Steve Saragil's reflections on Macedonian matters from 1994!

**Daskalot** · 11-16-2010, 03:08 PM

So what have we learned since Steve wrote this in 1994?

**Daskalot** · 11-16-2010, 03:42 PM

Here is some more.....

Date: Fri, 22 Jul 1994 23:41:24 -0400
Reply-To: Macedonian Discussion List <MAKEDON@UBVM.CC.BUFFALO.EDU>
Sender: Macedonian Discussion List <MAKEDON@UBVM.CC.BUFFALO.EDU>
From: SARAGIL STEVE <90saragi@WAVE.SCAR.UTORONTO.CA>
Subject: My Story

This is my story,
My family is from the NOW border village of Sveti German, Aegean
Macedonia. It is a village on lake Prespa directly south of the village
of Bracino in the Republic of Macedonia. My family and all the other
families of the village were and are of Macedonian descent. No greek
blood ever flowed in our village until the beginning of this century.
When Macedonia was one whole under the Ottoman empire, German enjoyed a
a glorious reign as the largest village in its region. It had just
under 4000 people which in those days (early 1900's) was considered a
large town. Well to make a long story short...
With the occupation by greece of Macedonia's southern territory,
everything and anything associated with being Macedonian was made
illegal by persuction, abuse and ultimately (and the most common route)
DEATH! The village name was changed from Sveti German to the disgusting
name it holds today - Agios Germanos. *puke*
All the villagers family names were changed to resemble greek ones.
My family name was changed from Saragilovski to Saragiopoulos. Some
families names were completely changed to something totally different.
(ie. Mangov to Papoulias) Our street name was also changed to
"Odos Pavlos Melas". *barf*
Everything was now greek and one had to declare oneself a greek person
by citizenship (naturally), but also by blood. This made no sense to
many people who continued to publicly call themselves Macedonian and
publicly spoke the "forbidden" Macedonian language. Well....these
people also died publicly in open village executions to make examples of
those who fought against the greek regime. The pearl of the Balkan
penninsula was now in greek hands and they would not let the fertile
soil slip through their fingertips. Greece-proper is one huge rock that
would be lucky to grow moss, let alone peppers, wheat, rice, etc. that
Macedonia could.
Without Macedonia, greece would be a non-country; insignificant in the
newly resource based socities that would flourish in years to come.
Death was a common sight for Macedonians. It is impossible, literally
impossible to find one family or person that did not suffer by losing at
least one person at the hands of the greek government. I lost my
grandfather in WWII when the greek army took him and all the other men
from my village and made them fight the Italians in the Greek-Italian war.
My grandfather lost his life defending a country he deplored - greece.
Greeks love to use the argument that they lost love ones too.
This is true.....however the only difference is that we lost our
loved ones to the hands of the greek government and people. The greeks
lost their to the hands of the Turkish government. We inflicted no
offensive on the greek government and people, but merely attempted to
defend our land, homes, families and pride. The argument that greeks
lost alot in those years falls on deaf ears here and on Macedonians
around the world because they brought it on themselves. Macedonians
NEVER gave a tenth of a percent of anguish that the greeks gave to us.
In the years following WWII, the greek government exiled all Macedonians
that did not declare themselves greek. Women and children were forced
to eastern bloc countries and were forbidden to ever return to their homes.
Today, my grandmother who lives in Skopje is forbidden to lay a flower
at her husbands grave in German. She cannot return to her home, the
land she was born and raised in - because she is a troublemaker -
because she is Macedonian. The greek government is SCARED that an 80
year old women who can barely walk will turn their government upside
down if they let her in the country. They are COWARDS!!!!!!
This is the same fate that MILLIONS upon MILLIONS of Macedonians living
in Macedonia, greece and all other countries have had to deal with.
Today, it is estimated that their are over 1 million Macedonians in
greece and that is a VERY conservative estimate. Our stories will be
heard and justice will be served to those in the greek government and
society that continue to spread the lies and propoganda of the
Macedonian people who are 100% NON-greek.
Only with the emergence of the Republic of Macedonia can this voice be
heard. That little republic of 2 million will help its people from
all borders make sure that their basic human rights, which are not
guaranteed in greece, be met.
Greece will Never live in Peace until Macedonians receive their justice.
Its funny.....why is it that of course some countries have enemies and
some have none....but greece has deep wounds with ALL countries
that it stole from. IF you peel away all that greece has taken from
others, you will find an empty carcas of a people shocked to find that
they have been living a lie - a lie that they invented and a lie that
ultimately destroyed them.

Peace
Saragil

Source: http://www.b-info.com/places/Macedon...7/94-07-19.dig

Steve Saragil's reflections on Macedonian matters from 1994!

Steve Saragil's reflections on Macedonian matters from 1994!

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