about the freedoms and rights of another Semitic people? Where does it say you are a ‘hater of the Jews’ because you support the right to self determination for Palestinians? The fact is it doesn’t. This label, which is meant for those who would deliberated discriminate or violently persecute Jews, is being twisted and misused to defend an apartheid state which only brings shame to Jewish people.

At the moment, the fact is it’s good to be Israel. Only Israel could be able to expand settlements in an occupied country to continue and change the demographic make-up of the land. In part committing genocide against an innocent people who only wish to have the same freedoms and rights given to other human beings. Just this past week, Israel decided to expand its settlement in East Jerusalem, the Palestinian Capital, adding 900 more housing units to the Gilo settlement. Meanwhile, in the past month alone, Israel has demolished 17 houses, displacing 99 innocent Palestinians, mostly children from their ancestral homeland.

What type of reaction would one expect to such horrific crimes from the world’s only superpower? I doubt it would be an arms deal to only help strengthen an apartheid state, which could be seen as a silent approval of human rights abuse. Yet that is exactly what the United States has done, recently pitching a unique version of their F-35 fighter jet to Israel. As Reuters reported this week, “The United States has offered to add Israeli systems and munitions to a new U.S. built fighter jet and deliver it to Israel by 2015, provided a deal is sealed in coming months’.

Perhaps the United States didn’t receive this past month’s report that states ‘fresh security incidents’ in occupied Palestine. Fresh incidents which have resulted in 73 Palestinians wounded and Palestinian institutions in their own Capital, East Jerusalem being closed. All amongst a continued blockade of the Gaza Strip, which is deteriorating the local infrastructure, environment, and destroying innocent families’ livelihoods. It’s good to be Israel, to play the victim card whenever your interests are threaten, because of your own inhuman actions.

Θράκη: Από τη λήθη στο προσκήνιο και στις νέες αναζητήσεις

By Φάνης Μαλκίδης

Μέρος της ομιλίας στις εκδηλώσεις για τα 30 χρόνια του Πολιτιστικού Θρακικού Συλλόγου Στουτγάρδης



1. Η ιστορία και τα αποτελέσματά της

Παρά την αποσιώπηση πολλών ετών είναι διαπιστωμένο πλέον ότι ο Θρακικός Ελληνισμός, ο οποίος ζούσε στο οθωμανικό κράτος μέχρι το 1922-1923, έπαιξε σημαντικότατο αν όχι κεντρικό ρόλο στην εξέλιξη της ιστορίας του ελληνικού λαού.

Επίσης είναι κοινά αποδεκτό ότι αυτό το ιδιαίτερης αξίας κομμάτι του Ελληνισμού που ζούσε στην ενιαία Θράκη, δηλαδή στη Ανατολική Θράκη, Βόρεια, (ανατολική Ρωμυλία), και σήμερα στη Θράκη που ανήκει στην Ελλάδα και αλλού στον ελλαδικό χώρο και το εξωτερικό, μπήκε στο περιθώριο αμέσως μετά την έλευσή του ως ακρωτηριασμένο προσφυγικό σώμα στον ελλαδικό χώρο. Αντιμετωπίστηκε σε γενικές γραμμές σαν ξένο, που ήλθε στην Ελλάδα προκειμένου να διαταράξει πολιτικές, οικονομικές, κοινωνικές και άλλες ισορροπίες, και τέθηκε στο παρασκήνιο. Ήταν βάρος που έπρεπε ή να εξαφανισθεί ή τουλάχιστον να μείνει χωρίς ουσιαστικό μέλλον και αυτό μπορούσε να γίνει με την ολοκληρωτική ισοπέδωση του πλούσιου παρελθόντος. Ειδικότερα, σε ότι αφορά το Θρακικό Ελληνισμό, σύντομα ο πρώτος ακρωτηριασμός ακολουθήθηκε και από ένα δεύτερο με τον διασκορπισμό σε όλη την Ελλάδα και από έναν τρίτο στη δεκαετία του 1950 και 1960, με τη μετανάστευση σε όλο τον κόσμο. Η Γερμανία ήταν το κέντρο αυτής της μετανάστευσης. Η πολιτική της λήθης για τη Θράκη συνεχίστηκε και στις επόμενες δεκαετίες. Γι’ αυτό και διαπιστώθηκε η μεγάλη και προκλητική απουσία των εκφράσεων των προσφυγικών πληθυσμών σε όλες τις θεσμικές «πολιτισμικές εκφράσεις». Χαρακτηριστικό παράδειγμα η παντελής απουσία των προσφυγικών σωματείων από τις εκατοντάδες χιλιάδες παραστάσεις των καθεστώτων και από την πολιτικής τους «περί άρτου και θεάματος». Επίσης πρέπει να προσθέσουμε και το κλείσιμο πολλών προσφυγικών συλλόγων αυτή την περίοδο.

Η Θράκη, απουσίαζε, υπήρχε μόνο στις αναζητήσεις του Ερυθρού Σταυρού,- η «Σιδερή Ευρυδόγλου αναζητά την αδελφή της που χάθηκε το 1922 στην Αδριανούπολη…Έτσι όταν στην Ελλάδα εμφανιζόταν μία διαφορετική έκφραση του προσφυγικού ζητήματος τότε έμπαιναν σε λειτουργία οι μηχανισμοί μη πρόκλησης και μη αναμόχλευσης του παρελθόντος και της προώθησης καλών σχέσεων με την Τουρκία. Παράλληλα ένα σημαντικό μέρος της Θράκης και του ελληνικού της πληθυσμού που χάθηκε στην ανατολική Ρωμυλία, λησμονήθηκε επίσης στη δίνη των βαλκανικών εντάσεων και αντιπαραθέσεων και μετέπειτα στον παραλογισμό του Ψυχρού Πολέμου.

2. Το παρόν και μέλλον της Θρακικής ταυτότητας

Η μεταπολίτευση άνοιξε έναν άλλο κύκλο ο οποίος όμως, κατά τη γνώμη μας, ήταν πολύ περιορισμένος πολιτισμικά και πολιτικά. Σε ότι αφορά το πρώτο ζήτημα. Οι σύλλογοι, οι κυριότεροι εκφραστές του προσφυγικού χώρου, στο πρώτο διάστημα λειτούργησαν ως κιβωτοί διάσωσης της ιστορικής διαδρομής του ελληνικού λαού που ζούσε στο οθωμανικού κράτους, ενώ διέσωσαν και ανεκτίμητης αξίας κειμήλια και ιδιαίτερες πολιτισμικές εκφράσεις ( π.χ αναστενάρια). Χωρίς αυτούς τους συλλογικούς θεσμούς, δεν θα υπήρχε καμία σοβαρή και δυναμική αναφορά για τον Ελληνισμό της καθ΄ υμάς Ανατολής.

Παράλληλα οι σύλλογοι διέσωσαν το χορό, το τραγούδια, την παράδοση. Μία τέτοια περίπτωση αποτέλεσε και ο Πολιτιστικός Θρακικός Σύλλογος της Στουτγάρδης, στη Γερμανία όπου και κύριος όγκος της μεγάλης μετανάστευσης των Θρακών μεταπολεμικά. Το μοντέλο όμως αυτό δεν μπορούσε να λειτουργήσει με τον ίδιο τρόπο. Δεν μπορούσε να προσελκύσει την τρίτη γενιά μόνο ένα μικρό κομμάτι του προσφυγικού πολιτισμού. Για αυτό και υπήρξαν οι αναζητήσεις και οι διεκδικήσεις που έφτασαν στο να αναδειχθούν και άλλες ψηφίδες του μεγάλου ψηφιδωτού που καταστράφηκε από τους υπεύθυνους της εκδίωξης των Ελλήνων.


Οι Θρακιώτες είχαν επιπλέον λόγους για να αναδείξουν και τα υπόλοιπα κομμάτια της ιστορίας τους, αφού μία σειρά από αιτίες δεν άφηναν το Θρακικό πολιτισμό να αναπνεύσει. Οι ελληνοτουρκικές σχέσεις και οι μουσουλμανικές μειονότητες, η μεγάλη μετανάστευση της δεκαετίας του 1960 προς τη δυτική Ευρώπη -κυρίως προς την τότε δυτική Γερμανία- αλλά και προς το εσωτερικό της Ελλάδας, δημιούργησαν καταστάσεις ασφυξίας. Η Θρακική παράδοση και ιστορία περιοριζόταν σε δύο- τρεις χορούς και τραγούδια, και η Θράκη ήταν γνωστή ως τόπος εξορίας για ανεπιθύμητους δημοσίους υπαλλήλους και στρατιωτικούς. Η πολιτική αυτή ήθελε τη Θράκη παραμεθόρια περιοχή, τόπο συνόρων και εξορίας. Το «θα σε στείλω στον Έβρο» πέρασε από τον κινηματογράφο μέχρι τη λογοτεχνία.

Οι Θρακιώτες πέρασαν στο στάδιο της αυτογνωσίας στα τέλη της δεκαετίας του 1980 και στις αρχές του 1990, όταν διοργάνωσαν τα πρώτα πανθρακικά συνέδρια. Ωστόσο υπήρχαν και υπάρχουν ακόμη πολλά εμπόδια, εντός και εκτός Ελλάδος.

Ο κύκλος της ανάκτησης της ταυτότητας του Θρακιώτη, η οποία είχε χαθεί για ένα μεγάλο χρονικό διάστημα έχει ακόμη πολύ απόσταση να διανύσει και να δημιουργήσει τις συνθήκες για νέα και σύγχρονα αιτήματα. Ωστόσο η ιστορική περίοδος που διανύουμε δημιουργεί ευνοϊκές συνθήκες. Σε όλη την Ελλάδα και σε όλο τον κόσμο, γίνεται πλέον κατανοητό ότι χωρίς τη γνώση της ιστορικής διαδρομής της Θράκης, δεν μπορεί να υπάρξει ολοκληρωμένη κατανόηση της ταυτότητάς μας. Για αυτό και αναλαμβάνονται πρωτοβουλίες ουσίας που κινούνται σε ένα νέο και πιο ουσιαστικό πλαίσιο λειτουργίας και δραστηριότητας των συλλογικών εκπροσωπήσεων. Ο χρόνος θα δείξει το αποτέλεσμα αυτής της παρέμβασης, τα πρώτα δείγματα όμως δείχνουν το φως έχει νικήσει το σκότος.

BREAKING NEWS: ΜΑΚΕΔΟΝΙΚΕΣ ΟΡΓΑΝΩΣΕΙΣ ΔΕΛΤΙΟ ΤΥΠΟΥ (Resolution Macedonia Press)

Προς τα Μ.Μ.Ε., ΠΑΡΑΚΛΗΣΗ ΓΙΑ ΜΕΤΑΔΟΣΗ- ΔΗΜΟΣΙΕΥΣΗ – ΠΡΟΒΟΛΗ
ΤΗΝ ΚΥΡΙΑΚΗ 22/11/2009 - ΕΥΧΑΡΙΣΤΟΥΜΕ

ΔΕΛΤΙΟ ΤΥΠΟΥ

Εν όψει της συζήτησης του Δεκεμβρίου, στο Συμβούλιο κορυφής της Ε.Ε. για τη χορήγηση ημερομηνίας έναρξης ενταξιακών διαπραγματεύσεων του κράτους των Σκοπίων, καθώς και στη Σύνοδο του ΝΑΤΟ του ιδίου μηνός, οι Μακεδονικές Οργανώσεις εξωτερικού και εσωτερικού εξέδωσαν το παρακάτω ψήφισμα:

ΨΗΦΙΣΜΑ

Οι Μακεδονικές Οργανώσεις καθώς και οι φορείς που υποστηρίζουν τις θέσεις και τις απόψεις των τριών εκατομμυρίων Μακεδόνων, τόσο στο εσωτερικό της χώρας όσο και στο εξωτερικό, έχοντας επίγνωση της κρισιμότητας στην οποία έχει περιέλθει η διαπραγμάτευση για το όνομα της ΠΓΔΜ, καλούν την Κυβέρνηση καθώς και τους πολιτικούς Αρχηγούς και Βουλευτές όλων των κομμάτων, όπως διαφυλάξουν τα εθνικά συμφέροντα και την εθνική αξιοπρέπεια από την επιβουλή των Σλάβων των Σκοπίων κατά της Ιστορίας και του Πολιτισμού της Μακεδονίας και συνακόλουθα της Ελλάδος.

ΔΗΛΩΝΟΥΝ ότι δεν πρόκειται να δεχθούν την συμπερίληψη του όρου Μακεδονία στο όνομα του κράτους των Σκοπίων.

ΖΗΤΟΥΝ από την Κυβέρνηση να εγκαταλείψει την πολιτική του γεωγραφικού προσδιορισμού και να συμπεριλάβει στη διαπραγμάτευση και τα ζητήματα του καθορισμού της ονομασίας του έθνους, της υπηκοότητας και της γλώσσας, ώστε να αποτραπεί η χρήση του όρου Μακεδονία.

ΚΑΛΟΥΝ την Κυβέρνηση να αρνηθεί την έναρξη ενταξιακών διαπραγματεύσεων μεταξύ της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης και της ΠΓΔΜ, καθώς και την ένταξή της στο ΝΑΤΟ ή σε άλλους Διεθνείς Οργανισμούς, στους όποίους η χώρα μας έχει το δικαίωμα της αρνησικυρίας, προτού λυθούν τα προβλήματα του ονόματος, της εθνότητας, της υπηκοότητας και της γλώσσας.

ΜΑΚΕΔΟΝΙΚΕΣ ΟΡΓΑΝΩΣΕΙΣ: όσες ενημερώθηκαν και απάντησαν από 9/11 έως 17/11/2009.

Παμμακεδονική Ένωση Αμερικής
Παμμακεδονική Ένωση Αυστραλίας
Παμμακεδονική Ένωση Καναδά
Παμμακεδονική Ένωση Ευρώπης
Μακεδονικά Τμήματα Αφρικής
Κέντρο Μακεδονικών Σπουδών (ΗΠΑ)
Διεθνές Ίδρυμα Μνημείου Μεγάλου Αλεξάνδρου
Φιλόπτωχος Αδελφότης Ανδρών Θεσσαλονίκης
Φιλόπτωχος Αδελφότης Κυριών Θεσσαλονίκης
Σωματείο ΑΧΕΠΑ «Μέγας Αλέξανδρος»
Φίλοι του Μουσείου Μακεδονικού Αγώνα
Περιφερειακή Εφορεία Προσκόπων Θεσσαλονίκης
Πανελλήνιος Ομοσπονδ. Μικρασιατικών Σωματείων
Ροταριανός Όμιλος Θεσσαλονίκης
Παμμακεδονική Οργάνωση Γυναικών
Σωματείο Φίλων Κέντρου Ιστορίας Θεσσαλονίκης
Λέσχη Ελλήνων Καταδρομέων
INNER WHEEL
LIONS Εγνατίας
Σύλλογος Φίλες της ΕΛΕΠΑΠ
Μέριμνα του Παιδιού
Λαογραφική Εταιρεία Νομού Πέλλας
Κίνηση Δημοτών Έδεσσας «Ίων Δραγούμης»
Σύλλογος Φίλων Αρχαιοτήτων Έδεσσας «Οι Τημενίδες»
Φιλεκπαιδευτικός Όμιλος Φλωρίνης «Αριστοτέλης»
Φιλανθρωπικός Σύλλογος «Φίλοι Νεότητας Υπαίθρου»
Ινστιτούτο «Αριστοτέλης»
Στέγη Μακεδονικού Πολιτισμού
Καρίπειο Ίδρυμα Μελετών Μακεδονίας – Θράκης
Ίδρυμα Φιλόπτωχου Αδελφότητας Κυριών Θεσσαλονίκης
Ίδρυμα Δημητρίου και Μαρίας Δελιβάνη
Βοήθεια Ζωής προς το Ειδικό Παιδί
Φίλες Ορφανοτροφείου «Μέλισσα»
Οι εν Χριστώ Φίλοι των Μαθητών του χωριού
Θυγατέρες της Πηνελόπης «Ολυμπιάδες»
Μορφωτικός Σύλλογος Ίδα «Ιων Δραγούμης»
Ιδρυτικός Σοροπτιμιστικός Όμιλος
Σοροπτιμιστικός Όμιλος «Βυζάντιο»
Σύλλογος Πολυγυρινών
Σύλλογος Καστοριέων κυριών «Το Κέλετρον»
Ιατρικός Σύλλογος Θεσσαλονίκης
Πανελλήνιος Ομοσπονδία Θρακικών Σωματείων
Ομοσπονδία Δυτικομακεδονικών Σωματ. Θεσ/νίκης
Παμμακεδονική Συνομοσπονδία Αθηνών
Πανελλήνιος Ομοσπονδία Ειδικών Δυνάμεων
Λύκειο Ελληνίδων Θεσσαλονίκης
Παγκρήτια Αδελφότης Μακεδονίας
«Ομάδα 21» Μακεδονίας – Θράκης
Ένωση Ποντίων Μακεδονίας
Μέριμνα Ποντίων Κυριών
Σωματείο «Παναγία Σουμελά»
Σώμα Ελληνικού Οδηγισμού Περιφέρειας Θεσ/κης
Πανελλήνια Ομοσπονδία Σωματ. Ανατ. Ρωμυλίας
Σύνδεσμος Θεσσαλονικέων (Αθήνας)
Ηπειρωτική Εστία
Θρακική Εστία Θεσσαλονίκης
Σύλλογος Κοζανιτών «Ο Άγιος Νικόλαος»
Σύλλογος των εν Θεσσαλονίκης Μπαλτζανών
Κυνηγετικός Σύλλογος Θεσσαλονίκης
Πανελλήνιος Σύλλογος Απογόνων Μακεδονομάχων «Ο Παύλος Μελάς»
Σύλλογος «Ο Αίσωπος»
Σύλλογος Λημνίων Θεσσαλονίκης «Ο Ήφαιστος»
Πολιτιστικός Σύλλογος Κάτω Γραμματικού «Πατριάρχης Χρύσανθος»
Βοϊακή Εστία
«Ιωνική Εστία» Θεσσαλονίκης
Σύλλογος Σαρακατσαναίων Θεσ/νίκης «Η Ένωσις»
Σύνδεσμος Μοναστηριωτών «Καρτερία»
Σύλλογος Σιατιστέων
Σύλλογος Τσοτιλιωτών και φίλων Τσοτιλίου
Σύλλογος Απογόνων Μακεδονομάχων Ν. Πέλλας
Μακεδονικός Χορ. Πολιτιστικός Σύλ.«Αμύντας»
Σωματείο «Άγιος Βασίλειος - Βασιλειάδα»
Σύνδεσμος Μοναστηριωτών «Η Ελπίς»
Σύλλογος Απανταχού Πισοδεριτών «Η Αγία Τριάς»
Ιστορική & Λαογραφική Ετ. Γιαννιτσών Ο Φίλιππος
Σπίτι της Ευρώπης
Ένωση Ρουμελιωτών Βορ. Ελλάδος
Μορφ/κός Περιβ/ικός Όμιλος Πέλλας Αρχαία Πέλλα
Πολιτιστική Εταιρεία Πανελλήνων «Μακεδνός»
Ομοσπονδία Συλλόγων Κεντρικής Μακεδονίας
Όμιλος Πολιτιστικής Ανάπτυξης Θες/νίκης

Το ψήφισμα εστάλη στους κ.κ. Πρόεδρο Δημοκρατίας, Υπουργούς, βουλευτές, Έλληνες ευρωβουλευτές και ΜΜΕ.

Επικοινωνία: Αντώνιος Δασκόπουλος, τηλ:2310 341084, κιν.6944-328901,e-mail: helendasko@yahoo.com
Τ.Θ. 50818 Ταχ. Θεσσαλονίκης 22, Τ.Κ. 54014

Όλοι Ελλάδα Ένα – Hellas (Greece) Beyond Left and Right

Remember, remember the seventeenth of November
The Polytechnic uprising and plot
I know of no reason
Why the Polytechnic treason
Should ever be forgot

Since the conception of the modern Hellenic State, we Hellenes have allowed ourselves to be used as pawns, by competing world powers, on a geopolitical chessboard. Divided and manipulated, throughout the Diaspora and the motherland, we are exploited for the benefit of foreign interests. Our motherland, birth place of western civilization, cradle of Hellenism, and spiritual homeland to us all, is still held in bondage, for we are a state only in name serving competing powers rather the serving our own self interest. Although the names have change the parties that divide us and prevent Hellenism’s rebirth are the same. Gone perhaps are the days of the ‘English Party’ or the ‘Russian Party’, replaced by such allegiances as ‘Venizelist’ and ‘Royalist’. Bitter artificial rivalries created by opposing foreign interests that led to the national schism and great catastrophe. Labels, which would yet again be exchanged for ‘Communist’ and ‘Fascist’, bring about the horrific suffering of the Civil War, and the Paidomazoma. Throughout the Cold War, Ellada divided itself into ‘Leftists’ and ‘Rightists’, for the amusement of the Americans and Soviets, leaving horrendous scares in our national consciousness, such the Polytechnic uprisings. And yet these divisions still exist today, dividing us still into camps like PASOK or New Democracy, all the while we Hellenes are herded like cattle to the slaughter by the same shepherd families. We’ve allowed our selves to be led astray by competing foreign political ideologies and Abrahamic beliefs, to be manipulated by outdated labels that no longer hold any relevance. We as a people have forgotten that there is no ‘ism’ other than Hellenism.

Why do we allow them to divide us, to label us, to turn brother versus brother? Do we fail to realize the tricky at work or are we simply destined to only deepen the wounds inflicted by the sins of our forefathers? These wounds must be healed by a new generation of patriots. We must no longer see an ‘anarchist’ or a ‘nationalist’, but rather a Hellene. A Hellene, whose differences should be brushed aside for the good of our family and the glory of Hellas, for Hellas was once an idea, realized by such great men as Megas Alexandros and King Leonidas, an idea that led to Hellenism being a beacon of hope, wisdom and enlightenment for the known world. When will this idea, this dream, this Hellas, be realized again? When will we unite, throwing off the chains of foreign interests and finally focusing on the interests of Hellenism and Hellenism alone?

In the Diaspora, there is no coordinated effort of united Hellenes fighting to preserve our traditions and national issues. Instead there is a sea of associations, fraternities, federations and advocacy organizations each pursuing their own agenda, some noble in their efforts and others manipulative and counter productive. We are trapped in the very web that has woven itself across our motherland, quick to label those who dare to think differently, in hopes of blacklisting them through vicious rumor campaigns. Is it fear, that new faces and new ideas may shed light on corruption and mishandlings of the past? Perhaps it is envy or jealously, that new faces and new ideas may prove more successful? Or maybe it is just the same plague that has affected us since the beginning.

In the Motherland, this plague has given birth to a violent subculture of riots and car bombings by a confused generation of Hellenes sick of the status quo, yet still programmed to view themselves as ‘anarchists’ or ‘communists’. Their anger at a system which has betrayed them, is often manipulated to serve foreign interests, rather than harnessed to create a new renaissance for Hellenism. Only through patriotism, self discipline and Hellenism can a new generation of Hellenes be deprogrammed. Free to realize their true identity and self worth, paving the way for a new renaissance, which will wash away the decadence and Abrahamic intolerance of our former selves.

The political compass of old and its definitions of ‘left’ and ‘right’ have gone the way of the dinosaur. We must view the world in a new light, through new eyes. Through a new spectrum, which is not divided into ‘left’ or ‘right’, but rather Hellenes and non-Hellenes, Hellenists and anti-Hellenists. The dawn of a new era, a Hellenic era, must be achieved to heal the wounds in our national and ethnic consciousness.

Fictitious Academia: Political activism, covered in academic cloak in the University of Utah

By Nina Gatzoulis*

The presentations of the majority of the academics participating in the 7th “Macedonian”- North American Conference on “Macedonian” Studies at the University of Utah that took place from November 5-7, 2009, amounted to an anti-Hellenic delirium. The Universities of Utah and Chicago jointly organized the conference, in cooperation with the United “Macedonian” Diaspora (UMD) of Skopje based in Washington D.C.

Most of the presenters, with a few exceptions, aimed to launch an aggressive propaganda attack against Greece, presenting their views without scientific and academic research criteria, without references to sources thereby promoting unilateral research.

Dr. Vasiliki Neofotistos in her presentation “Alexander the Great and the mythic lands”, implied that the educator Thanasis Lerounis approached the Kalash tribe in Afghanistan through an education program, funded by Greek ministries and thus created the myth of the Kalash as descendants of the soldiers of Alexander the Great. However, she claimed that “Macedonia” approached the tribe of the Hunza in 2008 on private initiative. Dr. Neofotistos used the term “Macedonia” freely, rather than the Republic of “Macedonia,” creating the impression that the entire region of Macedonia (in Greece, Bulgaria, and Albania) belongs to Skopje. Dr. Neofotistos referred to FYROM as “Macedonia”, and she only named the Slavs as “Macedonians”, while the Albanians citizens of “Macedonia” were referred as “the Albanians”, which is academically unacceptable.

An unrivaled individual in anti-Hellenism was Dr. Philip Shashko, whose presentation titled “Tasos Kostopoulos on Macedonia and the Slavs in Greece: When a forbidden language speaks truth to power”, was an eruption of hatred against Greece. Dr. Shashko cited, and presented as scientific evidence, the contents of Tasos Kostopoulos’ book (journalist of the Sunday addition Ios in the Greek newspaper Eleftherotypia)!

The culmination of the political-activism and racism with a “scientific” cover was Dr. Loring Danforth’s presentations. Dr. Danforth spoke about the research he has completed for the book he has co-authored with the Dutch anthropologist who teaches at the University of Thessaly, Dr. Riki van Boeschoten, entitled “Macedonian refugee children from the Greek Civil War”. Although it was stated that during the Civil War in Greece, Greek and “Macedonian” children were kidnapped and led by the communists into communist countries, their research did not include any Greek children.

Mary Rossova from a village of “Aegean Macedonia" in her presentation “From Trnaa to Toronto: The life story of a dete begalec”, recounted how her family with the help of partisans fled to escape the “bad” Greek soldiers in locations across the Iron Curtain countries. She talked about her life in the communist countries and how she finally arrived in Canada, “although,” as she mentioned “a capitalist country” she lives happily with her family there. Trying to give a bad image of Greece she said that upon visiting her homeland in “Aegean Macedonia”, she found her old house in ruins and complained that one…Greek official at the border treated her with arrogance!

Traian Dimitriou, also a dete begalec (refugee child) in Dr. Danfroth’s research presentation titled “A Macedonian child in a Greek technical school during the Greek Civil War”, narrated how he ended up in a children’s camp of Queen Frederika in Leros. His vast criticism was that the trip by boat to the island “was awful because the sea was stormy!” He only took weekly baths (!) and was forced to sing the Greek national anthem daily! There was reporting by the ‘victims’ of the camps that many of the children were sold to wealthy families. When the members of the panel were asked by a representative of the Pan-Macedonian Association if there are documented sources for these allegations, they admitted they had none.

Both children of the Greek Civil War stressed that they did not want to leave their homeland, but had to remain in the former communist countries against their will. Since the communist governments kept them against their will in what way is it Greece’s fault? They failed to indicate that they had every opportunity to go back and stay in Greece when the Greek government through various U.N. resolutions, called on all Greek citizens who were displaced during the Greek Civil War in communist countries to go back to their homeland (see: UN Resolutions 382 (V Section C), 1950; 618 (VII), 1952; 517 (VI), 1952). There is no doubt regarding Greece’s and the UN’s position on this issue, even though Dr. Danforth implied that the U.N. resolutions were inconclusive. Therefore this claim is not true as is also evident by the strong support of the U.S. Government at the time at all levels. President Harry S. Truman addressing the Congress and with reference to Resolution 514, did not leave any doubt about the strong support of the U.S. to the U.N. resolutions: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=13766.

It is indeed noteworthy that FYROM accuses Greece that she banished her children, while the Slav/communists kidnapped the Greek children from all over Greece in order to “protect” them. Obviously they chose to forget that the mastermind behind the mass kidnapping of the children was the right hand of Tito, Edvard Kardelj. If the “child saving” was done to protect children, how do they substantiate their claim that the camps of Queen Frederika were not protecting the children?

The Danforth /van Boeschoten research was unilateral, and only examined the cases of children who willingly were led by their communist parents, or even sent to Iron Curtain countries with the consent of their parents. Conversely, among the expatriates who attended the conference was Mrs. Irene Damopoulou Karatzios. Mrs. Karatzios was one of the children amongst thousands of other children with or without parents who were abducted by partisans and were led into several Iron Curtain countries against their will. When Dr. Danforth was asked if Mrs. Karatzios could speak about her plight, he prohibited her to speak in a peremptory manner. In a private discussion with Mrs. Karatzios, Dr. Danforth said he read the book “The Cry of Irene” which was written about her and implied that her claims are untrue!

An excerpt of Mrs. Karatzios’ plight in the book “The Cry of Irene”, authored by Dr. Ioannis Bougas, is provided: (ISBN: 969-454-022-X email: erodhios@erodhios.gr):

My mother’s denial to give my little brother and myself away to the communist guerillas, so that we might be delivered into the iron curtain countries, a deed organized by the KKE, placed her in the ranking of a shady “ reactionary” and put the entire family as KKE’s target for revenge. First they took my mother to help the rebels in the mountains carrying materials, where she was often physically tortured. My brother, along with other residents of our village and I, were ordered to abandon our homes and forced to live in makeshift huts in the nearby forest.

Later, they led us cross the borders secretly and we entered Albania. After walking on foot for several days, almost without food or water, we arrived in a dirty prison labor camp. Once reunited with our mother, we spent some time in various prisons in Albania, and finally we were dragged in the galley of Loulé in Romania, where my brother and I attended the Russian-Romanian schools of their “father” and “god” Stalin. In addition we suffered incredible pressure from the leaders of KKE to give up our motherland Greece and become Slavomacedonians

One of the most balanced and informative presentations was that of Dr. Bill Darden titled “Greek articles vs. Slavic relatives in the Strumchki (Makedonski) Apostol and other early Slavic text” which focused on the difficulty of translating the Bible from Greek to Slavic.

Dr. Emilija Crenkovska presented on “The language of the Old Church Slavonic writing of Macedonia in the period of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empire”, in the “Macedonian” language, without translation or even a written summary of the content of her speech. Members of the Pan-Macedonian Association, knowledgeable of the language of FYROM and the local Greek slavophone idioms explained that Dr. Crenkovska spoke in the Serbo-Bulgarian language of FYROM that she named “Macedonian”. When a member of the Pan-Macedonian Association conveyed this information to the panelists he did not receive an answer, and some individuals in the audience urged the presenters not to pay attention to such interventions!

Quite notable was the reaction of the Dr.Victor Friedman, Professor of Linguistics and Balkan Studies from the University of Chicago. When a member of the Pan-Macedonian Association tried to approach him in a friendly manner, the academic exploded and started shouting, “the ‘Macedonians’ have a right to exist!” Also one could characterize as inappropriate the efforts of Dr. Friedman and Andrew Graan (doctoral candidate under the auspices of Dr. Friedman) to distract the university journalist who was interviewing Mrs. Karatzios and the writer of this article. Addressing the journalist, Dr. Friedman said: “take everything they say with a grain of salt…”

Members of the Pan-Macedonian Association U.S.A have attended several propaganda events organized by FYROM and its Diaspora in American universities. Unfortunately, while the Greek embassy is being informed of such events, the Greek state is absent in FYROM’s efforts to defame Greece. It is particularly important that representatives of the Greek State participate in such conferences to refute the ignorant argumentation of the academic community of FYROM. Moreover, relevant scientific conferences with the participation of foreign academics have to be seriously considered by Greece in the future. In addition the libraries of American universities should be enriched by contemporary English-language material on the issue of Macedonia. These failures generate “data” which Hellenism will be forced to face in the future.

*Mrs. Gatzoulis is the Supreme President of the Pan-Macedonian Association USA

HLA Update and ALERT: Mission Accomplished in UTAH , Skopjian Conference Exposed; Anti-Hellenic Film Released

HLA Update and ALERT: Mission Accomplished in UTAH , Skopjian Conference Exposed; Anti-Hellenic Film Released

For Immediate Release: November 13, 2009

We, at the HLA, are proud to proclaim our recent campaign against the Anti-Hellenic Conference at University of Utah, a victory. A victory in the sense that for the first time, in quite some time, we as a community stood together and proclaimed, OXI! Hate speech and historical revisionism has no place in the halls of academia. Thanks to enthusiastic activists like Aris Deslis of Salt Lake City and such organizations as the American Hellenic Institute, the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York, the Pan Macedonian Association USA, HANC-Hellenic American National Council, and the Hellenic-Canadian Federation of Ontario who wrote letters to the President of the University of Utah, Mr. Michael K. Young, awareness of the dangers of revisionism were raised. Greek-American academics also monitored this firsthand, and reports should be forthcoming soon. We, as ethnic Hellenes stood up and fought back against Anti-Hellenism, united.

Read Full Press Release Here

“Alexander the Great Our King of Kings: The Social, Religious and Ethnic Significance of the God-King”

Zei o vasilias Alexandros?

Zei kai vasilevei kai ton kosmo kyrievei!

Megas Alexandros, King of Kings. A man who in such a short life time, achieved so much for Hellenism, that today, he should be held as an inspirational role model, whose life experiences and personal character, may even hold the answer to our people’s salvation.

One of the Nine Worthies, a list of important figures that in the middle Ages, embodied the ideal of knighthood, today Alexander’s significance fails in comparison. Today, at least in Hellenic America, the days of Alexander representing the ideal role model are no more. Gone are those days, such as when the leaders of Rome, idolized him. Gone are the days when his mere image would bring leaders to their knees, once even bring Julius Caesar to tears, because Caesar believed he achieved so little compared to Megas Alexandros.

Legend claims, he was born on the same day the Temple of Artemis was burned down in Ephesus, because Artemis was more concern, with the birth of Alexander, than to save her own temple. Born in the holy city of Pella in 356 BC, Alexander stands today as the greatest Hellene to walk the face of the earth. Yet Alexander’s significance in our identity is slowly being lost, now in Hellenism darkest hour. When imposters from the north, plot to steal his legacy and change our history. These anti-Hellenist have no shame, they dare to even lobby, for the change of Hellenism, to Macedonism. How have we come here? How have we, as a people, allowed our selves to be faced with the very theft of our own identity? Political sabotage and betrayal aside, it is this very loss of hero-worship for Alexander, and his significance to our very identity, that has allow this crisis to appear.

It is because of this, that we must re-examine the very meaning, Alexander holds for the Hellenic people. He was Megas Alexandros, the visionary whose cultural impact led to the birth of Hellenistic culture and the spread of Hellenic Civilization across the known world. Born of Macedonia and Epirus, Alexander dared to envision a united Hellas, where artificial city-state borders and different dialects, no longer divided our people. He dared to envision a Hellenic world, where Hellenic philosophy and culture would unite mankind and give birth to a new era of peace and brotherhood. Yet today, unlike the days in which Roman Families would embroidered into their clothing, images of Alexander, you’re more likely to see a young Hellenic American wearing a Che Guevara Tshirt, than an Alexander one.

He was Megas Alexandros, the great warrior, who armed with a Hellenic education, defeated greatest Empire of his time, marching through Syria, Egypt, Mesopotamia and Persia, to seek retribution for the burning of Athens generations earlier. An inspiration, whose journey and struggle, teaches us that, we must not forget the wrong doings suffered by our ancestors, but rather we should fight to avenge them, and honor them.

He was Megas Alexandros, the strategist, who even generals today measure them selves against. Constantly out numbered, Alexander was invincible in battle, and is held by some today as the most successful military commander of all time. A role model, who shows us that, all though always outnumbered, the Hellenic people can still achieve victory if we only dare our selves to believe. Was it not Alexander who said, ‘There is nothing impossible to him who will try?’ An example that is forgotten by Hellenes today, for although we are out numbered still in our struggles for our national issues, victory is still possible if we only dare to believe, and remember, that we have always been outnumbered, from Thermopylae, to the mountains of Epirus on Oxi day.

He was Megas Alexandros, the unifier, who took a collection of city-states, and kingdoms, and created a united Hellenic identity, an identity, which today faces a threat, towards the very legacy of the man, who helped to created it.

He is Megas Alexandros, our King of Kings, and we should honor him. There are some unfortunately, fellow Hellenes, that do not want us to honor him. They, who have no honor, wish to change our history, and prevent us from defending his legacy, a legacy that is rightfully ours, a right that will not be delivered upon us on a silver platter. It is a right the must be won in the halls of Congress, defended in the walls of Universities, and preached openly on all forms of media. Only through vigilance and aggressive advocacy, can this right, yours and mine, be achieved. Those individuals who wish to revision our identity, forget, they have neither the authority, nor the right, to change our history. For history is written in the stones, and remembered throughout the ages. It is a history, that is, just as much apart of me, as it is apart of you, and no government, foreign or domestic, has a right to take apart of you away.

We, as a community, can no longer afford to rely on those politicians in Athens, to defend our rights as Hellenes. It is up to each and every one of us, to become advocates for Hellenism, to lobby our different syllogi and Federations to action, and our motherland, into defending our identity.

Today, the corrupt politicians in Athens have not only been busy in their attempts, to sell the Hellenic identity of Macedonia, but they have also been trying to prevent Alexander’s worship from reappearing. I recall in the early 2000s, the Chicago-based Alexander the Great Foundation, pledged $45 million dollars to carve the likeness of Alexander into the side of a cliff in Greece. A project, which would have renewed Alexander’s significance for Hellenes, and would have brought economic benefits from tourism to Macedonia, and yet the project was blocked by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture.

The enemies of Hellenism, those imposters from the North, do not these problems. They flaunt their cult like worship, of our greatest hero, their ‘Alexander-mania’. Naming airports and highways after Alexander, and now proposing to build an eight-story high statue, of Alexandros on horseback in the center of their capital, aside a fountain surrounded by four bronze lions, guarded by bronze soldiers, one of which will be Alexander’s father, Philip, along with other statues of historical figures and a church, which will cost the small country where unemployment runs at 35% a whopping $14 million. And yet, for 17 years now, our friends in Athens have been arguing over where to put a sculpture of Alexander in our capital, leaving the likeness to gather dust in some storeroom. It his how the government of Athens honors the greatest Hellene in history?

A man, in which lies the inspiration, to save not only our identity, but the inspiration and courage needed, to solve all our national issues. And yet many inside our community frown up calls by Hellenic Activists, to aggressively approach, our national issues. To solve our issues in the same manner in which Alexandros solved his, through bold strokes, an Alexandrian Solution.

ALEXANDER'S GREEK ANCESTRY