НАШЕ ВИДУВАЊЕ - Part 02

By not timely addressing these, obviously gross, violations of its own constitution, Europe undermines its own reputation. By not attending to these flames of hatred and racism exhibited by the Greek government, Europe diminishes its own stature and weakens its own institutions. Europe must find courage to tell Greece, simply,

to "grow up" as our former us Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger in the interview for the Macedonian Television, pointed out.

In the words of the former German ambassador to the Republic of Macedonia Hans Lothar Schteppan, "Greece's strong objection to the name was laid on a foundation of lies".

A memorable encounter:

Spartan response to Alexander's request for a meeting of the Hellenic League at Corinth:

"The tradition of their country, they informed the king, did not allow them to serve under a foreign leader." (So much to Macedonia's pretensions to Hellenism - writes Peter Green. (Alexander of Macedon 356 -323 B.C. A Historical Biography p. 121)

The Greek President is Albanian!

“I can’t believe how much Greeks have changed in the last two or three decades. In the 1980’s I used to go shopping at various boutiques in Greece where signs were readily displayed; ‘we speak Macedonian’, ‘we speak Albanian’, etc. I recall meeting a Greek lady of Albanian descent who proudly spoke Albanian and was always happy to show off her knowledge of the Albanian language. In fact she was hired for the job because she spoke Albanian. Greek merchants in those days did everything to attract customers. Today, unfortunately, they say there are no Albanians or Macedonians living in their country. Unbelievable!” These were the words of my Albanian language interpreter, whom I hired to translate for me at my meeting with Albanian publicist, historian and researcher Arben Ljalja.

“Yes, things in Greece today have changed a lot but for the worse especially for the Albanians, Macedonians and Turks but Pandora’s Box for the minorities has been opened. I think Europe is tired of Greece’s politics, especially of the non recognition of ethnic minorities. The question is when will Greece come to terms with its past and start paying for the damages it has caused owing to its unproductive and negative politics”, says Ljalja, who himself is as an economic immigrant and has lived in Greece for eleven years. Ljalja has first hand experience of what it is to be an Albanian living in Greece.

Albanians living in Greece have witnessed various forms of repression and scandals involving the Greek police. Only last year two Albanian immigrants were physically beaten by several policemen. We know about it because it became public knowledge only after a video, made through a cell phone, was released. Ironically the video was made by the same policemen who did the beating.

In its latest report the European Committee for Torture has placed Greece at the bottom of its ranking for abusing minorities and immigrants. Similar reports on Greece are published by various international organizations for human rights including Amnesty International and the Human Rights Watch.

Fifteen years in a row, the American State Department in its own yearly Publication on human rights has written about Greece’s violations of human rights with regard to its Macedonian, Albanian and Turkish minorities and their non-recognition.