NOTES - Part 03

emboldened in their fight for basic human freedom. Europe is becoming much more receptive to the plight of these "unrecognized" minorities and many informed Europeans are getting frustrated with Greece's bullying tactics and irresponsible behavior. The global economy tends to deemphasize the existing borders and fosters greater openness and cooperation between nations. New archeological artifacts bring new evidence to the forefront and compel scholars to reexamine their conclusions. The spotlight is on Greece and she can choose to come out clean, grant full human rights to the ethnic Macedonians with- in her border and allow them to speak and study under their maternal tongue or hide under the veil of new lies and fabrications, alienate herself from the modern democracies in Europe and thereby sink deeper into the darkened abyss.

Greece has no right to deny the ethnic Macedonians living in Greece their basic human rights as people. Greece can not stake a claim on the name Macedonia with which she got connected to as recently as 1912 with the spoils of the Balkan Wars. Greece has no right to claim the ancient Macedonians with whom she has no connection at all. The ancient Macedonians enslaved Greece and kept it under their rule until the coming of the Romans. When Rome defeated the Macedonians, Rome liberated the Greeks. Greeks cannot claim the Ancient Macedonian greatness; literary evidence cannot support such an elusive act. Ancient Macedonian great- ness does not belong to them. Greeks should educate themselves first and foremost before passing judgment on others. Listening to the ancient Greeks can do wonders for their inflated and empty ego. The ancient Greeks left a plethora of incorruptible evidence of who was Greek and who was Macedonian in antiquity. The statements from the ancient Greeks and the ancient Macedonians speak much louder than today's Greeks convoluted interpretations and self-centered opinion. Greece's crocodile tears for Macedonia are too salty for her own palate. Greece should leave the Republic of Macedonia alone to pursue her own European integration unimpeded. Greece should not dig a grave for the Macedonians. The cultural genocide they have inflicted on the Macedonians living in Greece will never be forgotten.

The Macedonians though, will prevail with her or without her. She should focus on her own destiny as a nation and stop its

irresponsible, virulent attack on anything Macedonian. Greece's position is whimsically constructed, rests on precarious constructs and cannot withstand an iota of historical scientific scrutiny. It seems that all foreigners know Greece's history except the Greeks themselves. I presume artificiality breeds insecurities and thus by implication, nervousness and fear and that is a sure sign of a thieving nation.

Instead of focusing on distorting the truth about the Republic of Macedonia they should worry about their own historiography which resembles a coat of many colors. Theirs is a history invented to serve a political purpose which eventually will succumb under the weight of its own artificially created shield. It contains too many large gaping holes for which the creators have no plausible explanations; one cannot hope to go the distance on borrowed time. Ideological platforms based on historical cover-ups and nurtured with distortions and half-truths are bound to suffer a premature and an unwanted end. Manipulating public opinion for political gains is as collusive as is treacherous, and at the end is perilously dangerous. This Australian front that propagates this kind of nonsense is nothing but "Aristotelis" in disguise whose function in Aegean Macedonia, (yes, the occupied part of Macedonia) was to spy on ethic Macedonians and suppress their ethnic aspirations. Their actions are transparent and their aim is pathetic. Their writings are venomous and lack cognitive substance. It is disgusting to see them evoke the passage written by Schlesinger: They wrote:

"Unfortunately many of the authoritative views of the American academic establishment do not follow Arthur Schlesinger advice about the purpose of history in their writings:

Schlesinger wrote:

"The purpose of history is to promote not group self-esteem, but understanding of the world and the past, dispassionate analysis, judgment and perspective, respect for diver- gent cultures and traditions, and unflinching protection for those unifying ideas of tolerance, democracy, and human rights that make free historical inquiry possible."

How pitifully hypocritical it sounds coming from a Greek group who disseminates lies, fabrications, uses malice and promotes hate. You have the audacity to quote a person who writes about respect of divergent cultures and traditions, while you and the government you write for denies the existence of the ethnic Macedonians in Greece. You who have forbade the Macedonians living in Greece to use their own mother's tongue and persecuted them for even uttering a word to their domestic animals in Macedonian. You accuse others for lack of tolerance and democracy and of human rights? Do you even know how abhorrent it sounds coming from you? I wonder where it starts. Where are the logic and the common sense? Is it your inability to comprehend the written word or is it your negligence to consider others as your equal that drives your arrogance and pomposity? If the truth were a runaway locomotive and bears straight at you, would you be able to recognize it?

Instead promoting KKK ideology, you should turn around and embrace the Republic of Macedonia. She is the only true friend you have in the region. Think again and envision what would be like for Greece if Macedonia becomes what you wished her to become; you will be surrounded by your worst nightmare. Cherish the fact that you have the ethnic Macedonians in Greece still peaceful and civilized. Extend to them what is only theirs to begin with; their human rights as citizens of Greece. After all, your house is not made of glass, is it?

I will leave you with this passage in hope that it may elicit some sobering thoughts:

Why would the ancient Greeks not agree with your lies?

Read:

“When the news of his death reached Greece, revolts against the Macedonian authority broke out everywhere. Theban exiles in Athens organized a force of patriots and besieged the Macedonian garrison in the Cadmea. In Athens itself where many had prayed for an end to Alexander; the anti Macedonian party, feeling that its prayers had been heard crowned themselves with garlands and feasted over the death of him whom they had courted as a god --

singing, says Plutarch, "triumphant songs and victory, as it by their own valor they had vanquished him".

The very last sentence is terribly telling:

"Triumphant songs and victory, as it by their own valor they had vanquished him".

Well, then, would you say that Alexander was a Greek king?

Why would his loyal subjects exult and feast, singing adorned with garlands upon the news that “their" king has died?

Is there any similar example in the annals of the recorded history where a nation goes into a wild celebration upon hearing the news that their king has died?

Aren't you the only country in the world that celebrates its conqueror?

Does it make any sense to sing triumphantly when your leader, the king who would "secure the frontiers for Greece", vanquishes from the face of the earth?

Final question; How come we did not find any similar celebrations in any Macedonian cities at the time?

Memorable encounter (36):

"The Colonels, as it happened, promoted Alexander as a great Greek hero, especially to army recruits: the Greeks of the fourth century BC, to whom Alexander was a half-Macedonian, half-Epirote barbarian conqueror; would have found this metamorphosis as ironic as I did." (Peter Green Alexander of Macedon 356- 323 B.C. A Historical Biography" xv).

The Theft of a King – Who Stole Alexander ISBN: 978-1-4327-6856-0 Publisher: Outskirts Press, Inc.

By Gandeto, J.S.G.

1. What is the book about?

The book centers on Alexander the Great and the Ancient Macedonians’ ethnicity. It elaborates topics related to the differences between the ancient Macedonians and the ancient Greeks and attempts to dispel the modern notion – one originating in the 19th century and thereafter propagated by some western authors – that ancient Macedonians “were” Greeks. Also, in the book the reader will find glimpses of today’s dispute between the Republic of Macedonia and Greece regarding the name of the Republic of Macedonia, in essence, what lies hidden behind this carefully orchestrated Greek problem with the name. Readers will have a chance to get acquainted with modern-day Balkan politics where deep-rooted historical intrigues, stereotyping and ingrained prejudices do justice for tolerance and rational thought.

The book offers glimpses into our continuous struggle to return Alexander to his rightful place - among his Macedonian kinsmen. Yes, it is a feeble voice in the dark, but a voice nevertheless, that isn't going to die any time soon. Through the topics discussed in the book, the reader will have a chance to see and understand the other side of the story. In the words of Marquez Garcia, "Our enemies have crushed many roses before but they haven't succeeded in stopping the spring from coming."

Compelling questions:

..If Alexander the Great was a Greek king, why would he dismiss his own "Greek" troops in the middle of his Asian campaign in 330 B.C.? (Arr. III.19.6-7; Plut. Al. 42.5; Diod. XVII.74.3-4; Curt. VI.2.17).

Why would Greeks in the mainland, supposedly his own people, rebel against him?

Why would the Greeks call the Lamian War a "Hellenic War" if they were fighting the Macedonians?

2. Why did you decide to write it?

My main objective was twofold: to bring to the forefront the differences between the ancient Macedonians and the ancient Greeks and to shed some light on much overlooked and, by some authors largely ignored, facts about the ethnicity of the ancient Macedonians.

I could no longer stay silent in lieu of such incontrovertible evidence left to us from the ancient chronographers that clearly distinguished and separated the ancient Macedonians from the ancient Greeks. I felt compelled to respond to the blatant and dishonest manipulation of historical evidence in order to circumvent and subvert the universally declared human rights covenants and obligations.

3. How did you get your book published?

A friend of mine suggested Outskirts Press as a reputable vehicle to reach my audience; I’m glad I did.

4. What types of readers will be interested in your book?

I would be happy if today’s younger generation gets a “whiff” of the twisted political winds in the Balkan and understand how distortions and manipulations of historical facts can be used for political gains.

5. What is special about your book? What differentiates it from other books in the same category?

What separates this book from other books in the same category is the blunt straight forward – no gloves – attitude. There is no glossing over, no need to look for clues hidden in between the lines or sugar-coating politically correct terms. If I have perceived historical distortions being sold as fact, I have described them as lies; if unsupported of evidence claims are propagated as truths, I called them fabrications; if historical injustice has been committed, I find no acceptable reason to remain silent regardless of socio-political consequences. Conscience compels me to act and stand against all social injustices.

If modern day Greeks succeed in their diplomatic offensive to convince the world that Alexander the Great and his Macedonians were actually Greeks, then such a verdict may accomplish two things: (a) prove that historical evidence can be ignored (and in this case it would be), that records can be manipulated and subverted, and (b) inflict irreparable damage to the confidence and the faith entrusted in the hands of scholars and academic institutions world wide. Such a verdict will amount to nothing less than the theft of a king. On the other hand, if justice prevails, as it should, then we may safely conclude that Alexander and his legacy would continue to rest among his Macedonians whom he considered his natural kinsmen and with whom he shared his troubles, setbacks, sufferings and pain as well as jubilation in his victories.

6. Have you published any other books? Do you plan to publish more?

Yes, I have. In 2002 I published The Ancient Macedonians – Differences between the Ancient Macedonians and the Ancient Greeks, One Golden Ray upon the Rock, a novel in 2005 and The Wolves of Trapper’s Bluff in 2007.

I most certainly will continue to write.

The book is available through most of the book stores; http://www.outskirtspress.com/thetheftofaking

J.S.G. Gandeto was born in Lubojno, Macedonia. Educated at Ss Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje, Republic of Macedonia. He immigrated to United States and continued his studies at Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan and Nova South-Eastern University in Fourth Lauderdale, Florida where he received his post graduate degrees. He recently completed his 29th year as an educator and has since retired and is continuing to pursue his passion in writing. In 2002 he published his first book Ancient Macedonians -Differences between Ancient Macedonians and the Ancient Greeks. In 2005 he published the romantic novels One Golden Ray upon the Rock and in 2007, The Wolves of Trappers Bluff.

In the Macedonian Language he has published the following novels: Spasa's Light in 2004, Saraf in 2009 and Rosamarina's Grave in 2010. Book of poems Muabeti in 2003, poemata Ko Jagne in 2005 and Majka -Egejka in 2009. Currently, he is preparing for publication his latest novel Folded Impressions.

26. Response to “What's in a name? Blood, if it's Macedonia”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com//servlet/story/LAC.20070716.CO MACE16/TPStory/Comment/

Response by Risto Stefov

ANDRÉ GEROLYMATOS, Chair of Hellenic studies at Simon Fraser University on Monday, July 16, 2007 on Page A13 wrote:

“Last month, Liberal MP Lui Temelkovski introduced a private member's bill that called for Canada to recognize the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia as the Republic of Macedonia. This seemingly innocuous bill raised nary an eyebrow in Ottawa. Yet, the name change is a potential source of regional conflict. For 16 years, Canadian governments have stayed clear of Macedonian politics and avoided contributing to such a crisis.

Not long ago, the Balkans conjured images of mass killings, terror and armies of refugees after Yugoslavia's disintegration. The wars in Bosnia, Croatia and Kosovo gave us the term "ethnic cleansing," as organized killing symptomatic of the Second World War returned to Europe. Remarkably, the Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia managed to quietly separate in 1991 and, for the most part, avoided the bloodshed that swept the other republics. In fact, the only crimes against humanity were committed against history by weapons of cultural destruction and historical parody, a circumstance not exclusive to the Balkans.

According to some voices from Skopje, all Slav citizens are descendents of Alexander the Great and of the ancient Macedonians - everyone, of course, with the exception of as much as 40 per cent of the population that is Albanian. Airports, schools, buildings and bridges are named after Alexander, Philip or other historical figures whose names provide an instant link with antiquity. The Greeks, however, do not like the hijacking of what they believe is their monopoly of classical Greece and its symbols. The Bulgarians are disenchanted with the notion of a Macedonian identity that is not Bulgarian, and the Albanian minority still feels excluded.”

Mr. Gerolymatos unlike the modern Greeks of Athens and the world over who believe they are the descendents of the so called “Ancient Greeks” the vast majority of Macedonians are in touch with reality and believe they are the product of evolution and mixing of all the conquerors and settlers that set foot on Macedonian soil, including the Ancient Macedonians.

“During Tito's heyday, the Macedonian republic constituted a small part of the federation, a reminder of the brief flirtation with a greater Yugoslavia that would have encompassed western Bulgaria and Greece's northern province of Macedonia. To this end, Tito armed and trained Greek Communist insurgents who waged a destructive civil war in Greece from 1946 to 1949. Concurrently, he stocked the fires of a distinct Macedonian nationalism that would serve as a fig leaf for the Yugoslav dictator's Balkan ambitions. The idea was that, under the label of pan-Macedonia, the Yugoslavs could absorb parts of Greece and Bulgaria.”

Mr. Gerolymatos, perhaps those were Tito’s ideas, but to the Macedonians it did not matter what Tito or Stalin wanted, their dream was to form a united, free and independent Macedonia. Tito, Stalin and the communists created the conditions for the Macedonian people to yet again strive to achieve their rights as human beings in this world. They did not need Stalin, Tito or any other communist to tell them who they are and what to want. Macedonians have a long history of struggle for independence and the need to form their own state, which is a constant reminder for them.

“Tito's dream never became a reality because Stalin would not countenance a rival Communist strongman in southeastern Europe. As a result, the Macedonian republic was left to languish in obscurity - the dream of a greater Macedonia was confined to history books, maps and storytelling. The Greeks occasionally protested, but the United States and NATO were far too content with Tito's anti-Soviet policies to take it seriously.”

Again Mr. Gerolymatos, what you fail to mention here is the means by which Greece acquired its Macedonian territories. Let me remind you that Greece along with its partners Serbia and Bulgaria,

invaded Macedonian territories in 1912 under false pretenses. Any history book can attest to the fact that Macedonia was brutally occupied and illegally partitioned by Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria during the Balkan Wars of 1912, 1913. All the Macedonians want is to be given back what was already theirs. Again Tito may have had his dreams about Macedonia but the Macedonian people had their own dreams about uniting and freeing their ancestral lands. Macedonia belongs to the Macedonians; that is what they fought for in World War II and later in the Greek Civil War, not to fulfill foreign imperial desires.

“But, despite the outward appearance of a prosperous and multicultural Yugoslavia, the forces of extreme nationalism lay just under the surface. In fact, one reason why Yugoslavia began to unravel in the 1980s was because it could not reconcile Serbian predominance and the latent nationalism of the constituent republics. Regional identities supplanted federalism and common sense. Overnight, Slobodan Milosevic set in motion the process for a greater Serbia that, inevitably, led to civil war.

Despite their common ancestry, Serbs, Croats, Slovenes and Bosnians had different memories of the past and saw themselves as distinct peoples. The Macedonian problem, to some degree, is not only a mirror image of Yugoslav religious and cultural divisions but also complicated by the Albanian factor. The Slav extremist's insistence on a single ethnic Macedonian identity within a unitary state will further alienate the Albanians and encourage them to seek separation.”

Mr. Gerolymatos, who are these so called “Slav” extremists living in Macedonia and how many of them are there? So, in spite of the fact that the Republic of Macedonia is a multi-ethnic state with established multi-ethnic institutions recognized by the entire world, do you still believe that extreme “Slav” element who will insist on a unitary state with a single ethnic Macedonian identity, exists in Macedonia today? Mr. Gerolymatos, are you not aware that the Republic of Macedonia has recognized all of its minorities and has awarded their rights as such? Are you not aware that ethnic Albanian parties exist and participate in the Macedonian Parliament? Are you not aware that every minority has the right to

speak its language and practice its religion in Macedonia? Can you say the same thing about Greece? Mr. Gerolymatos, unlike Greece which refuses to recognize its non-Greek minorities, Macedonia has removed all tensions by doing exactly the opposite and recognizing them.

“This potential new Balkan crisis will also be fuelled by granting independence to Kosovo, a move that will act as a magnet for Albanians in the Macedonian republic. In the ensuing civil war, the Yugoslav horrors of the 1990s will once again plague the region.

This is not to say that a private member's bill in the House of Commons will be the catalyst for a new Balkan conflict. But if it succeeds, it will cast Canadian foreign policy alongside that of the U.S. and Britain, whose short-sighted advocacy of Kosovo independence could trigger another crisis. Ultimately, it would be a very high price to pay for the few votes the bill would generate.

The solution to the Macedonian issue is not facile arguments over who is related to Alexander the Great or what the republic's name is, but rather the admission of this small state into the European Union.”

André Gerolymatos is the author of The Balkan Wars: Conquest, Revolution and Retribution from the Ottoman Era to the Twentieth Century and Beyond.

27. What does Europe have to do with the Greek-Macedonian Name Dispute?

By now we all know Greece’s story with regards to the Greek-Macedonian so-called “name dispute” and as JS Gandeto puts it in his article “Anatomy of a bankrupt ideology” published in the American Chronicle on November 11th, 2008 at this link; http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/81091 “In fact, they [Greeks] not only diffuse and distort the plight of the real Macedonians but go as far as to portray the Macedonians as "usurpers" of Greek history. This is a classic example of a thief’s mentality; in order to deflect attention from the crimes he has committed, the thief assumes the role of the victim and he cries foul”.

What got my attention about the European involvement in the so-called “Greek-Macedonian” name dispute is an article I read entitled “No Macedonians in Macedonia, says Brussels” published by Makfax on November 13th, 2008 at this link: http://www.makfax.com.mk/look/novina/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1& IdPublication=2&NrArticle=131761&NrIssue=819&NrSection=10

The article goes on to say: "More shameful is the paragraph speaking about minorities in Serbia, in which the European Parliament uses the name Macedonians. This means that all Macedonians living outside Macedonia's borders can choose what to call themselves, while the Macedonians in Macedonia are still subjected to experiments of this type," Utrinski Vesnik's Brussels correspondent said in the front-page story with a headline "Brussels Renames us FYROMacedonians".

Why is this happening? Is Brussels trying to placate Greece or is there something deeper to this?

As I am in the process of doing research for my next book “Macedonian Struggle for Independence” I found some information that might explain why some European Union countries are behaving the way they are.

The Macedonian people’s problems are not new nor do they exclusively have to do with Greece. The Macedonian people’s problems began in 1878, first with the Russians and then with the Western Great Powers mainly Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Italy and Great Britain.

Even though Macedonians fought on Russia’s side in the Russian-Ottoman War of 1877-78 expecting Russia to help them liberate themselves, Russia sold them out by creating a greater Bulgarian state and handed Macedonia to the Bulgarians.

Then when the Western European Great Powers became involved and met at the Berlin Congress in 1878 the Macedonians were certain that their situation would be well looked after and Macedonia would be given autonomy just as Bulgaria was given autonomy. Unfortunately that did not happen. But worse than that the European Powers ignored the Macedonian people’s pleas and gave Macedonia back to the Ottomans. Even worse than that, knowing that the Ottomans would retaliate against the Macedonians, none of the Powers made sure that the Macedonians would not be harmed.

The Russian-Ottoman War was an absolute disaster for the Macedonian people especially for those who sacrificed their lives and died helping Russia. Instead of being grateful for the help they received and allowing the Macedonians to create a Macedonian state, the Russians sold them out to the Bulgarians. By signing the San Stefano treaty Russia agreed to the creation of a greater Bulgarian State which was to include Macedonian lands and people. Then as the Western Power intervened in the Berlin Congress, instead of sorting things out and giving Macedonia autonomy as they did to Bulgaria they gave Macedonia back to the Ottomans.

Instead of granting Macedonia real autonomy like they did for Bulgaria, the Great Powers offered empty words that lead nowhere. According to articles 23 and 62 of the Berlin Congress the Macedonian people were to receive political and religious autonomy within the Ottoman Empire. They were also promised political, religious and educational reforms which never materialized. Given that Macedonia was handed back to the Ottomans to do as they

pleased, the situation was further aggravated by the Ottoman decision to bring Muslim settlers into Macedonia. Macedonia in fact became the dumping ground for renegades from the Ottoman army and for Muslims who escaped from Bulgaria, Bosnia, Serbia, Herzegovina and other regions from which the Ottomans lost territories. More than 60,000 Muslim families were dumped and disbursed in Macedonia to be accommodated in Christian homes and to become an economic burden of the Macedonian people.

After the Berlin Congress those Macedonians who stubbornly fought against the Ottomans fled to Serbia and Bulgaria, in fear for their lives. More than 200 Macedonian villages were emptied of their inhabitants. The ones that remained unfortunately faired the worst as the Ottomans hit them with new taxes to pay for the war damages and to supply the fast growing Ottoman military machine which by now numbered 80 battalions. The devastation in Macedonia was further exacerbated by the arming of Albanian Militias and allowing them to settle in Skopje and establish their own rule in Macedonia.

There was also a matter of the huge debt of money which the Ottomans had borrowed from the Western Powers that the Ottomans now had to pay back which again became a burden on the Macedonian people. By now Macedonian villages were paying over thirty different taxes which became a struggle for survival. It was during these times that Macedonians found themselves wishing to be liberated or dead because life the way it was, was not worth living.

Even before the Berlin Congress and before their fate was sealed by the Western Great Powers, leading Macedonians could not accept the idea of a Macedonia unified with Bulgaria so the decisions of the San Stefano Treaty were opposed. But after the Berlin Congress Macedonians were in disbelief and horrified by the actions of the Western European Great Powers especially when they gave Macedonia back to the Ottomans without any guarantees that the population would be protected from retaliation and harm.

In the eyes of the Macedonian people the Great Powers committed a cardinal sin. They sold out Macedonia and their Christian brothers for profit. No wonder some European Union states today are

intolerant of the Macedonians. How could they recognize Macedonia and Macedonian people today when they were guilty of selling them out in 1878? To recognize the Macedonians today would mean that they would have to admit that they made a grave error in 1878. An error on the side of the Western European Great Powers however was no small disaster for the Macedonian people who a century and a quarter later are still fighting for their rights and freedoms.

But that was not the first time the Macedonian people were betrayed by European countries. In spite of the Macedonian people’s attempt to again liberate themselves in 1903 and create their own Macedonian state, they were again betrayed by allowing Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria to partition Macedonia by the 1913 Treaty of Bucharest to which the European Powers were signatories and again in 1919 after European borders were again recognized.

In 1945 the Macedonian people living in Greece, after helping to expel the Fascists and Nazis from Greece, came close to being recognized as Macedonians and here again none of the Western European states supported their recognition.

In 1991 when the Republic of Macedonia declared its independence most Western Europeans states again voted against the recognition of a Macedonian state.

Now we hear certain Western European states will not recognize that Macedonians are living in the Republic of Macedonia even though they recognize the Macedonians that live outside of Macedonia!

Does anyone really know what is going on?

It appears, at least to me, that Western Europe has a grudge against the Macedonian people. The sixty-four thousand dollar question however is why? Is it because of what Europe did to the Macedonians over the last century of so? Could Western Europeans have a guilty conscience which is manifesting itself in a negative way? There is but one solution for that, recognize Macedonia and the Macedonians and I am sure they will forgive them!