NOTES - Part 01

NOTES:

1. MACEDONIA by H.N. Brailsford London 1906 Pages 87-88 2. THE GREEK STRUGGLE IN MACEDONIA 1897-1913 by Douglas Dakin 1966 Page 19 3. “ “ “ “ “ Page 149 4. THE GREEK STRUGGLE IN MACEDONIA 1897-1913 by Douglas Dakin 1966 Page 143 N 5. A STUDY OF HISTORY by Arnold J. Toynbee 1957 Great Britain Page 156 6. DIMITRI STANCIOFF by Nadeja Muir 1957 London Pages 260-261 7. “ “ “ “ “ “ Page 261 8. THE GREEK PASSION by Kenneth Young 1969 London Page 126 9. THE STRUGGLE FOR GREEK INDEPENDENCE by Richard Clogg 1973 Page 182 10. THE STRUGGLE FOR GREEK INDEPENDENCE by Richard Clogg 1973 Page 182 11. HISTORY OF MACEDONIA 1354-1833 by AE. Vacalopoulos Balkan Studies 1973 Page 182 12. “ “ “ “ “ “ Page 182 13. THE STRUGGLE FOR GREEK INDEPENDENCE by Richard Clogg 1973 Page 184 14. THE TRUTH ABOUT MACEDONIA, AMERICAN MISSIONARIES TESTIMONY INDIANA U.S.A. 1964 Page 47 15. MACEDONIA by H.N. Brailsford London 1906 Page 195 16. “ “ “ “ “ “ Page 210 17. THE GREEK PASSION by Kenneth Young London 1969 Page 146 18. MACEDONIA by H.N. Brailsford London 1906 Page 197 19. MACEDONIA by H.N. Brailsford London 1906 Page 212 20. HISTORY OF MACEDONIA 1354-1833 by A.C. Vacalopoulos Balkan Studies 1973 Pages 168-169 21. THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE WASHINGTON DC July 1918 UNDER THE HEEL OF THE TURK Page 53 22. “ “ “ “ Page 53 23. “ “ “ “ Page 51 24. “ “ “ “ Page 51 25. “ “ “ “ Pages 51-52 26. “ “ “ “ Page 52 27. “ “ “ “ Page 53 28. “ “ “ “ Page 53 29. MACEDONIA by H.N. Brailsford London 1906 Page 203 30. “ “ “ “ Page 210 31. PICTURES FROM THE BALKANS by John Foster Fraser 1912 Page 181 32. “ “ “ “ Page 15

33. “ “ “ “ Page 15 34 This tale may be a calumny. M. Tricoupis always denied that he had attempted to bring about an alliance with Bulgaria (see Nicolaides, La Macedoine," p. 203). 35. As a matter of history the Greeks have been neither more nor less humane than other Balkan people. The War of Independence was a dialogue of massacre in which outrage answered to outrage. The Cretans perpetrated a wholesale massacre at the expense of the Moslem minority in the eastern (Sitia) districts of the island in 1897. I saw with my own eyes young Moslem girls who had escaped mutilated from these horrors. During the Thessalian campaign of 1897 I was present when an Evzone regiment strung up a Turkish prisoner by his heels from a tree, and proceeded to lay a fire of wood and straw under his head. Fortunately he promised to give them valuable information before the fire was actually lit, and at that moment some Italian officers of the Foreign Legion appeared on the scene. 36. MACEDONIA by H.N. Brailsford London 1906 Pages 210-213

15. The West we Trust?

Not so long ago I ran into a Macedonian who I have known for a while and in our discussions he mentioned something that stayed with me. He said he does not trust the Greeks, Serbians, or Bulgarians in being objective when writing about Macedonia. This was fine by me but when he said that he also didn’t trust the Macedonians to do the same, I found that disturbing. This is not the first or only time I have heard this. In fact I myself am guilty of having such thoughts because some of the material I have read coming from Macedonians has left me disappointed.

No one knows or cares about Macedonia’s narrative better than the Macedonians themselves. I too, not too long ago, thought that Westerners were better at “knowing our story” that is until I contacted a reputable Western historian and asked him why he hadn’t written anything about the Macedonians?

To my surprise in a very terse message he said, “Why haven’t you written about yourselves? When you write something about yourselves then I will write something about you! Where am I expected to find the information to write about you?”

I received a simple, honest, direct and eye opening answer, which not only surprised me but made me realize that no one was going to do my job for me and more importantly, how presumptuous of me to have such expectations of a stranger, who knows nothing about me or my history?

Anyway that was then, but unfortunately there are Macedonians out there who still to this day believe that Westerners, foreigners who know nothing about us are more knowledgeable about our history than we are! This is indeed disturbing!

How did Macedonians come to believe this? That “Westerners” are more knowledgeable than Macedonians and therefore more objective when writing Macedonian history?

Macedonians in Greece, Bulgaria, Albania and all over the world, outside of the Republic of Macedonia, were taught in foreign

schools and learned things about Macedonia and its history from a variety of non-Macedonian sources. Macedonians have also learned about Macedonia from their own relatives who had experienced turmoil and war in their lives. Unfortunately the things that Macedonians learned in school did not correspond with what they learned from their relatives.

Macedonians in the Greek occupied part of Macedonia were taught that Macedonians did not exist and that the people living in Macedonia were Greeks. Events like the 1903 Ilinden Uprising and Macedonia’s invasion, occupation and partition not only were not taught in Greece, but people were not even allowed to mention them in private. Naturally what Macedonian children learned in Greek schools did not at correspond with what their relatives taught them.

Macedonians in the Bulgarian occupied part of Macedonia were taught that they were Bulgarians. They were also taught that Macedonians living in Greek and Serbian occupied Macedonia were also Bulgarians. Major events like the 1903 Ilinden Uprising were labeled “Bulgarian” and all those who participated in them, including the staunchest of Macedonians, were also labeled Bulgarians.

Macedonians in the Serbian occupied part of Macedonia, up until the mid 1940’s, were taught that they were Serbians or Old Serbians. But afterwards, when Macedonia became a Yugoslav Republic, Macedonians were allowed to write their own history provided that it fit the Yugoslav model which claimed that everyone in Yugoslavia was a “Slav”. Thus the young Macedonians in the Peoples’ Republic of Macedonia were taught to believe that they were “Slavs” and that Macedonian history began in the 6th century A.D.! This however did not sit well with Macedonians from Greece, particularly those living in the Diaspora, who were familiar with a much different and much longer history.

Those Macedonians who could write well and wanted to write the proper Macedonian narrative had a hard time publishing their work. Only those who were in agreement with the “pre-prescribed” version of history were encouraged to write and had their work published.

But even they were alienated and their poor work reflected their disappointments.

So we have Macedonians in three parts of Macedonia with a common historic heritage who were taught three different stories about themselves; none of which corresponded with their personal Macedonian experiences.

It may be worth while at this point to explain that the vast majority of Macedonians living in the Diaspora originated from Greek occupied Macedonia. They were never taught to read or write in the Macedonian language and neither were the Macedonians living inside Greece. This is because the Macedonian language was outlawed in Greece. However even those in Greece who could read Macedonian would not bring Macedonian literature to Greece because such an offense would land them in very hot water. At a minimum they would be facing criminal charges and even jail time. So it was not worth it!

The only sources of so-called “Macedonian history” that the Macedonians from Greece could read and understand were Greek or Western. Since Macedonians definitely did not trust the Greeks, they became reliant on Western sources.

Now based on what the Western historian I mentioned earlier told me, that Macedonians need to write their own Macedonian history before they can expect outsiders to write about them, then where do you suppose the “material” to write these “existing” Western books came from and how accurate and representative of Macedonian history would it be?

Well here is where it becomes a bit “tricky”! Writing history about the Macedonians in the past had been delegated mostly to the Greeks, our enemies; the same Greeks who persistently have insisted that Macedonians do not exist. They have insisted that we, who call ourselves Macedonians, are not Macedonians at all but “Slavs” who came to Macedonia in the 6th century AD. The Greeks have written thousands of books full of such lies and misinformation and these are the very books that Westerners used as “sources” to write about the Macedonians!

The way I see it, a Western historian is an outside observer who we cannot expect to know the most intricate details about us or “our story” first hand.

A Western historian can be compared to a witness of an argument. Two men are arguing over “something” and both present valid arguments as to who this “something” belongs. This “something” however cannot exclusively belong to both at the same time, so obviously at least one of them is not telling the real story! But without knowing the details of the “real story” how can the outside observer tell which one of the men is lying and which one is telling the truth?

If one knows more about the subject then it becomes simple to tell who is lying and who is telling the truth. But when we have one party, Greece, representing both Greek and Macedonian interests and controlling the flow of information then we have a serious problem which has been the case for a couple of centuries.

Thus mainstream historians have accepted the Greek side of the story as the “defacto standard” and now that a Macedonian state has come into existence the Macedonian side is being questioned. This is because most mainstream historians have accepted Greek claims that (1) “Macedonians do not exist”, (2) “the Modern Greeks are the descendents of the so-called ancient Greeks”, and (3) “the ancient Macedonians were Greek” and have built reputations and careers on the foundation of these claims.

In addition to the above, mainstream historians have also accepted “unproven claims” that the Modern Macedonians are “Slavs” who came to Macedonia during the 6th century A.D.

Unfortunately all of the above claims are based on “false information”, a foundation of falsehood concocted during the 19th century for political purposes!

Today we can easily prove that (1) the Modern Greeks are not the descendents of the so-called ancient Greeks, and (2) the “Slav migration” is only an unproven theory and as such has no basis in

reality, especially for the Macedonians. In fact there is more evidence today to support the idea that a mass Slav migration “never took place” than there is to support the idea that it did. So we are faced with a serious problem, one which not only affects the Macedonians but a lot of other people including our neighbours the Greeks, Bulgarians and Albanians. By exposing the rotten foundation on which this modern historic model is built, we are bound to bring the entire structure down. This will definitely ruin reputations and careers.

The fact that the 1903 Ilinden Macedonian National Uprising took place only a century ago in full view of the world and as one Western historian put it, “it was the greatest revolution that Europe witnessed in the 20th century” and nothing is written about it in mainstream history proves that there is something wrong here!

Even though many other historic events have taken place in Macedonia involving the Macedonian people en masse, I have not seen much written about them in mainstream history. Most mainstream historians have either steered as far away as possible from this or have taken the Greek or Bulgarian side of either completely ignoring the Macedonians or labeling them Bulgarian.

The greatest revolution that Europe witnessed in the 20th century was the 1903 Ilinden Macedonian National Uprising and no Western mainstream historian, to this day, has taken the time to mention it in their Western school books. I wonder why?

How many books written by mainstream so-called “reputable” historians have you read that “truthfully” speak about the questionable Greek identity? I would say not many. Yet the truth is available from literally thousands of sources out there!

Thanks to TrueMacedonian’s diligent and tireless effort he has now identified more than 200 books that testify to the fact that the Modern Greeks are not the descendents of the ancient Greeks. But where is all this information in mainstream history? Why have “reputable” historians forsaken the truth in favour of writing Greek mythology?

How does this artificial creation called Greece compare to the existence of Macedonia and the indigenous Macedonians who have lived in Macedonia for thousands of years? How many books written by mainstream “reputable” historians have you read that truthfully describe how this artificially created nation called Greece invaded, occupied, partitioned Macedonia with their partners Serbia and Bulgaria in 1912, 1913 and literally stole it from the hands of the Macedonian people? Did these events not happen?

But let us not blame Western historians for not doing a job that Macedonians should be doing. As for the “erroneous” information being put out there, we have to blame the Greeks for that because they are the ones who have misled the world, not only about us but about themselves as well.

Therefore it is imperative that we write our own narrative and tell our own story the way we know it before we expect others, outsiders, strangers to write about us in an objective manner.

I guess not all Macedonians have discovered that Westerners are easily “turned off” by poor writing styles and by poor English, which sometimes not even God can understand! Westerners, particularly English speakers, are obsessed with “correct” grammar, spelling and punctuation marks and tend to be “turned off” by such errors. Spelling unfortunately is something that Macedonians are not familiar with and take for granted because the Macedonian alphabet is phonetic and words are written the way they are pronounced. For Macedonians there is no invested (wasted) effort in learning how to read and write, something Westerners could learn.

So in addition to writing our own narrative in Macedonian, we need to also write it in English and take special care to make sure it’s not only accurate but comprehensible. If we want our story to be read by the world we must also make it readable and easily accessible!

16. The so-called “Name Negotiations” MUST be ended now!

In spite of what has been said and done and the warnings and pleadings of so many Macedonian activists to Macedonian authorities to end the so-called “name negotiations” with Greece, the comical tragedy still continues. Almost two decades have now passed and Macedonians continue to endure this humiliation! So the question here is how long are Macedonian authorities prepared to go on bending backwards to please Greece?

Why are Macedonian authorities allowing “other people”, “outsiders” and particularly Macedonia’s enemies to dictate to them what they should or should not call their own country? This is unacceptable!

One country demanding a name change of another is not only unprecedented; it is chauvinistic! This kind of behaviour is unacceptable! That is why there are international laws in place to protect countries like Macedonia from countries like Greece! Unfortunately, Macedonian authorities, to this day, have not made use of such laws. They have chosen the “negotiating way” instead, which is unacceptable and will NEVER yield satisfactory results, only capitulation for the Macedonian side!

It is time for Macedonian authorities to investigate these laws and use them to end their “negotiations” with Greece! It has to be made clear to everyone involved that it is illegal to pressure and blackmail Macedonia into changing its name and on that note simply end the “negotiations”!

It is high time that Macedonian authorities explain their situation and formally complain to the United Nations for putting Macedonia into this predicament where it is forced to “negotiate” a change of its own name! This is illegal and a breach of international law!

If Macedonian authorities are not familiar with international law then they must seek professional legal advice from international lawyers and file a formal complaint against the United Nations for putting Macedonia in this predicament!

Macedonian authorities must be made aware that Greece is “not really” interested in Macedonia’s name, as history has proven. Accepting that, Macedonian authorities must then look for and expose the “root cause” of Greece’s behaviour.

If Greece is “not really” interested in “Macedonia’s name” then what is Greece “really” interested in? This is another issue Macedonian authorities must resolve and bring out into the open!

Another issue Macedonian authorities need to deal with and respond to is the advice they receive from “outside” sources. Such advice cannot be simply ignored; it must be weighed, analyzed and responded to. Macedonian authorities must explain to those “giving the advice” what is and is not “possible” for Macedonia, which brings us to the next issue!

If Macedonian authorities are “not prepared” to change “the Republic of Macedonia’s name” then why have these “negotiations” with Greece? (a) For no reason at all and to waste time and money? (b) Have no idea why; don’t have a clue what is going on? (c) Secretly planning something and don’t want the Macedonian people to know?

One can see how people can become suspicious if there is no clear and logical reason provided for why the “negotiations” are taking place. You can see how this can make anyone a nervous wreck!

Continuing the “negotiations”, especially with no end in sight, will only help Greece because Macedonia has nothing to gain by “negotiating” away its own name!

If Macedonian authorities are prepared to “change Macedonia’s name” then first they need to assess and publicize the consequences, fallout and damage from such a change and then announce their recommendations; i.e. what is an “acceptable” change and what are the tradeoffs for it! It does not make any sense to “negotiate” over something without clearly defining targets, limits and tradeoffs of what it is that is being negotiated. Then again if Macedonian authorities are not prepared to accept any change, then why

“negotiate”? As elected or appointed representatives working on behalf of the Macedonian people, Macedonian authorities are obligated to keep the people informed!

Given all this, what will Macedonia and the Macedonian people gain if they choose to “change their country’s name”, especially under these extreme circumstances, to please one country? Greece, after all is the only country in the world that is demanding this change. Responsible Macedonian authorities must make it clear to the Macedonian people that if there is a sacrifice what exactly will this sacrifice be for!

Is it for Macedonia to gain entry into the E.U. and NATO?

Let me say that, for all practical purposes, Macedonia is already in NATO; it is in fact the fourth largest troop contributor to NATO missions! When will Macedonian authorities remind NATO of this and ask them to acknowledge and accept the Macedonians for who they really are. If they cannot, then is it really worth making sacrifices for this organization?

And what of the E.U.? If the E.U. is such a great place to be part of then explain to me why so many countries, Greece being the first, are in such dire straits ready to collapse economically? Only fools would want to board a sinking ship, wouldn’t you agree?

We can blame the world for not understanding our problems and we can blame our imposition on Greece and Bulgaria. But most of our problems, I believe, we must shoulder ourselves. The world does not understand what is happening to us and the position we are in, with regards to Greece and Bulgaria, because we have hardly made the effort to publicize our plight. It seems we are afraid to tell the world the truth because deep inside we believe nobody will understand and we fear that if we speak of our rights as Macedonians too much or too loud we will be further tormented and more harm will come to us.

What is wrong with telling the truth and telling it loud and clear? After all, the whole crux of our problem stems from one thing; Macedonians keeping the truth to themselves. The root of our

problem with Greece and Bulgaria is the Macedonian land that Greece and Bulgaria occupy. As long as Macedonians exist they are a threat to Greece and Bulgaria losing those lands. And as long as Macedonians keep that secret to ourselves, Bulgaria and Greece will continue to deny our existence and torment us to no end. If that secret however comes out, Greece and Bulgaria will have no reason to deny us anything except for our lands!

Here are some facts to consider;

Macedonians over the centuries have fought to free themselves and to create a Macedonian state by the name “Macedonia”, which has existed from prehistoric times. Macedonian struggles for freedom are well documented in history and should be familiar to every Macedonian. Clearly this demonstrates that a Macedonian consciousness existed and has fought for the creation of a Macedonian state!

In 1903 the entire Macedonian population rose up as a nation and fought in a national uprising against the Ottoman Empire, which clearly demonstrated Macedonian desires for freedom and self rule. Many Macedonians willingly fought and sacrificed their lives in the hope of creating a free and independent Macedonia!

In 1912, 1913 Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria invaded, occupied, partitioned and annexed Macedonian lands knowing full well that the Macedonian people, only a decade earlier, tried to free themselves and create their own Macedonian state without success. Almost one century later in 1991, the Serbian annexed part of Macedonia became the sovereign and independent Republic of Macedonian. This clearly demonstrates that the Macedonian consciousness still exists and the Macedonian people are still striving to recuperate what once was theirs!

Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria, after annexing Macedonian territories, committed atrocities against the Macedonian people; including forcibly assimilating many Macedonians. This demonstrates that a Macedonian consciousness existed while Macedonia was partitioned and that Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria made attempts to forcibly extinguish it!

In its attempts to “Hellenize” Macedonia, Greece went a step further and renamed all place names and peoples’ names and banned the Macedonian language from use. This clearly demonstrates that Macedonians exist in Greek occupied Macedonia and have their own language and culture.

In spite of Macedonians existing and being recognized worldwide and Macedonian organizations being registered everywhere in the world since the 19th century, Greece and Bulgaria to this day still maintain that Macedonians do not exist. This clearly demonstrates that Greece and Bulgaria cannot accept the fact the Macedonians exist!

Both Greece and Bulgaria historically have shown desire to possess all of Macedonia, and, through their denials of the existence of the Macedonian people, are attempting to achieve two objectives;

(1) Continue to possess Macedonian territories that they are already illegally occupying (instead of giving them back to the Macedonian people) and,

(2) By attempting to destabilize the Republic of Macedonia (through fake disputes) they are both hoping to annex more Macedonian territories.

Greece has not given up on the “Megali Idea” or of possessing all of Macedonia, and Bulgaria has not given up on the “San Stefano” dream of a Greater Bulgaria which includes all of Macedonia. These are dangerous desires not only for the Macedonian people but for the entire world, as history has shown before!

Historically Greece was never really interested in Macedonia’s name and as MHRMI and AMHRC have put it; “The nonsensical name dispute was initiated by Greece in order to continue its policy of non-recognition and persecution of its large Macedonian minority. Former Greek Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis admitted in 1995, ‘My main aim was to convince the Republic (of Macedonia) to declare that there is no Slavomacedonian minority in Greece. This

was the real key of our difference with Skopje’.”

MHRMI and AMHRC also went on to say;

“Ironically, Greece claims exclusivity to the name Macedonia, but it was not until 1988 when Greece realized that independence for the Republic of Macedonia was imminent, that it renamed ‘Northern Greece’ to the ‘Province of Macedonia’.

Consequently, Greece imposed an economic embargo that crippled Macedonia's economy in 1992, it vetoed Macedonia's entry into NATO in 2008, and it has continued its decades-old policy of eradication and forcible assimilation of its Macedonian minority.

However, NATO and the European Union allow its member-states to be handcuffed by Greece's xenophobic policies. Despite overwhelming support for Macedonia's NATO membership, Greece was permitted to compromise regional stability and use its veto power against Macedonia for one reason - the name dispute.

Instead of reprimanding Greece, the Western world insists on a ‘solution’ to the name dispute. Would any other country negotiate its own name?

The name dispute is akin to the US state of Georgia demanding that the Republic of Georgia change its name or the Belgian province of Luxembourg demanding that Luxembourg change its name.

Furthermore, any proposals to change Macedonia’s international, bilateral, or constitutional name, or to add ‘qualifiers’ such as ‘Democratic’ or ‘Northern’, would change Macedonia’s identity everywhere and are completely unacceptable.

How can the European Union justify the violation of its own principles by asking Macedonia to change its name?

Greece is the only country that objects to Macedonia’s name. There is no need to find an international or bilateral ‘solution’ based on one country's irrational and nationalistic fears. Unfortunately, by continuing the negotiations, Macedonia is telling the world that it is

willing to compromise. Because of this, even countries that have recognized Macedonia would use any new name that is reached in a bilateral agreement. Macedonia can end the name dispute now and the calls for compromise by ending negotiations over its own name.

MHRMI and AMHRC call on:

Macedonia to stop the negotiations immediately and tell the international community that it is not willing to compromise its name and identity. The rest of the international community, and EU in particular, to join the 127 countries that have recognized Macedonia, including 4/5 UN Security Council members, and to finally put an end to the irrational name dispute and immediately recognize Macedonia under its constitutional name.”

How well do “outsiders” understand Macedonia’s problems?

Most outsiders, including foreign politicians and high ranking diplomats, don’t know much about Macedonia and its problems with Greece and Bulgaria. Also what little they do know comes from propaganda propagated by Greek and Bulgarian lobbyists.

Most of what “outsiders” know about the so-called “name dispute” is the “Greek spin” on the issue which claims that it is “a dispute between two nations wanting the same name”. Mainstream media always quote the “Greek position” on this calling it a “dispute” when in fact it is not!

If it is a dispute then it is totally one sided and has nothing to do with Macedonia’s name but has everything to do with the Macedonian identity. Most people don’t know that since Greece occupied Macedonian territories in 1912 it had many chances to “use” the name Macedonia but as MHRMI and AMHRC have pointed out “Ironically, Greece claims exclusivity to the name Macedonia, but it was not until 1988 when Greece realized that independence for the Republic of Macedonia was imminent, that it renamed ‘Northern Greece’ to the ‘Province of Macedonia’”.

In fact, by accepting to “negotiate” what cannot be negotiable, Macedonian authorities have legitimized Greece’s claim to the name. As a result, Macedonians feel “deeply hurt” when outsiders ‘unwittingly” support the Greek side. But what Macedonians have not realized and cannot understand is that outsiders only know the Greek side of the story. In reality “outsiders” don’t know the Macedonian side because Macedonian authorities have not done their job well to publicize it! And if outsiders don’t know what is really going on then how can we blame them for doing us wrong?

That is why it is very important for Macedonian authorities to pull away from these bogus negotiations and begin an information campaign to let the world know what is really going on with Greece.

It is very important for Macedonian official channels to immediately react and respond to every comment and every press release, such as the one from Philip Reeker for example, and make the Macedonian side of the story well known.

With regards to the “name dispute” Macedonian authorities must make it very clear to everyone why Macedonians cannot accept a name change and must settle on “Republic of Macedonia” as the official name of their country!

For once let us separate facts from fiction; Greece and Bulgaria took Macedonian lands away from the Macedonian people. This is a fact! And this is the crux of the entire problem between us and our neighbours!

There will be no peace and our enemies will not cease to torment us until all the facts of what has been done are out in the open, well understood and acknowledged by the world. The onus, to make this happen, is on the Macedonian authorities who as representatives of the Macedonian people not only have the right but are obligated to serve the Macedonian people and work for their interests! So please stop “negotiating” away our God given name and start working for our rights!

Practical or not, achievable on not, harmful or not, when it comes to the situation with our neighbours, Macedonians must learn to

dispense with political correctness and start telling the truth the way we see it! Macedonians need to start telling the world their side of the story!

Macedonians must also learn to stand up for ourselves and vigorously respond, without exception, to all those who belittle and trivialize our predicament; something we have not done well in the past!

One last thing regarding the so-called Treaty of Friendship Bulgaria offered Macedonia. One of the pre-conditions in this Treaty, I believe, is that Macedonia should give up its right to pursue human rights of the Macedonians living in Bulgaria? How can this be a “treaty of friendship” when it calls on Macedonian authorities to do harm to their own people? This is not a “treaty of friendship”. This is a stab in the back!

In spite of what has been said and done and the warnings and pleading made by so many Macedonians to end the so called “name negotiations” with Greece, the comical tragedy still continues to unfold for almost two decades now. How long are going to allow it to go on? How long are we Macedonians going to bend backwards to please our enemies?

17. Macedonia’s Recognition what will it mean to the world?

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.

18. Thank You Canada Day Celebration

Organized by the Macedonian Community of Canada

On Sunday November 4th, 2007 the Macedonian Community of Canada held a special celebration to honour Canada’s recognition of the Republic of Macedonia by its constitutional name which took place on September 20th, 2007.

The Thank You Canada event which lasted from noon to six pm, took place at Toronto’s St. Clement of Ohrid Macedonian Orthodox Cathedral.

Activities began inside the great hall with speeches delivered by the organizers and guests and were followed by music and dancing. The group Rumba played outdoors while Sonja and Oliver Band provided music inside. Performances were also provided by the St. Clement and St. Ilija Macedonian folklore dance groups.