If Macedonians in Greece were treated like Gypsies

By David Edenden

My grandfather learned to read English by reading the stories about the Toronto Maple Leafs in the newspaper.

One day at his house, I saw an in-depth article in the paper about Gypsies in Skopje. This was in the 1980's. It said Gypsies had their own suburb, city councilors, a Member of Parliament, and I believe they could learn their Rom language for a few hours a week and I think a radio show in their own language.

Many commentators have praised Macedonia for being relatively accepting of Gypsies, as opposed to their neighbors. 

My thought: If Macedonia is a model for the treatment of Gypsies in Eastern Europe, they they must be really treated like sh** in those countries.

I can't remember the article very well but my grandfather's reaction, I do remember very well.

I was watching quietly, and impatiently, as he read and re-read the article making sure, I guess, that he understood the whole thing. 

When he finished he took off his glasses, and slightly trembling, he said in a quivering voice full of emotion:

"If Macedonians in Greece were treated the way that Gypsies are treated in the Republic of Macedonia, I would be happy".

MINA Breaking News - Janissary Traianos Dellas/Nedelkov may enter Greek Parliament

By David Edenden
This is very sad reading and an illustration of why Macedonians (in Greece) are soooo divided in many incomprehensible ways. This person probably took his children to the anti-Macedonian demonstrations in the 1990's in Thessaloniki (Solon) where people chanted "death to Slavic Gypsy pigs". His children probably never knew that they probably had cousins across the Macedonian border.

I blame Nato/EU because Greek values equal Nato/EU values by definition. 

Traianos has been offered an MP seat with the LAOS party which is the neo-Nazi party and part of the current Greek coalition. 

Steven Spielberg ... great movie material here. Anti-Semite and Macedonian traitor to his own people ... I hope it will have a happy ending.

MINA Breaking News - Janissary Traianos Dellas/Nedelkov may enter Greek Parliament:

Janissary Traianos Dellas/Nedelkov may enter Greek Parliament

Thursday, 01 March 2012

According to information coming out of Athens, there will be another ethnic Macedonian that is likely to enter Greek Parliament. It's famous football player Traianos Dellas, whose original last name is Nedelkov and is well known for his hatred towards Macedonia despite both of his parents being ethnic Macedonians. 'Dellas' grew up speaking Macedonian, but today similarly to former PM Karamanlis is the biggest "Greek" of all. However, Dellas would not be the only ethnic Macedonian MP in Athens. Another Macedonian MP in Greek Parliament is Aggelos Tolkas, who just few days ago was attacked at a Restaurant in Negush (Naoussa) for voting 'yes' for Greece's austerity measures. The mob attacked mostly his food, according to local reports Tolkas had his meal stolen. Tolkas' family hails from Veshtica (Agelohori) where the main language spoken is Macedonian. He too, just like his family speaks Macedonian. During the election campaign, when needing votes, Tolkas was known to visit Macedonian villages in the Negush region and mingle with locals who in turn saw him as "their own". Tolkas was very clever and spoke Macedonian only when needed, i.e. when he needed votes for Parliament. He never was involved or helped ethnic Macedonians who waged battles in and outside of Greek Parliament for more rights. His re-election is now very much in doubt. Greeks saw him as a sell out, while the Macedonians were very disappointed with his attitude towards them once he was elected. Although Tolkas was of no help to the Macedonians, he was no match for another ethnic Macedonian Stelious Papathemelis who was one of the most famous jannisary against the Macedonians in Greece. Papathemelis was born in the village of Visoka, near Solun. In 1928 Athens ironically changed the name of the village by giving it another Macedonian name (Osa). Papathemelis was a Minister in multiple PASOK Governments. His most famous statement is "If Skopjans feel they are Macedonians, then they are Greeks, only Greeks are Macedonians". <-- This came from an ethnic Macedonian in Greece. Papathemelos was replaced by another ethnic Macedonian, Yorgos Tanos who was born in the village of Javoreni (Platani). More Macedonians from the Voden and Lerin (Florina) region were involved in Greek politics - Traianos Petkanis born in Ovcarani and Pavlos Altinis from Gorno Vrbeni, however none managed to climb higher on the ladder. The Mayor of Lerin (Florina) today, Yiannis Voskopoulos is by far the most interesting case of all. He is first cousin of none other but Pavle Filipov Voskopoulos who is the leading Macedonian activist in Greece and member of Vinozhito. Pavle, of course has stated publicly on many occasions that he is an ethnic Macedonian, has even gotten few minutes of air time on Greek national TV. Yiannis on the other hand speaks fluent Macedonian (just like his cousin) and has stated publicly that he is a Greek and there is no such thing as Macedonians. Talk about a man without a soul!? Lastly, footballer Traianos Dellas/Nedelkov, another ethnic Macedonian who is well known to the Macedonian public after controversial remarks at a press conference during UEFA Cup match between AS Roma and FC Vardar. When asked about his origins by a Macedonian journalist (in Macedonian), Dellas/Nedelkov didn't wait for a translation, but answered that he was Greek and is aware of only 'Greek Macedonia'. Traianos has been offered an MP seat with the LAOS party, so we may have another Macedonian Janissary in Greek Parliament. It seems that everyone, Dellas included will end up where they need to end up. //Mile Velkovski, contributor - Jorgos Papadakis

Christopher Hitchens Help Defend the Macedonian Language Radio Station in Greece

By David Edenden

In honour of the passing of Christopher Hitchens I have re-posted this article from a few weeks ago.

I know we have had our differences in the past, but I thought you might use this occasion to support the right of the ethnic Macedonian minority in Greece to defend and promote their language and culture.


In this way you will, in a fashion, be paying reparations to ethnic Macedonians for your past support of the Greek position to wipe ethnic Macedonians off the map. This would be similar to your new found concern about anti-Antisemitism below.


Anyway ... GOD BLESS ... and don't be a stranger!

Joining the Tribe Late in Life: The Ever-Widening Circle of Celebrity Jews – Forward.com: 

 Are lives changed by the knowledge? Sometimes. Hitchens, an outspoken anti-Zionist, wrote in the Forward in 2000 that his ethnic heritage meant nothing, but by 2002 he was raging in Vanity Fair about the growing anti-Semitic threat to the unwary West, including “people like me.” His anti-Zionism had morphed from a fiery radicalism into a lament that Israel hadn’t fully solved the Jews’ problems. (I asked him that fall if his Jewish roots hadn’t touched him deeper than he’d realized. His reply: “I think you’re right, chaver.”)

MINA Breaking News - Greek Priest Calls for Attack on Macedonian Radio Station:

Greek Priest Anthimos

 Greek Priest Anthimos as a "true Christian" has asked for 40-50 Greeks to board buses, go to Florina/Lerin and break and burn the Macedonian language radio station because, according to him ethnic Macedonians would air anti-Greek propaganda. 

Anthimos' statement was issued after the announcement of Pande Ashlakov, the head of (?)/Ovcarani (Florina /Lerin) who said that "Vinozito" had received a license for a Macedonian language radio station that would be broadcasting program from Florina/Lerin to Thessoloniki/Solun.

Ashlakov at the Ilinden celebration said the radio will start working at the end of the year and as part of its program will have live shows and news.

Anthimos was seething, claiming the damned people will probably name their radio "Macedonian radio".

How is this possible? Are we the Greeks allowed to have a radio station anywhere in the Balkans? asked Anthimos.

The Greek priest shouldn't be worried, for example the in the Republic of Macedonia the Macedonian State Radio (paid for by taxpayers money) has broadcasted programs in every Balkan language, including Greek Albanian and Rom (Gypsy) for more than a decade.

Greek media reported the Thessoloniki/Solun priest was asking for 40-50 volunteers to board buses head to Florina/Lerin and attack the radio station.

With losing his "What Would Jesus Do" bracelet, priest Anthimos seems to have lost his way.

(Note: the italics are my edits to the story) 

Christopher Hitchens Is Simply Evil!

By David Edenden
Below is my comment on the Christopher Hitchens article in Slate on the nature of evil in the form of al-Qaida. What is interesting about Hitchens (and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen,  et al) is the low bar for committing evil ... that is support for wiping a people off the face of the map.

Simply evil: A decade after 9/11, it remains the best description and most essential fact about al-Qaida. -

By Christopher Hitchens - Slate Magazine Monday, Sept. 5, 2011:

Christopher Hitchens

David Edenden
Chris, if you or your wife are reading these comments, I would like to remind you the you are the one that is evil for supporting Greece in its attempt to wipe ethnic Macedonians off the face of the map, both in Greece itself and the Republic of Macedonia ... all under the watchful eye of the EU/US/Nato trifecta.

Before you pass, by way of reparations to ethnic Macedonians for your past misdeeds, please travel to the town of Florina (Lerin) in the Greek province of Macedonia, where 50% of the population is of ethnic Macedonian origin, to protest the call of Greek priest, Metropolitan Anthimos of Thessaloniki (Solun), to (burn down a Macedonian language radio station) ... and I quote:

"We have some of those who were left here since the Civil War period, as we call it, that difficult period, who did not leave to the other side and stayed here with us... [They] are now revolting, and are instigated from abroad by the Skopian [sic] propaganda … That is why we address to the Ministry of Interior and deputy ministers relevant to the media to tell us: is it true, such a radio station will become in Meliti . . . yes or no? If it is yes, then I, and the youth, and anyone else who wants to . . . [with] at least 40 or 50 buses must go there, and together with our brothers in Florina and Meliti, we will destroy everything into broken glass and nails . . . It is not possible to do the job differently."

Nice!

THE MISTREATMENT OF GREECE'S ETHNIC MACEDONIAN MINORITY IS THE INSPIRATION FOR EVERY RACIST, EVERY FASCIST AND EVERY ETHNIC CLEANSER IN THE BALKANS! BY DEFINITION, THESE VALUES ARE ALSO NATO AND EU VALUES ... because of your fervent support for the Greek position, they are also your values Chris.

Anyway ... GOD BLESS ... and don't be a stranger!

Turkey to Return Seized Property to Religious Minorities - NYTimes.com

By David Edenden 

Now if we can only get the EU to pressure Greece in support of ethnic Macedonians.

Turkey to Return Seized Property to Religious Minorities - NYTimes.com: "

ANKARA, Turkey — The Turkish government said it would return hundreds of properties that were confiscated from religious minorities by the state or other parties over the years since 1936, and would pay compensation for properties that were seized and later sold.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan made the announcement on Sunday to representatives of more than 150 Christian and Jewish trusts gathered at a dinner he hosted in Istanbul to break the day’s Ramadan fast. The government decree to return the properties, bypassing nationalist opposition in Parliament, was issued late Saturday.

The European Union, which Turkey has applied to join, has pressed the country to ease or eliminate laws and policies that discriminate against non-Muslim religious groups, including restrictions on land ownership. Many of the properties, including schools, hospitals, orphanages and cemeteries, were seized after 1936 when trusts were called to list their assets, and in 1974 a separate ruling banned the groups from purchasing any new real estate."

Macedonians (ethnic group) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

By David Edenden


From Wikipedia, this list of Macedonians around the world is interesting and useful. An expanded article giving the details and background of each figure would be great.


The EU paid for a special census for the Republic of Macedonia to appease the Albanian minority. It was headed by a Greek ... yeah you read it right the first time. Macedonians in Greece, Bulgaria and Albania have no such EU protection in their respective censuses. No one in the western media thought that this was newsworthy.


The EU/US/Nato are not friends of Macedonia.


I would have preferred the real census figure in counties where this is available. Some countries assume ethnicity and country of origin are the same, therefore an ethnic Macedonia from Greece, would be identified as Greek. In Canada, the estimates of 200,000 Macedonians counts Grkomans (pro Greek Ethnic Macedonians) which I would exclude.

Macedonians (ethnic group) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Republic of Macedonia 1,297,981[3]

Australia 83,978–200,000 [4][5] Italy 92,847 [6] Germany 62,295 - 85,000 [5][7] Switzerland 61,304 - 63,000 [5][8] United States 57,200–200,000 [5][9] Brazil 45,000 [2] Canada 37,055 - 200,000 [10][11] Turkey 31,518 [12] Argentina 30,000 [2] Serbia 25,847 [13] Austria 13,696 - 15,000 [5][14] Netherlands 10,000 - 15,000 [5] Czech Republic 11,623 [15] United Kingdom 9,000 [5] Hungary 7,253 [15] Albania 4,697 - 35,000 (est.) [16] Slovakia 4,600 [17] Croatia 4,270 [18] Slovenia 3,972 [19] Sweden 3,669 - 15,000 [5][20] Belgium 3,419 [21] Denmark 3,349 - 12,000 [5][22] Norway 3,045 [23] France 2,300 - 15,000 [24] Bosnia and Herzegovina 2,278 [25] Poland 2,000 - 4,500 [26][27] Bulgaria 1,654 [28] Russia 1,000 [26] Montenegro 900 [29] Greece 747 (2001 census) 10,000 – 30,000 (1999 est.) [30][31] Romania 731 - 6,000 [32

Where's The Outrage ... Greek Racist Priest!

By David Edenden


I have no doubt that should this priest  show up in Florida, he would be greeted  .... warmily ... by Ileana Ros-Lehtinen ... there's the bub!

United Macedonian Diaspora - UMD Calls For Greek Metropolitan's Excommunication: UMD Calls For Greek Metropolitan's Excommunication
Saturday, 20 August 2011

August 20, 2011 – Washington, D.C. – The United Macedonian Diaspora (UMD) expressed its outrage at Sunday’s sermon by Metropolitan Anthimos of Thessaloniki (Solun).*  He called upon Greek youth and others to join him in 40-50 buses, travel to the town of Meliti (Ovcharani),* and destroy a planned Macedonian language radio station.
The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Istanbul oversees the Holy Metropolises of the “New Lands,” including Thessaloniki (Solun).  In a letter, UMD called upon the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to publically condemn Anthimos’s incitements to violence, and to initiate proceedings for his immediate excommunication.
“Anthimos is a shameful embarrassment to all of Orthodoxy and should be stripped of his title by the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Holy and Sacred Synod,” said UMD President Metodija A. Koloski.  “This rhetoric is barbaric and injurious to Greece, the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Greek Orthodox Church.  Instead of promoting Christian values of peace, tolerance and togetherness, Anthimos uses his position of trust to incite the Greek nation to ethnic hatred and violence.  As a Christian leader, Anthimos's speech is completely unacceptable, and he deserves to be excommunicated.”
On Sunday, August 14, 2011, Metropolitan Anthimos stated the following, which was captured on video:
"We have some of those who were left here since the Civil War period, as we call it, that difficult period, who did not leave to the other side and stayed here with us... [They] are now revolting, and are instigated from abroad by the Skopian [sic] propaganda … That is why we address to the Ministry of Interior and deputy ministers relevant to the media to tell us:  is it true, such a radio station will become in Meliti . . . yes or no?  If it is yes, then I, and the youth, and anyone else who wants to . . .  [with] at least 40 or 50 buses must go there, and together with our brothers in Florina and Meliti, we will destroy everything into broken glass and nails . . . It is not possible to do the job differently."
Despite nominal leadership from the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Istanbul, the Greek Orthodox Church is enshrined in the Greek constitution as the "prevailing" religion, and the state pays the clergy's salaries and pensions.  "The Greek State's use of the clergy to terrorize Macedonians in northern Greece has a long and bloody history, going back to the likes of Bishop Germanos Karavangelis, who ordered beheadings in the streets of Kostur,*" said UMD Voice Magazine Editor Mark Branov.  "It is long past due for the Greek Orthodox Church to fully adhere to Christian principles of love and tolerance, and for the Greek state to use its laws for something other than persecuting national minorities."
Today, UMD also urged the Macedonian minority in Meliti (Ovcharani), the Mayor of that town, Panagiotis Anastasiadis (Pande Ashlakov),** and the organizers of said radio station to bring a case against Metropolitan Anthimos, and ask the Public Prosecutor to lay appropriate charges under Greek law.  UMD believes Metropolitan Anthimos’s public appeal for violence is a clear violation of Greek law, and the Public Prosecutor must intervene.

-----------------------------------
Notes:
*Solun and Ovcharani are the Macedonian names of these cities prior to the Greek state forcibly renaming them Thessaloniki and Meliti, respectively.  Kostur is the Macedonian name of the city in Greece, Kastoria.
**Pande Ashlakov is the Macedonian name of the Mayor of Ovcharani; however, due to anachronistic and remarkably oppressive laws of the Greek state and the Greek Orthodox Church, one may not be baptized in Greece without a “Greek” name.
-----------------------------------
Video of Bishop Anthimos's sermon in full (in Greek):http://belomorskamacedonia.blogspot.com/2011/08/blog-post_15.html
Translation below:In the difficulties and storms we face in our lives, as I mentioned before, those we have next to us are included.  I do not say this myself, it is in a prestigious newspaper, and I am saying also its name . . . is “The Investor’s World” of last Sunday’s issue.  You cannot read it from there, I am showing it with the newspaper, so you will not think this is a rumor or something we invented . . . I will tell you, because you cannot read it from a distance . . .  “in preparation is a radio station of the Skopians [sic] in Greece”.  Do you hear that?  And also those who are watching us, do you hear that?  “Representatives self-defining as Macedonians announced through a newspaper in Fyrom [sic] that they have already got a license and are preparing to broadcast in their idiom [sic].  The president of the Florina municipality district of Meliti, Panagiotis Anastasiadis, who likes to be named also with a Skopian name [sic], announced a radio station that will broadcast in the slav-Macedonian idiom [sic]”.  On the top there is the internet address of the newspaper that announces the operation of such radio station.  What can I say to you?  The newspaper is valid, and here, this guy has made a statement and is about an interview he gave to a Skopian [sic] newspaper:  “The member of the Rainbow Party and president of the municipal district of Meliti Panagiotis Anastasiadis or, as he likes to be named, Pande Ashlakov” who among other statements against Greece and some against us, is saying that “We are ready, we have the license ready and we will take it and start the broadcasting of the radio station.”  Is this possible, I ask you?  Can we Greeks go and make radio stations in any Balkan country or any other?  What’s happening here?  We have some of those who were left here since the Civil War period, as we call it, that difficult period, who did not leave to the other side and stayed here with us, they have, of course, Greek origin and live here but were brought up for many years with their conditions.  So, those who stayed here or who took care to stay here, are now revolting and are instigated from abroad by the Skopian [sic] propaganda, together with the other things they are doing, like statues, etc. and are trying to create this issue . . . They will make also a TV station.  And now I beg and ask this moment:  Mr. president of the region of Central Macedonia, because they are saying they will address to all Macedonians and also the Thessalonikians, their announcement says, Mr. president of the region of Western Macedonia, gentlemen of the remaining secretariat of the Ministry of Macedonia and Thrace we had but was abolished (I complained then to Mr. Papandreou, and he told me “no, we will have a substitute”.  What substitute, there is nothing!).  To whom we can address to tell us what is going to be with this?  That is why we address to the Ministry of Interior and deputy ministers relevant to the media to tell us:  is it true, such a radio station will be become in Meliti and by which the Skopian [sic] propaganda will be broadcast inside Greece, so they will create an issue in Macedonia, yes or no?  If it is yes, then I and the youth, and anyone who wants to, I will say it like I feel it, I do not know what will happen, if we say yes and they do it, at least 40-50 buses must go there and together with our brothers in Florina and Meliti, we will destroy everything into broken glass and nails.  Otherwise it is not possible to do the job differently . . .
Previous UMD Press Releases related to Metropolitan Anthimos:April 1, 2011:  http://umdiaspora.org/content/view/554/52/April 6, 2010:  http://umdiaspora.org/content/view/467/52/November 7, 2007:  http://umdiaspora.org/content/view/277/66/