Risto Stefov - Articles, Translations & Collaborations

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  • Onur
    Senior Member
    • Apr 2010
    • 2389

    Originally posted by DirtyCodingHabitz View Post
    You've been watching to many movies. But it also might be your nationalistic propaganda kicking in .

    Btw beware cuz when Greeks says "you barbarians are living in caves", they literally mean it, lol .

    I can never forget the interviews of Greek Cypriot students in 1990s. They were saying that when they were young, they were thinking like the Turks at north of the island living in caves by eating raw meat cuz thats what have been told to them since their childhood.

    So, the fantasy world of modern Greeks is as big as the mythology of ancient Hellenes. So, maybe this is the only common thing between them but their modern fantasy is not created by them but imposed by others.
    Last edited by Onur; 09-15-2010, 07:53 PM.

    Comment

    • Risto the Great
      Senior Member
      • Sep 2008
      • 15658

      Originally posted by Onur View Post
      Btw beware cuz when Greeks says "you barbarians are living in caves", they literally mean it, lol .

      I can never forget the interviews of Greek Cypriot students in 1990s. They were saying that when they were young, they were thinking like the Turks at north of the island living in caves by eating raw meat cuz thats what have been told to them since their childhood.

      So, the fantasy world of modern Greeks is as big as the mythology of ancient Hellenes. So, maybe this is the only common thing between them but their modern fantasy is not created by them but imposed by others.
      Onur, many would think you are joking a little. But I have Macedonian relatives from Greece who were told as children that all Bulgarians had one eye. They were so freaked out as children that they never learned the truth until reaching adulthood. Now everyone who is the EU are brothers so this is no longer a problem ....
      Risto the Great
      MACEDONIA:ANHEDONIA
      "Holding my breath for the revolution."

      Hey, I wrote a bestseller. Check it out: www.ren-shen.com

      Comment

      • Makedonetz
        Senior Member
        • Apr 2010
        • 1080

        whats the saying?

        Macedonians invented it...Bulgarians copied it....Greece exploit it
        Makedoncite se borat
        za svoite pravdini!

        "The one who works for joining of Macedonia to Bulgaria,Greece or Serbia can consider himself as a good Bulgarian, Greek or Serb, but not a good Macedonian"
        - Goce Delchev

        Comment

        • DirtyCodingHabitz
          Member
          • Sep 2010
          • 835

          Originally posted by Makedonetz View Post
          whats the saying?

          Macedonians invented it...Bulgarians copied it....Greece exploit it
          Got that right.

          Comment

          • George S.
            Senior Member
            • Aug 2009
            • 10116

            Are Greeks for Real?

            Are Greeks for Real?



            By Risto Stefov

            [email protected]

            September 26, 2010



            Despite the numerous articles I have written expressing my understanding of the Modern Greeks, there are Greeks out there, defying logic and common sense, who still believe or pretend to believe that they are descendents of the so-called “ancient Greeks”! How do I know this? They send me e-mails to let me know and say they want to “educate” me about their glorious heritage. Unfortunately their attempts to “educate” me don’t end there; some Greeks cannot pass up the opportunity to take a jab, to grind some salt, to let me know how “Slavic” I am and how I have nothing to do with being Macedonian!



            I have two choices here, I can ignore the e-mails and say nothing or I can take the offensive and respond to these Greeks with facts not on questions about my identity but on the questions about theirs. I say to them there is no such thing as pure Greeks, descendents of the ancient Greeks, there are only mongrel Greeks, another Balkan people, just like the rest of the Balkan people. This is not because “I say so” myself but because it is a proven fact. It is outright ignorant to believe that you are pure Greeks descended from a people that went extinct two millenniums ago in a country that thinks it is ethnically homogeneous. Not only is this “not right” but you make it very easy to prove it wrong!



            By your own Greek admission you claim that only pure Greeks live in Greece and among those Greeks you include the Macedonians and other people that your state acquired by force of arms during the 1912, 1913 Balkan Wars. At the same time you claim that the Macedonians north of the Greek border are “Slavs”, Albanians, Vlachs, Roma, etc.; a totally different people than the Greeks!



            Do you not realize that the Greek border that divides today’s Greece from the Republic of Macedonia was arbitrarily placed there in 1913? Do you not realize that there was no border between Macedonia and Greece since Philip II demolished the Ancient City States at the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BC? No border for 2,251 years. I would say that’s a long time wouldn’t you?



            Do you also not realize that the entire borderless Balkan region was invaded and occupied by various conquerors and settlers since 338 BC? This includes the Romans, Eastern Romans, Ottomans, etc., to name a few. Do you not think that these people left their mark in Greece as they have in other regions in the Balkans?



            Do you not realize that a “Greek State” never existed before 1829? The ancient City States were conquered by Philip II and were never united into a single “Greek” nation until the creation of the Greek Kingdom in 1832 and this was done artificially by the Philhellenes. Do you not realize that ethnically, the people that make up Greece today are no different than the people that make up the rest of the southern Balkans? No borders for 2,251 years, remember?



            If you think “Slavs”, Albanians, Vlachs, Turks and Roma live in the Republic of Macedonia, what makes you think that these same people don’t live in Greece? Are we expected to believe that only pure Greeks, descendents of the ancient Greeks live in Greece, a region that existed for 2,251 years borderless, because you say so? Where is your proof? How can you even consider such a ridiculous claim?



            Aside from using “common sense” to disprove your claim that you are “Greeks”, descendents of the so-called “ancient Greeks” let us have a look at what others, or what you Greeks call “unbiased sources” have to say;



            In the book “Athens and Southern Greece” by Dana Facaros and Linda Theodorou, on page 129 we read “…- much of Attica is mountainous, ‘a fleshless skeleton’ as Plato called it. The mountains do what they can to keep Greater Athens from becoming greater, although developers inch a bit further up the slopes every year. It is hard to believe now, but under the Turks Attica was so sparsely populated that Albanians were transplanted here wholesale to till the land and fish the seas; in many villages you can still hear the old men chanting Albanian.”



            Albanians in Athens, they can hardly be “pure” Greeks, descendents of the ancient Greeks!



            In the same book “Athens and Southern Greece” by Dana Facaros and Linda Theodorou, on page 175 speaking about Angistri (Hook Island) near Aegina we read “Most of the inhabitants are descendents from Albanian refugees and still keep up some Albanian customs.”



            In the book “Balkan Background” by Bernard Newman, on page 263 we read “…the Orthodox Albanians are more fervently pro-Greek than the Greeks themselves. At the same time however, there over 100,000 people of Albanian stock in Greece proper…”

            “In its short course as a Republic Greece had only three presidents – Coundouriotis, Zaimis and Pangalos. All three were of Albanian stock.”



            Albanians were Greek Presidents? For God’s sake even your presidents were not “pure” Greeks, descendents of the ancient Greeks!



            In the book “Turkey in Europe” by Sir Charles Elliot, on page 299 we read “It must be confessed that, though in the beginning of this century the Greeks showed more energy than any other Christian race, those who now remain in Turkey (except the islanders) are not remarkable for physical vigour or military capacity. This is, no doubt, partly due to the fact that the people who revolted against Mahmud were largely Hellenized Vlachs and Albanians, who under the modern system, would not be regarded as Greeks.”



            In the book “Greece Old and New”, edited by Tom Winnifrith and Penelope Murray, there is an article written by Nicholas Hammond which on page 39 reads “The migrations of Albanians is the best attested and in many ways the most instructive in Greece. I first met Albanians in 1930… We had difficulty staying because they were rather suspicious of us, but we stayed with a man who talked Greek in his main language, although he talked to his wife in Albanian.

            The ancestors of these people probably came to Epidaurus in the fourteenth or fifteenth century [AD], but they are still talking Albanian as their mother tongue in 1930.”



            This is Hammond, your favourite historian saying these things. How can that even be possible?



            Hammond, on page 40, went on to say “Albanian was the language they talked among themselves, but they also could talk Greek. This was their second language although they lived in Greece.

            The problem I hope to deal with is how did the Albanians get from this remote part of the Kurvelesh down to all parts of the Greek peninsula, and indeed the Islands…”



            What? More Albanians living all over Greece? How can that be in homogeneous Greece where only pure Greeks, descendents of the ancient Greeks, live?



            Then on page 44, Hammond goes on to say “This was done at the Isthmus of Corinth in about 1338 [AD]. A group of 10,000 Albanians with their families appeared there, and asked if they could be admitted to the Peloponnese. They were accepted by Theodore who was the principle ruler of the Peloponnese, and took them on condition that they would be his soldiers and that they would cultivate the lands he gave them. So they were brought into the Peloponnese and used in that way. Again the Venetians invited them into Euboea and the Catalans invited them into Attica. They came in and settled. That was in the late fourteenth and early fifteenth century [AD], and the descendents of these people were still talking Albanian when I was in Greece in the 1930s.”



            On page 45, Hammond continues “They [the Turks] used the Albanians from then on as mercenaries and as settlers of areas which were derelict. So the Albanian incursions in Greece continued under the Turkish system and went on right on into the eighteenth century. It was coupled with a migration of Albanians by sea in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries [AD] to Italy. They also went from the Albanian coast and from Epirus right around the tail of the Peloponnes on to Samos and Cos and Rhodes, where considerable Albanian communities were established. Other Albanians spread, with the help of the Turks, into Hydra and Spetsae and Andros. There are Albanians proved to be excellent seamen, and in the Greek War of Independence, they, above all, drove the Turks out. The most famous to us perhaps are Byron’s Suliotes, who were entirely Albanian. The village called Paleokhori-Botsaris takes its name from the great hero of the resistance of the 1820’s, Botsaris. His village was close to Suli in Epirus. The heroes of the naval war were the seamen of Spetsae and Hydra who were themselves Albanians.”



            For God’s sake Hammond, are there no pure Greeks, descendents of the Ancient Greeks in Greece? What are you trying to say?



            The above texts written by Hammond I dedicate to those Greeks who “insist” that I read Hammond to “properly educate” myself. I am sure they meant for me to read Hammond’s work on the Ancient Macedonians when they made this suggestion but you know how I am, I took their advice literally and read all of Hammonds works so that I could get “properly educated”! I have the “Greeks” to thank for that and TrueMacedonian for pointing me to these texts!



            So, even after what Hammond said about the Modern Greeks, should I still be “busting my head” to explain that “Greeks do not exist”? That they are a figment of the 18th and 19th century Philhellene imagination? The more the Greeks stubbornly “insist” that they are pure Greeks, descendents of the ancient Greeks, the more they expose their lies and deceit!



            I know many of you Greeks were taught to believe the myth that you are pure Greeks, descendents of the ancient Greeks. But before you tell me “who I am” you should first find out who you are! Before you tell me “to educate myself” shouldn’t you first “educate” yourselves, especially about your own identity?



            Before I end this article, I would like to present you with one more text from the book “The Making of Eastern Europe From the Earliest Times to 1815”, by David Turnock. On page 292 we read “Who were the traders who kept the Ottoman Empire in touch with the wider world?

            It was overwhelmingly ‘Greek’ a label that covers not only ethnic Greeks but Hellenized Orthodox people such as Armenians, Bulgarians, Macedonians and Vlachs as well. Even Serbs who initially resisted any identification with Greek culture were being converted at the turn of the century…”



            So again, one needs to ask “What exactly is Greek?”! Well you can be sure of one thing, and that is, that “Greek” is not an “ethnic identity”.



            Macedonians, is it worth “giving up” our country’s name to please these fake people who themselves don’t know who or what they are? And why are we negotiating our God given historical name with people who don’t even have a real identity!
            "Ido not want an uprising of people that would leave me at the first failure, I want revolution with citizens able to bear all the temptations to a prolonged struggle, what, because of the fierce political conditions, will be our guide or cattle to the slaughterhouse"
            GOTSE DELCEV

            Comment

            • George S.
              Senior Member
              • Aug 2009
              • 10116

              Greece is a fake manufactured by the powers that be.They have tried to destroy our macedonian identity.They have tried to acquire our history & say it's theirs.Despite all this we still exist like a thorn in their sides as we remind them that they are fakes & we are the real macedonians we will not give up the fight to prove who we are real & the greeks are fakes.
              "Ido not want an uprising of people that would leave me at the first failure, I want revolution with citizens able to bear all the temptations to a prolonged struggle, what, because of the fierce political conditions, will be our guide or cattle to the slaughterhouse"
              GOTSE DELCEV

              Comment

              • George S.
                Senior Member
                • Aug 2009
                • 10116

                International Day at CFB Borden – Sep 30, 2010

                International Day at CFB Borden – Sep 30, 2010



                By Risto Stefov

                October 1, 2010







                On September 30th, 2010 the summer version of the bi-annual event known as “International Day” was again celebrated here in Canada at Canadian Forces Base Borden. I am happy once again to have been there and to report on this great event which is improving every year and where more than twenty countries (23 during this event) participate and show off their culture and cuisine. International Day is put on twice a year by CFB Borden to honour the countries that participate in the CFB Borden School for foreign military personnel studying English. And as one Canadian officer put it, it is an activity for the students to organize and participate in.



                This was the fourth International Day that I have attended and my expectations were more than met. This time I can say with certainty that I contributed to the event, first by advertising about it to my Macedonian readers and second by assisting with the preparations, not only with the Macedonian booth but also with other booths. I wrote about previous International days and many of my readers urged me to let them know about this one and sure enough many attended, some for the first time.



                I am happy to say that I was glad to see some new faces and many old ones who I had seen at previous events, particularly from the Macedonian community. I was also happy to once again say hello to the teachers who teach at the base and the Canadian officers and staff who organize and assist in this event.



                I am also happy to have again met familiar faces from the other communities such as the Montenegrins, Ukrainians, Bosnians, Croatians and others who surprisingly remembered me. The Montenegrins, who by the way had their booth beside the Macedonians, even sang Macedonian songs to spur the Macedonian community to join their chorus.



                Knowing what to expect in terms of the various cuisines, I did not eat lunch that day as I was expected to be at the Base at noon. So I was prepared to do some extended food sampling at the event. Unfortunately by the time I visited the third booth I could eat no more. My sampling began at the Macedonian booth where I ate very little but after visiting the Malaysian and Chinese booths I had had my fill. It was then time for dessert. Naturally my first choice was Bosnia-Herzegovina and as usual they had the best baklava in the Base. The tulumbi too were just as sweet and delicious as I had remembered. After dessert it was time for coffee. The Bosnians were serving Turkish coffee which was great, I had two cups during the day, but the best coffee was served by the Brazilians who took extra pride in serving. But in spite of the great service, the coffee itself was proof of its excellence.



                The ladies auxiliary from St. Clement Macedonian Orthodox Cathedral arrived at the event with the food on time and the entire event went without a hitch.



                I arrived at the Base at noon and stayed with the Macedonian officers and my new friends until 1 pm at which time we headed over to where the event was to take place. As usual the hosts were a bit nervous but had enough confidence in me to show them how it was done.



                For those who later complained that the activities could have been organized a little better, what can I say, I get rookies with every new event and have to train them from scratch. Unfortunately they don’t always listen to me, especially when I tell them that large numbers of people will attend the event and we need to prepare for them. So if you found yourself without a seat, especially at the party-after-party, don’t blame me, blame the rookies.



                Even though every officer from every country was new to this, there was less anxiety in this group, mainly, I believe, because the Canadian officers and catering staff are getting better organized with delivering service. In spite of their work load, they are friendly, courteous and helpful. Many times organizers came by our booth and asked if we needed anything and if we did it was promptly delivered. Many thanks to the CFB Borden officers and staff for their courtesy and contribution in making this International Day a great success.



                Since this was my fourth time participating in International Day, my new friends, the Macedonian officers, Lieutenant Colonel Orce Jordev, Lieutenant Colonel Zoran Iliev and Major Dimce Velkov had complete trust in me that I would not steer them wrong and things would happen as planned. And as expected at opening time, 4:00 PM, the Macedonian table was ready to serve. Although he was not part of the International Day planning group, this term we had Colonel Metodija Velickovski from Macedonia, who is currently attending the short course here at CFB Borden, also attend the event.



                Although it had been the wish of the Macedonian officers to have Makedonka, our Macedonian dance group perform at this event, we found it difficult to organize. It was quite a task to take over twenty five young performers out of school on a Thursday afternoon, not to mention having to get parental permission and drivers to taxi them over one hundred and twenty kilometers one way. So in the absence of the Macedonians, the Croatian Group dominated the event with its performances. It was fantastic to see so many young Croatian performers sing and play their instruments and more fantastic to witness the crowd, including all ex Yugoslav countries, give their support by singing and dancing with them.



                I had met many of the foreign military officers over the month of visits but during the event I got to see them in their uniforms. The Macedonian officers are good friends with all the foreign officers but are particularly good friends with the two Montenegrin officers, Zoran Vukadinovich and Aleksandar Popovich and with one Bosnian officer, Nebojsa Savic with whom I often visited during my outings at CFB Borden.



                Before the place began to get busy, I decided to take a tour and visited and photographed all the booths. I began with the booths in the smaller hall starting with Russia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Guatemala, Chile, Cameroon, Mali, China, Malaysia, Poland and Jordan. In the great hall there were Albania, Croatia, Brazil, Congo, Benin, Mongolia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Paraguay, Thailand, Senegal, Uzbekistan and the Ukraine. Imagine all these countries competing for the attention of not only the visitors from the various communities, but also for the attention of every male and female Canadian officer and soldier on the base. It seems that with each event more and more people attend.



                I must mention that the Macedonians once again outdid themselves with the food. Macedonia by far had the most food and perhaps the best food, at least I found it that way. This is thanks to the St. Clement Macedonian Orthodox Church ladies auxiliary. Among the guests from the Macedonian community who attended the event were the Macedonian Consul Ljubica Damnjanovska and her husband and St. Clements’s President Vlado Dimitrievski and his wife. Many thanks to everyone who participated for their hard work, special thanks goes to the ladies auxiliary who prepared, delivered and served the food. Also a big thanks goes to all those who brought extra food, gifts and other items for our officers and for the display.



                CFB Borden is one of a few military bases here in Canada which host foreign officers. The officers are brought here to learn English and some military lingo. Canada picks up most of the tab for countries that are not NATO members. Canada usually informs each country interested in participating in its programs of the number of officers it can accommodate and the country decides who to send. In Macedonia’s case, officers who want to participate must first apply for the program. Participation was voluntary but some officers are now sent here on the recommendation of their superiors. After applications are in they are scrutinized and approved by the chain of command. The names of those approved are placed in a queue until their turn comes. The program is held twice a year; January to June and August to December.



                Besides the four month long programs, Canada also offers short programs that begin half way through the long program and last a couple of months. As I mentioned earlier Colonel Metodija Velickovski who arrived here on the 19th of September is attending the short program. I was fortunate to have met Colonel Metodija Velickovski in Macedonia while visiting there just before he left and had the opportunity to discuss his visit prior to him leaving.



                Canada provides all accommodations including recreation, outings etc. There is also a local gymnasium, soccer fields and a swimming pool available to the officers for physical activities. On weekends there are periodic planned outings and shopping trips to Barrie, Toronto and other places.



                I also want to mention that International Day at CFB Borden is a military affair where all visiting officers and soldiers and our Canadian officers and soldiers dress in uniform, each wearing their country’s colour, flag, crests and emblems with pride. It is a wonderful sight to see.



                The event lasted from about 4:00 pm when the booths opened to the public until about 7:30 pm when the guests began to leave. Afterwards the guests who remained clustered in various common rooms in the officer’s quarters for an after party get-together. Members of the local Macedonian community got together with the officers for snacks, drinks and discussions.



                All in all this was yet another great event and again I was very pleased to have met many new people and to have seen so many cultures come together at the same time under one roof. Bravo Canada and CFB Borden for your contribution in putting together such a fantastic event.



                Also many thanks to the Canadian Forces Base Borden officers and kitchen staff who worked tirelessly to make this event possible.
                Last edited by George S.; 10-03-2010, 01:18 PM. Reason: edit
                "Ido not want an uprising of people that would leave me at the first failure, I want revolution with citizens able to bear all the temptations to a prolonged struggle, what, because of the fierce political conditions, will be our guide or cattle to the slaughterhouse"
                GOTSE DELCEV

                Comment

                • George S.
                  Senior Member
                  • Aug 2009
                  • 10116

                  he reason i included this article is to show in stark contrast what's happening in canada who recognises macedonia as macedonia under it's constitutional name & has told greece in no uncertain terms to go jump.Where as in australia the greek lobby has beaten us to the punch & has swayed the labour govt in australia to only recognize us as fyrom.
                  Notice how the various communities admire & respect each other!
                  Last edited by George S.; 10-03-2010, 01:20 PM. Reason: edit
                  "Ido not want an uprising of people that would leave me at the first failure, I want revolution with citizens able to bear all the temptations to a prolonged struggle, what, because of the fierce political conditions, will be our guide or cattle to the slaughterhouse"
                  GOTSE DELCEV

                  Comment

                  • fyrOM
                    Banned
                    • Feb 2010
                    • 2180

                    GeorgeS it is good to see the Canadians recognising Macedonia by her rightful name.
                    I have heard that Melbourne alone has the largest Greek community outside of Greece let alone adding to this the Greeks in other cities in Australia. The number of votes they represent is large and hence would really require both major parties to have the same policy of recognising Macedonia in order for their votes to become irrelevant. It is an unfortunate situation and I doubt Australia will recognise Macedonia any time soon and will most likely be one of if not the last country to do so.

                    Comment

                    • George S.
                      Senior Member
                      • Aug 2009
                      • 10116

                      Falsity of Greece vs Reality of Macedonia

                      Falsity of Greece vs Reality of Macedonia



                      By Risto Stefov

                      [email protected]

                      October 17, 2010



                      On many occasions we have looked at Greece from the outside in, the way outsiders and insiders of non-Greek origin perceive it. But we have yet to look at Greece from the inside, the way it sees itself. What makes Greece, Greece and Greeks, Greeks and what makes them claim that they are “pure” and “homogeneous”?



                      In this article we will examine the conditions under which Greece became or claims to have become “pure” and “homogeneous” and what it has done and is doing to protect its claims.



                      It seems that somewhere down the line Greeks developed amnesia and forgot their real past, the true roots from which they sprung prior to the formation of their Greek state in the early 1800’s. Somewhere down the line Greeks decided to adopt a fictitious but permanent national identity with a 2,500 year old bloodline. Thus it was decided that Greeks were Greeks because they were “Greeks by birth” and because “Greek blood” flowed through their veins. But that was not all; to be fully “Greeks” and members of the so-called “Greek nation” they also needed to demonstrate their loyalty to the Greek state. Otherwise they could not be full members of the Greek nation and could not be full citizens of the Greek state. In addition to being “born Greek”, being of “Greek blood” and being loyal to the Greek state, “prospective Greeks” needed to also speak the imposed Greek language and be of the Greek Orthodox faith.



                      If a person did not meet all of the above conditions they could not be “fully” Greek! But that was not all! Besides not being fully Greek, people who lacked even one of the above criteria posed a threat to the Greek concept of a “pure and homogeneous” Greek nation. Anyone lacking any of the above mentioned criteria was treated as a security threat to the Greek state. So to defend the integrity of the Greek nation and of the Greek state, Greece declared that such people did not exist and those not meeting all the above mentioned criteria were either “traitors”, “foreigners” or “agents” working for the interests of a foreign state and enemies of Greece!



                      To discourage people from openly expressing sentiments other than those prescribed by the Greek state, Greek authorities encourage their loyal citizens and the Greek legal system to publicly identify and vilify such people. So instead of protecting their rights as citizens of Greece, as prescribed by European and International law, Greece, a member of the United Nations and the European Union, continues to practice authoritarian traditions violating peoples’ human rights.



                      Unfortunately Greek political authorities are not the only culprits involved in abusing people in Greece. Greek judiciary and the Greek Orthodox Church also take the side of the state and instead of protecting the rights and freedoms of individuals they punish those who do not fully conform. As instruments of the Greek state, Greek courts and Greek Churches have always supported repressive regimes and military dictatorships, which promoted the “purity” and “homogeneity” of Greece.



                      Violations of human rights of various ethnic groups in Greece are justified by Greece’s need to defend its “purity”, “homogeneity” and territorial integrity. So anyone who disagrees with this “Greek myth” is automatically labeled a non-Greek and therefore a potential enemy of Greece. Such “institutionalized discrimination” can be found in Article 19 of the Greek citizenship code. Here the code is specific about who is Greek and who is not and those who are not will have their Greek citizenship stripped if they leave Greece with no intention of returning. Many Macedonians and Turks have lost their Greek citizenship and properties in this way.



                      According to Article 25 in the 1975 amendment of the Greek constitution, Greece has the right to ask all its citizens “to fulfill the duty of social and national solidarity”. Why is this clause so important if everyone in Greece is Greek? A clause such as this implies that not only Greek citizens of non-Greek ethnicity exist in Greece but by definition they pose a threat to the “Greek myth”.



                      Article 25 also says that “abusive exercise of rights is not permitted”. Who decides what the limit of “exercise of rights” is? Apparently this clause was put in the Greek constitution to give the courts power to significantly restrict and limit human rights of individual Greek citizens. This includes freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom of association and freedom of movement. While on one hand the Constitution provides for all these freedoms, at least in theory, on the other hand it takes them away by giving the courts power to act against them.



                      As I stated earlier, the Greek Orthodox Church is an essential component of the Greek national identity. People who are not Orthodox Christians therefore cannot be fully Greek. Again, even though the Greek constitution officially supports “other religions” in Greece many non-Greek Orthodox Christians are denied their religious rights because they belong to so-called “unrecognized” by Greece churches or religions.



                      Although Greece, in 1963, ratified the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, it has ignored the convention’s provisions. When the Council of Europe reached a resolution that Greece, while under the junta, was guilty of violating the convention, its military rulers considered the resolution “an infringement on Greece’s sovereignty”.



                      So looking at Greece from the inside out we see that Greek political authorities, in conjunction with the Greek legal system and the Greek Orthodox Church, have done everything in their power to promulgate the “Greek myth” that only “pure Greeks” live in an ethnically and nationally “homogeneous Greece”. This inflexible and monolithic approach to Greece’s identity, unfortunately, leaves no room for diversity and therefore excludes everyone who does not fully conform. The biggest losers because of this are the Macedonian and Turkish people who live in Greece and who are still not recognized by Greece.



                      In practical terms then, how does Greece maintain its “pure” and “homogeneous” façade?



                      To explain the “unconformities” or what the Greek state calls “anomalies” Greek authorities have taken certain precautionary measures. For example, Greece calls the Macedonians “Slavophone Hellenes with a Greek national consciousness”. In other words, Macedonians are “Greeks” who speak a Slavic language. The Turks, Greece calls “Muslim Greeks” or Greeks who are of the Muslim religion. Neither Macedonians not Turks in Greece are allowed to call themselves Macedonians or Turks!



                      To bring itself to an acceptable state of “pureness” and “homogeneity” Greece, over the years, “Hellenized” everything from place names to peoples’ personal and surnames!



                      Right after the Greek state was created for the first time in 1829, Greek authorities changed all place names to correspond to ancient names and for those that it had no ancient names it invented new ones. As Greece, over the years, continued to physically grow and annex more territories it continued with its policies of “Hellenization”. After annexing Macedonian and Thracian territories in 1913, Greece continued with its well established assimilation and Hellenization policies; “Hellenizing” everything and everyone. In Macedonia for example, to remove all traces of the existence of Macedonians, it banned the Macedonian language and renamed all Macedonian personal and place names with Greek ones. After that the Greek Orthodox Church became the “Hellenizer” of the Macedonians by making sure that all Macedonian babies were baptized with Greek names.



                      Afterwards the Greek state continued to implement repressive policies and, through strict laws, punishments and oath taking, made sure that the population conformed and Greece retained its “purity” and “homogeneity”. Those people that Greece did not trust were placed on watch and made sure that their lives were made uncomfortable so that they would one day permanently leave Greece. Their properties and other assets would then be confiscated and awarded to “loyal Greeks”.



                      To discourage people from feeling “non-Greek” Greece introduced even more repressive measures. The Turks of Thrace, for example, were not allowed to purchase new properties or new machinery to farm their lands. In time as families grew they would not be able to support themselves and would have no choice but to leave Greece. Also many who decided to vacation in Turkey found themselves permanently exiled.



                      Macedonians on the other hand were equally oppressed by having their properties reduced through land re-distribution acts and through the denial of higher education and good paying jobs. Repressed economically, many Macedonians left Greece and became permanent refugees. Many civilian Macedonians, who left Greece as war refugees during the various wars, including the Greek Civil War, also became permanent refugees. After leaving Greece they were all permanently exiled and their properties were confiscated.



                      In short, Greek political authorities, with help from the Greek judicial system and the Greek Orthodox Church, have created a very rigid climate in Greece where a person can only be Greek if they fully accept the following conditions;



                      1. they are born Greek,

                      2. are of pure Greek blood,

                      3. are Orthodox Christians,

                      4. speak the Greek language, and

                      5. demonstrate their loyalty to the Greek state.



                      In other words, anyone who fully prescribes to these conditions can be a good Greek. Looking at this another way, anyone who does not meet even one of the above conditions would not be “fully” Greek and would be open to scrutiny at the Greek state’s discretion!



                      So where does that leave the Macedonians in Greece?



                      There is no room for Macedonians or for any other ethnicity in Greece for that matter because of the rigidity of the Greek method by which the so-called “Greek identity” has been constructed. In addition to that, the existence of a Macedonian ethnic identity (or any other identity beside the Greek one) in Greece threatens Greek purity and homogeneity and therefore cannot be allowed to exist.



                      This however does not mean that “Macedonians do not exist” as Greece has claimed at every opportunity. Quite the opposite, unlike the fabricated Greek identity which was created by the Philhellenes and supported by the Greek state and its institutions, the Macedonian ethnic and national identity does exist. It is real and thriving. The fact that no state or institution has come to its aid or has given it its support means that the Macedonian identity is natural, supported by ordinary people at a grass roots level!



                      How long will Greece continue its charade of pretending to be “pure” and “homogeneous”? For as long as it can! As long as Macedonians and other people around the world continue to give the Greek myth credence then the charade will continue and the “fake” Greeks will continue to pretend to be “pure” Greeks! But worse than that, because of this, the Macedonians and other people living in Greece, including the Turks, are being denied their human rights.
                      "Ido not want an uprising of people that would leave me at the first failure, I want revolution with citizens able to bear all the temptations to a prolonged struggle, what, because of the fierce political conditions, will be our guide or cattle to the slaughterhouse"
                      GOTSE DELCEV

                      Comment

                      • George S.
                        Senior Member
                        • Aug 2009
                        • 10116

                        The greeks beleive their lies that they are as pure as the whitedriven snow.Well we know it's all fake & manufactured.The sad truth is that there are countries out there who give support to them either willingly or unwillingly they still do it.When one considers that greece does not afford it's minorities basic human rights & no one screams & shouts & does anything about it .
                        Last edited by George S.; 10-17-2010, 11:15 AM. Reason: edit
                        "Ido not want an uprising of people that would leave me at the first failure, I want revolution with citizens able to bear all the temptations to a prolonged struggle, what, because of the fierce political conditions, will be our guide or cattle to the slaughterhouse"
                        GOTSE DELCEV

                        Comment

                        • George S.
                          Senior Member
                          • Aug 2009
                          • 10116

                          Macedonian Struggle for Independence Part 35 – Macedonia’s Occupation by the Alli

                          Macedonian Struggle for Independence



                          Part 35 – Macedonia’s Occupation by the Allied Armies



                          By Risto Stefov

                          [email protected]

                          November 2010



                          After the failed Ilinden Macedonian National Uprising in 1903 the Macedonian people lost hope in their own ability to liberate Macedonia and started looking to their neighbours for help. So it was no surprise when the Allied Greek, Serbian and Bulgarian armies invaded Macedonia. The Macedonian people welcomed the neighbouring armies not as their conquerors but as their liberators.



                          The momentous occasion prompted many Macedonians to raise arms, and assisted by the foreign armies hoped to drive the Ottomans out of Macedonia. In fact Macedonians felt they were obligated to help the armies and fiercely fought to show their gratitude. Macedonians fought in the front and rear and bravely took on the mighty Ottomans at every opportunity. Macedonians liberated cities and villages and led the foreign armies to many victories and, as the Macedonians gained ground and liberated villages and towns, they established Macedonian authority. But as the Ottomans were driven out and the war began to subside, the Macedonians began to see a different side to its liberators, an ugly side suspected by a few but unexpected by the majority.



                          Macedonia’s occupation by the allied armies during the First Balkan War was conducted in three phases. During the first phase, which took place in the months of October and November 1912, the allied armies established coordination of their operations and made contact with the Macedonian population, gaining the support of the Macedonian Chetas. The Macedonian people saw the Macedonian Chetas as the “Macedonian Army” fighting alongside the Allies to liberate Macedonia. This was made very clear by the Macedonian immigrants in a publication in the magazine “Macedonian Voice”. (Cf. Makedonski Glas, Op.cit.p.38.) (Vanche Stojchev. “Military History of Macedonia”. Military academy. Skopje, 2004. Page 443)



                          During the second phase, which took place between the months of December 1912 and January 1913, the Greeks, Serbians and Bulgarians established their respective occupation regimes, disarmed the Macedonian Chetas, disbanded earlier established local Macedonian authorities, restricted the Macedonian peoples’ movements and brought violence, terror and killing to the Macedonian population.



                          During the third phase, which began in February 1913, the occupation of Macedonia officially began with the establishment of administrations, churches and police stations; all geared to carry out systematic attacks on the Macedonian National consciousness. This systematic attack began with the arrests and elimination of prominent Macedonian intellectuals, particularly those who struggled for the Macedonian cause. As a result of these attacks, many Macedonian intellectuals were forced to leave Macedonia, ending up in Russia where they established a colony in St. Petersburg. This colony, which for a long time kept the Macedonian dream of independence alive, served as a beacon of enlightenment for all Macedonians and pleaded Macedonia’s case before the Great Powers.



                          After the Ottomans were driven out, the allied armies expected the Macedonian population to cheerfully surrender authority to them. But instead, wherever they went they found local Macedonian authority already established.



                          Before being sent to Macedonia the allied armies were told that they would be fighting the Ottomans to free their own kind living in Macedonia. In other words, the Greek soldiers were told that they would be liberating “Greeks” in Macedonia. The Serbian soldiers were led to believe that they would be liberating the “Serbians” in Macedonia and the Bulgarians were told that they would be liberating the “Bulgarians” in Macedonia. All armies were led to believe that there were no Macedonians living in Macedonia; only Greeks, Serbians and Bulgarians.



                          The armies however were not only disappointed but confused when they found liberated towns and cities with local Macedonian authority already established. To solve their problem, first the Macedonians were told that they were prohibited from declaring themselves Macedonian and were given a choice of declaring themselves either “Greek”, “Serbian”, or “Bulgarian”. As a result many people began to suspect something was not right.



                          But no sooner had the allied armies established themselves in the cities, towns and villages in the respective territories they occupied, than they began to establish military and administrative rule, thus enforcing Macedonia’s occupation.



                          The Greek Supreme Command ordered its military to enter Solun and establish Greek authority as soon as possible. Greek military and administrative authorities were subordinated to the Major Greek Army Headquarters stationed in Solun with King Constantine as the Chief. Greek authority in the small towns and villages was also established by the garrison commanders stationed there. At that point Macedonia was viewed as a temporary district and responsibility for managing it was given to P. Argiropoulos.



                          On October 31st, 1912 Greek Prime Minister Elefteros Venizelos recommended that Greek King George appoint Konstantinos D. Raktivan, the Greek Minister of Justice, as governor of Macedonia; a position filled until now by the Greek army. To support the newly created administration, 10 consulate officials and 168 gendarmes from Crete, under the command of Lieutanent Colonel A. Monferaton, were dispatched on a special ship called the Arcadia from the port of Piraeus to Solun. The Solun port however was closed to Greek ships and only allowed ships flying the French flag. The French consul in Solun who managed the port allowed only Ottoman and other pre-authorized ships to dock but would not allow ships flying the Greek flag.



                          Failing to enter the Port of Solun, Raktivan was instructed to dock in Elefterhorion, a smaller port nearby; but again could not. After several unsuccessful attempts Venizelos recommended that Raktivan hoist the French flag on his ship before entering the port of Solun.



                          Raktivan landed in Solun on October 30th, 1912 and immediately paid a visit to the British consul. With British support Raktivan was able to open the Solun port to Greek ships, thus providing passage to the new administration and to the gendarmes from Crete to land.



                          By Decree, on October 31st, 1912, King George appointed Raktivan governor of Macedonia and the Greek occupied part of Macedonia was divided into 3 districts (Solun, Ber and Seres) and 18 Regions. The chiefs to administer the districts and regions were brought from Greece and the Greek occupation of Macedonia was guaranteed by the Greek army, police and by the gendarmes from Crete, well known for their hatred and cruelty towards the Macedonians.



                          On May 30th, 1913 the Ottomans signed a Peace Treaty in London, thus surrendering the territories west of the Enos - Midia line so that an Albanian state could be created with borders to be determined later.



                          On October 12th, 1912, right after the Kumanovo battle, the Serbian government established a special regime to begin occupying Macedonian territory. After winning the Kumanovo battle, the Serbian 1st Army Headquarters requested a police commissar, a gendarmerie detachment of 25 gendarmes and 10 cavalrymen to be sent to Kumanovo, as soon as possible, along with a number of officers to preserve law and order in the city. A police unit was also requested to be sent to Skopje after it was occupied by the Serbian army.



                          On October 13th, 1912 a number of foreign consuls led by Kalmikov, the Russian consul, instructed the Ottomans not to enter Skopje because the city had surrendered to the Serbian army, which had already established provisional military authority in the city.



                          On October 15th, 1912 Serbian Minister Nikola Pashich together with Police Commissar Milorad Vujichich introduced the first Serbian provisional administration and territorial division of the Serbian occupied part of Macedonia.



                          Approved by General Radomir Putnik, Chief of Supreme Command, the Document included not only the already occupied territories, but also Macedonian territories to be occupied in the future. The document showed 8 districts and 28 regions. The districts and regions were located as follows: 3 districts with 11 regions were located in Kosovo, 1 district with 4 regions was located in Albania and 4 districts with 13 regions were located in Macedonia. Macedonian territories to be occupied by Serbia included Kumanovo, Presevo, Kratovo, Kriva Palanka, Skopje, Kachanik, Veles, Tetovo, Brod, Gostivar, Kichevo, Debar and Radomir Regions.



                          The borders specified in the document more or less coincided with the borders agreed to by the March 13th, 1912 secret Serbian - Bulgarian Treaty. But as Serbia continued to experience successful military campaigns its appetite for more Macedonian territory increased.



                          After capturing Bitola, the Serbian army pushed on into Western Macedonia establishing 2 more districts; Bitola and Negotino (later renamed Kavadartsi). By the start of 1913, Serbia acquired 6 districts with 23 regions in Macedonia which included Lerin Region; a Region previously liberated by Macedonians and later confiscated by the Serbian army.



                          On June 3rd, 1913, acting in accordance with the Greek-Serbian demarcation line Treaty, Serbia had to relinquish to Greece 132 Macedonian villages it had captured, 8 of which were located in Gevgelija Region, 20 in Lerin Region, 7 in Bitola Region, 38 in Prespa Region and 59 in Ohrid Region. For its efforts Serbia received only 4 villages, Bach, Dobroveni, Dolni Kremen and Gorni Kremen, all located in Lerin Region which Serbia attached to Bitola Region.



                          For the first half of 1913 the Macedonian population was thrown into confusion not knowing to which country it belonged and where the borders were located. The population in Lerin Region, for example, was first occupied by Serbians and then by Greeks. Although the Serbians had established administrative rule in Prilep Region, it was unknown to which country the villages in Moriovo belonged.



                          When Macedonians from the villages Vitolishta and Palchiste inquired of Major Mihajlo Nenadovich as to which country the villages in Mariovo, across the Tsrna Reka River, belonged he did not know. So he sent them to Nenadovich and Brejovich who also did not know. They in turn sent the Macedonians to Voden to inquire from the Greek authorities but the Greeks did not know either and told them that the villages must belong to Greece. But to make sure the villages did belong to Greece, a Greek battalion was dispatched to occupy them.



                          When the Serbians discovered a Greek military presence only 10 km from Prilep, the Serbian army dispatched Vasilije Trbich’s forces to throw the Greeks out, pushing them across the Tsrna Reka River into Meglen Region. The situation in Gevgelija was also uncertain as to who was in charge, as each of the three armies claimed to have entered the city first and sought the right to establish authority. To solve that problem a triple condominium was created. But on April 2nd, 1913 an agreement was reached and Gevgelija and Dojran Regions were given to Serbia.



                          On December 14th, 1912 a Decree on administering the Serbian occupied part of Macedonia was approved and remained in force until August 18th, 1913, when a new Decree was approved. The second Decree was made void by the November 20th, 1913 Decree which annexed the Macedonian territory to the Kingdom of Serbia.



                          Police and gendarmerie units were established in order to maintain law and order and were deployed in each district. Each district chief was given a gendarmerie detachment of 20 gendarmes and each region was given 30 gendarmes. Early on there were about 1,000 gendarmes deployed in Macedonia, 600 Serbians and 400 locals; loyal citizens of the newly occupied territories.



                          Police forces were required to maintain constant communication with the military authorities so that the districts and region chiefs could acquire help from the military as required.



                          Serbian currency was also introduced in Macedonia, replacing the Ottoman lira, and administrative personnel from Serbia were appointed to the most responsible positions. Lesser positions were awarded to former teachers, priests and other Serbian agents who were already living in Macedonia.



                          Establishment of Bulgarian rule in Macedonia began immediately after the Bulgarian army began its occupation of Macedonia.



                          On October 10th, 1912 Major General Georgi Todorov, Chief of the 7th Rila Division, began his survey of the occupied territories and started to appoint personnel sent over from Bulgaria to administer the various districts. In the meantime the Bulgarian army, supported by Macedonian Chetas, continued to advance deep into Macedonia covering as much ground as possible. By December 4th, 1912, the date of the truce, the Bulgarian army had occupied the territory of Macedonia east of the line Tsarev Vrv - Gevgelija - Nigrita - Gulf of Orfano and the Aegean Sea. The Bulgarians named their occupied part of Macedonia “Macedonian Territories”, on which they established military police authority managed by Governor General Mihail V'lkov and chief secretary Mihail Zelkov.



                          The Bulgarian occupied part of Macedonia was organized into 4 districts; Seres, Drama, Shtip and Solun (renamed to Kukush District on December 12th, 1912). The districts were further sub-divided into regions, which coincided with the Ottoman cazas. Included in the Drama District were Drama, Kavala, Pravishte, Sarishaban and Rupcho Regions. Included in the Seres District were Seres, Ziljahovo, Nigrita, Demirhisar, Petrich, Melnik, Gorna Dzhumaja (Blagoevgrad), Razlog and Nevrokop (Gotse Delchev) Regions. Included in the Solun (Kukush) District were Solun, Lagadina, Kukush, Dojran and Gevgelija Regions. Included in the District of Shtip were Shtip, Pehchevo, Kochani, Radovish and Strumitsa Regions. Agents that had been previously sent to Macedonia from Bulgaria, to spread Bulgarian propaganda, were appointed district chiefs.



                          In the beginning of 1913 General V'lkov created a two member commission, consisting of Dr. Bogdan Filov and Professor Atanas Ishirkov, and dispatched it to Macedonia to find important cultural and historical monuments, which were later taken to Bulgaria.



                          As the occupation of Macedonia continued a rift between the three occupiers began to develop as each expected more of the others. To manage these expectations, two separate commissions were established. A Bulgarian - Greek commission was formed in February 1913 and a separate Bulgarian - Serbian commission was established some time later. Unfortunately the commissions could not come to any agreements because the crux of their problems was that all three countries wanted more of Macedonia’s territory and none was willing to give up any.



                          On February 24th, 1912 Greek and Serbian representatives held a secret meeting in Solun where they signed a treaty to work jointly against Bulgaria, in an effort to take Macedonian land away from Bulgaria. Bulgaria in the meantime moved its army from Thrace to Macedonia in an effort to occupy all of Macedonia and take it away from Greece and Serbia.



                          As a final note to this drama the Macedonian people not only lost their opportunity to free themselves and create their own state but lost countless lives in the process as they unwittingly helped their enemies occupy and carve up their country.



                          On the Ottoman side, 153,000 soldiers were killed, wounded and captured. Bulgaria lost 73,000 soldiers, Serbia lost 30,000 soldiers, Greece lost 28,671 soldiers and Montenegro lost 10,000 soldiers. Material damage to Bulgaria was estimated to be one billion and 300 million French franks, Serbia lost 590 million franks, Greece lost 467 million franks and Montenegro lost about 100,000 franks.



                          Unfortunately there is no data to show losses on the Macedonian side even though the war took place in Macedonia and hundreds of thousands of Macedonians participated. But outside of material and human losses, the Macedonian people also lost their freedom and opportunity to create their own country. Worse than that, Macedonia was carved up into three pieces and completely lost its identity and history and the Macedonian peoples’ existence was buried forever. Besides those losses, the Macedonian people also suffered massive economic losses and starvation.



                          Not counting the independent and local Chetas that took part in Macedonia’s liberation from the Ottomans, more than 100,000 Macedonians fought alongside the Allied armies but were never registered as Macedonians, not even the fighters that lost their lives. However there are estimates that put the dead to several thousands but on a different scale, hundreds of thousands of Macedonians fled Macedonia because of the terror and oppression they experienced first from the Ottomans and later from the so-called “liberators”, the Greek, Serbian and Bulgarian armies. Instead of improving, as was expected, the situation in Macedonia became worse after the Ottomans left.



                          When the Second Balkan War was still raging in Macedonia in 1913, the Carnegie Endowment dispatched a Commission on a fact finding mission to investigate atrocities committed in Macedonia during the Balkan Wars. According to the Commission, the cities Voden, Negus, Enidze Vardar, Ber and others were turned to dust. The people living in these cities had no choice but to flee and as a result became permanent refugees.



                          According to official Bulgarian sources, 111,560 Macedonian refugees were taken by Bulgaria, Greece took 156,659 and 135,000 fled with the Ottomans. The Commission also noted that during the Ottoman army retreat from Macedonia, the Ottomans burned down 170 villages. The Allied armies also burned houses and robbed the Macedonian population of its material possessions and livestock.



                          In June 1913 the Greek army burned down the entire city Kukush, 39 villages and more than 4,000 houses in Seres. Similarly the Greek army burned down villages in Solun, Strumitsa, Gorna Dzhumaja and Vardar Regions. But this was only the beginning. Besides being subjugated, the Greek occupied part of Macedonia was soon to be denationalized and repopulated with Turkish Christian settlers from Asia Minor and from beyond.
                          "Ido not want an uprising of people that would leave me at the first failure, I want revolution with citizens able to bear all the temptations to a prolonged struggle, what, because of the fierce political conditions, will be our guide or cattle to the slaughterhouse"
                          GOTSE DELCEV

                          Comment

                          • George S.
                            Senior Member
                            • Aug 2009
                            • 10116

                            Macedonia’s Recognition What will it mean to the world?

                            Macedonia’s Recognition

                            What will it mean to the world?



                            By Risto Stefov

                            [email protected]

                            November 14, 2010



                            For the sake of curiosity let us look into the future and try to imagine an all out unconditionally “recognized” Macedonia and what it will mean to the world.



                            We already know what an “un-recognized” Macedonia means! It means “status quo” for the world. Nothing needs to change! Macedonia’s existence in the past, Macedonia’s contributions to world civilization and Macedonia’s history will continue to falsely remain part of the Greek contribution. The Modern Greeks, whose very identity is questionable, will not only get to call the ancient Macedonian heritage and Macedonia’s history, Greek, but the Macedonian lands they illegally expropriated by force in 1912, 1913 will also remain in their hands.



                            But on the other hand, if the world decides to unconditionally recognize Macedonia for what it is then someone will have to explain how this Macedonian state and people came into being! And who will the world ask for such information? Naturally it will ask the Macedonian people! It has always been done this way! It is the only logical thing to do! Who knows Macedonia’s “story” better that the Macedonians themselves. And what will the Macedonian people say then?



                            Whatever the Macedonian people say will have to be accepted as part and parcel of the unconditional recognition. That’s how it works. No country or people appear out of nowhere. So the world will have to accept that Macedonia and the Macedonian people came from somewhere and who better to explain where they came from than the Macedonians themselves! I will tell you that it will not be the Greeks doing the explaining or their sycophant supporters; people who in the past have mislead the world! Not if Macedonians step up to the plate and take matters in their own hands!



                            If I were given the task of speaking on behalf of the Macedonians I would tell our story the way I see it, the way it is, as I am sure every loyal Macedonian would do, no matter how much grief it causes the Greeks, Bulgarians and their western European patrons!



                            As for the Greeks, let me say that they willingly chose to build their identity on a false foundation and as such they should not be surprised when one day their entire structure crumbles before them.



                            When a country and a people are unconditionally recognized so will their history be unconditionally recognized! That’s how it works.



                            Whether Macedonia’s neighbours like it or not, Macedonia and the Macedonian people have their own history, their own story to tell which does not include Greece, Serbia, or Bulgaria.



                            So what will the Modern Greeks say when the Macedonians stand up and tell their own story, a story that contradicts theirs? What will the Modern Greeks do when the Macedonians say that the ancient Macedonians and every generation after that were not Greeks and that as far as the Macedonians are concerned there never was a Greece up until 1829 AD?



                            How will the world respond to Macedonian charges that Greece’s sole interest in Macedonia is to expropriate Macedonian land and rob the Macedonian people of their heritage?



                            History says that the ancient Macedonians fought the City States, won and subjugated them, a subjugation from which the City States never recovered. For a couple of centuries after their subjugation the City States remained under Macedonian rule and belonged to the Macedonians. Historically, therefore, Macedonia never belonged to any of the ancient City States and thus Macedonia was never Greek until it was illegally taken from the Macedonian people by force in 1912, 1913! This is how history explains it and this is how the real Macedonians see it!



                            Some people say that modern Macedonia is made up of a hodge-podge of ethnicities and it is difficult to figure out who is who. A mix of people which inspired the French to name their mixed vegetables/fruit salad “macédoine”! Are these people for real? Are they truly incapable of figuring out who is who in Macedonia? They went along with calling Greece “pure” and “homogeneous” knowing full well that Greece was never pure or homogeneous and have the nerve to call Macedonia a mixed salad? Give me a break!



                            Are people so misguided that they believe Greece is pure and homogeneous, considering the many ethnic groups that existed there prior to and during the so-called Greek War of Independence? How could they not see the “mixed salad” in Greece but could see it perfectly in Macedonia; two Balkan countries existing side by side without borders for more than two millenniums?



                            If we are to believe all this then we need to ask ourselves who decides these things? Who decides that Greece is pure and homogeneous with a 4,000 year old “continuity” when history itself says differently? Who decides that Macedonia is a mixed salad of ethnicities, difficult to identify? The French? The Greeks?



                            The truth is each country decides these things for itself. Greece decided for itself to take the “pure”, “homogeneous” route and was unconditionally recognized as such by the rest of the world! So why can’t the world treat Macedonia with the same courtesy?



                            Foreigners, particularly the French, are either deliberately confused or are simply ignorant of Macedonia; in both cases playing a dangerous game with the lives of the Macedonian people. Had they asked the Macedonians themselves who lives in Macedonia there would have been no confusion. But instead they relied on the “Greeks” to misinform them. No wonder there is confusion! But then as long as there is “confusion” the Greeks and Bulgarians and their patrons will continue to exploit Macedonia and mistreat the Macedonian people without any fear of being discovered!



                            As one can appreciate by these arguments there is a wide gap in Macedonia’s story between what has been told by others and how Macedonians see themselves.



                            Macedonia’s true story can only be told by the “real” Macedonians. But when it is told it will create a great controversy. Greece and Bulgaria know this and that is why to this day they have been negating the Macedonian identity and obstructing Macedonia’s recognition.



                            Europe’s foundation as a modern civilization is based on the assumption that the ancient Macedonians were Greek, otherwise there would be no so-called “Greek continuity” from ancient times to today. If there is no continuity then there can be no foundation for Europe to build its civilization! If the ancient Macedonians were not Greek then all of Europe’s assumptions will be false and the European civilization would have been built on a false foundation. This would be a very hard pill for Europe to swallow!



                            If it is found out and admitted that the modern European civilization is based on a false foundation it will be the greatest European scandal since the Flat Earth controversy!



                            There never was a Greece in ancient times. There was only a miniature world of independent City States about which we know through the writing they left for us on stones. If it was not for that, we would not have known that such a world ever existed.



                            But there was a state, not a city state, but a genuine large kingdom with a large population which lived in many, many cities. This state was called Macedonia. Macedonia at one point grew into a powerful empire and conquered the then known world. It then, through its conquests, was the first empire to bridge three continents together forming the first ever communication and transportation lines which are used to this day. This vast Macedonian empire was the first to explore the entire known world and to make maps, record geography and history and to carry out scientific expeditions. The discoveries it accumulated were stored in the vast libraries it built, like the one in Alexandria and Antioch, rivaled by none in their time and for many years to come. This was a Macedonian contribution in ancient times.



                            During Roman times the Macedonians were instrumental in introducing Christianity to Europe and later spread it to the furthest northern reaches of Eastern Europe.



                            It was the Macedonians and not the “Greeks” or “Bulgarians” who introduced Christianity to the Slav speakers in Eastern Europe and enriched their world with the word of God, gave them their alphabet and taught them how to read and write.



                            These are only small examples of the Macedonian contribution, much of which today is claimed by others. How will this be handled when it becomes public knowledge and is accepted by the world?



                            We need to realize here that Macedonia’s narrative will cause problems for some people. We must also realize that these problems are not the Macedonian peoples’ problems and the Macedonian people can no longer hold back or hide the truth for the mistakes of others. Macedonia is Macedonia and nothing can be done to change that.



                            Macedonians should not be asked or expected to change their country’s name to hide the fact that Greece and Europe have made many embarrassing mistakes. It is not the Macedonian peoples’ fault that Modern Greece chose a fabricated identity and has used Macedonia for its personal gains.



                            The Macedonian people are not to be blamed for Greece’s invasion, occupation and illegal annexation of Macedonian lands. Macedonians should not be made accountable for Greece’s expropriation of the Macedonian heritage and its declaration that the Macedonian people do not exist. Why should the Macedonian people have to change their God given name to cover up Greece and Western Europe’s crimes?



                            The world can and will accept Macedonia and the Macedonian people for who they are because it’s a worldly thing to do. But this will only happen if the Macedonian voice is heard loud and clear over the noises made by those who negate it.



                            But in order for that to happen the Macedonian people must accept the truth about themselves and show the world who they truly are. That unfortunately is made difficult when some Macedonians are willing to negotiate their own country’s name away.



                            Negotiating one’s own country name gives the world the wrong message and the wrong impression of who the Macedonians are! That is why it is very important for the Macedonian side to pull away from these so-called “name negotiations” with Greece and formulate a new strategy. The new strategy should be about informing the world about who the Macedonians are and what Greece has been doing to them!



                            By the way I don’t believe, not even for a moment, that Greece and Bulgaria, as long as they occupy Macedonian lands and hold on to the Macedonian heritage, will ever recognize a Macedonian identity. Neither will western Europeans who put Macedonia and the Macedonian people in the predicament they find themselves today. This is a reality that Macedonians will have to accept and move on.
                            "Ido not want an uprising of people that would leave me at the first failure, I want revolution with citizens able to bear all the temptations to a prolonged struggle, what, because of the fierce political conditions, will be our guide or cattle to the slaughterhouse"
                            GOTSE DELCEV

                            Comment

                            • MacoLionHeartSun
                              Junior Member
                              • Jun 2010
                              • 56

                              Thank you Risto great read! Excellent message.. Very inspirational, proud and loud to stand tall as a Macedonian. Thanks George S for posting a good read.

                              Comment

                              • fyrOM
                                Banned
                                • Feb 2010
                                • 2180

                                The world will have to turn upside down. They would have to reprint all the history books. Now there’s an idea where they can spend all those economic stimulus dollars.

                                Comment

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