Macedonian Abecedar re-published in Greece after 81 years

It is really good news that the Abecedar is being published in Greece. It is interesting to note that the first government publication in the Macedonian language was produced (but not published) by the Greek government in 1925. It's hard to argue (but not impossible, I suppose) that Tito invented the Macedonian language with this book floating around in Greece.




Macedonian Abecedar re-published in Greece after 81 years

Makfax Skopje, October 3, 2006

The Macedonian-language primer entitled Abecedar, which was published in Athens in 1925 as a result of recognition of Macedonian ethnic minority after the World War I, was re-published in Greece.

The re-publication of the Abecedar, which actually never reached the children of the Macedonian national minority in Greece, was wrapped up recently in Thessaloniki, Skopje's Dnevnik daily said.

The promotion of Abecedar will take place soon in Athens as well as in Thessaloniki and other cities with Macedonian population.

Athanasios Parisis, head of Greek Committee at the European Bureau for Lesser Used Languages (EBLUL), told Dnevnik daily that re-publication of Abecedar is a living proof on Greece's failure to deny the existence of Macedonians.

The publication of the Abecedar was supported by the European and the Greek Bureau on Lesser Used Languages, including the Rainbow party funded by Macedonians in Greece, a member of the European Free Alliance.

The Abecedar, featuring the letters of the Macedonian language spoken in the Aegean part of Macedonia, was printed in Latin alphabet as Greek authorities wanted to make a distinction between the Macedonian, Serbian and Bulgarian language.

In 1920 the League of Nations initiated the signing of treaties relating to the protection of the minorities in a number of European countries, which specified the obligations of the states with regard to providing such minorities with civil and political equality. On August 10, 1920 such a treaty for the protection of the non-Greek ethnic minorities in Greece was signed between the Great Powers and Greece; it was named the Treaty of Sevres. The Treaty of Sevres guaranteed that minorities in Greece free use of their mother tongue in their personal and official relations. /end/