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Macedonians: Aggressors or Victims?
by Risto Stefov
[email protected]
May, 2002
click here for a printable version
It's a shame that so little of Macedonian history is known to the World, that the Western media routinely bundles Macedonia in the same package as her aggressive neighbours. I get frustrated every time I read an article that pins Macedonians as the "aggressors" and the "doers" of unbefitting acts of barbarism.
In writing this document I will show that not only are Macedonians not aggressors, but also in fact throughout history they have been victims of aggression. Macedonians never raised arms against any nation (other than for defense), condoned violence or promoted slavery in the last 2300 years. Yet the Western media cannot seem to distinguish the acts of a Macedonian from those of his non-Macedonian neighbour. Take the most recent history for example. Armed Albanians that terrorized western Macedonia were labeled "victims of Macedonian aggression". Does that make any sense? Who was doing what to whom here? Will the Western media speak the same language if violence and terror was committed in the west? Will they write Albanians "are fighting for more rights" if a bunch of Albanians took up arms and killed French, German or English soldiers or policemen, or kidnapped civilians for ransom? Let's be realistic here.
Day after day, over and over we read stories with lines like "Ethnic Albanians are fighting for their rights," in report after report after report. Does the media think readers can't remember from one day to the next? Or do they think that by saying it over and over and over again it will become believable? Even when Albanians fight against Albanians, the Macedonians seem to be somehow responsible according to some media reports. What gives?
Speaking of rights, if the Western media cares so much about minority rights why haven't they written "comparative" reports between ethnic groups in the Balkans? What about examining the rights of Macedonians living in Albania? Are they afraid that they will reveal the truth that "Ethnic Albanians" in Macedonia have more rights than any other minority in the Balkans? In fact the Albanians in Macedonia have more rights than Macedonians living in Albania, Bulgaria, and Greece combined. Why isn't the Western media jumping on Albania, Greece or Bulgaria for not supporting "rights" for their minorities? Does one have to use violence to qualify for rights or does one have to carry a gun to get media attention? What kind of precedence is the Western media setting?
It is not my intention here to take "puck shots" at the Western media. In fact it goes against the grain for me to be critical of the West after the West opened the doors for so many Macedonians at their darkest times. But at the same time I can't sit in the sidelines and watch what I hold so dearly be unfairly put down for the sake of making politics.
Here are some things I find puzzling:
1. Why didn't the Albanians in Macedonia insist on "more rights" when Macedonia became independent in 1991? They had plenty of opportunity.
2. If Macedonians didn't care about Albanians as some Albanians claim, why did they open the border and homes to over 300,000 Kosovo refugees?
3. Why do Albanians need to resort to guns and violence to obtain "more rights" and not to politics? One-third of the politicians in parliament are Albanians representing the Albanian voters.
4. Why did the idea of "fighting for more rights" by violence come about after the bombing of Yugoslavia and not before?
5. Outside of violent revolutions or dictatorships, it is a historic first for a minority to impose itself on a majority and dictate its terms by "violence". Why is the West condemning terrorism and violence everywhere else but allows it to freely flourish in Macedonia?
6. If the Albanians are truly "fighting for more rights" why do they expel Macedonian civilians out of ethnically mixed neighbourhoods? How is that going to help them get "more rights"? Why do they want ethnically cleansed, "Albanians only" territories?
7. Why is Greece, a modern Democratic country, a member of the European Union, and a signatory of Human rights agreements, allowed to stomp unabated on its Macedonian minority without a single reaction from the Western media? Yet all hell breaks loose when Macedonia, a sovereign nation tries to defend itself from terrorism?
Let us not speak of ourselves as "fair and impartial". Let our deeds speak for themselves.
Who are the Albanians?
Like Greece, Albania is a modern nation. Albania was created by Austro-Hungary, Britain, France and Italy and became a nation for the first time in 1912 (December London Conference). Before that, Albania was occupied by the Ottoman Empire and would have fallen victim to Serbia and Greece had it not been for Western power intervention. She too would have suffered the same fate as Macedonia had it not been for Austro-Hungary's desire to keep Russia away from the Adriatic waters. Serbia, a Russian ally wanted parts of Albania for herself so she could have access to the Adriatic. None of the Western superpowers, however, wanted Russia to have access to the Mediterranean Sea. So to block Russia out, the Western superpowers created a "Western Protectorate" along the Adriatic coast and named her Albania. The name is a modern term without historical significance. Like the Greeks who wanted to be called Helene, the Albanians wanted to be called Illyrians, after the ancient Illyrians who two millennia ago lived in the same region, but that was not to be. Today modern Albanians prefer to call themselves Sqiptar and Arnaout instead of Albanian. The Albanians of today speak two languages, the Gheg dialect in the north and the Tosk in the south.
The idea of "Greater Albania" was born in 1878 when nationalism became widespread and gripped the Balkans with hysteria and violence. A radical group named Balli Kombetar started the idea by proposing the creation of an "ethnically pure" Albania to encompass all territories where Albanians existed. This was to include parts of Montenegro, Kosovo, parts of Serbia, parts of Macedonia and all of Greek occupied Ipiros. Greek and Serbian expansionism however, reduced Albania to its present day borders. The current territory was later sanctioned by the Western powers (Bucharest Treaty and ratified by the Versailles Treaty) during the Paris Peace Conference of 1919.
Being allies with the Ottoman Turk (before 1912) Albanians were often employed by the Ottoman military and as elite guard to the wealthy and prominent Turks.
It is believed that before the Ottoman occupation, Albanians were Christian who later converted to Islam. Being of the same faith (Muslim) Albanians had equal rights as their religious brethren the Turks. They lived their lives free to do business, loot, persecute and prey on their Christian neighbours. At the same time Turkey refused to give Albanians their independence until the West forced it on them in 1912.
The issue of a "Greater Albania" resurfaced during World War II, this time sponsored by Adolph Hitler himself. During the occupation (1941 to 1945) parts of the Balkans were re-partitioned and re-distributed to German and Italian allies. The Italian administered Macedonian territory of Tetovo, Gostivar, Kichevo, Struga, and Debar were given to Albania while Skopje, Bitola, and Shtip were given to Bulgaria.
YES, for those of you who didn't know, Albania was an ally of Nazi Germany. In fact the Albanians were a trusted ally of the SS. In 1944, an Albanian Waffen SS Division was formed, the 21st Waffen Gebirgs Division der SS "Skanderbeg"(Albanische Nr.1). The Skanderbeg Division occupied Western Macedonia with a base in Tetovo. Later there were plans to form a second SS division by Himmler who purportedly believed the Albanian Ghegs were of pure Aryan origins (Carl Savich). Himmler's plans however, did not come to fruition as Germany was in retreat before Himmler was able to complete the job.
According to Partisan accounts, the "Balisty" (Albanian Skenderbeg division) fought back fiercely and were tough to put down. There were also horror stories circulating of how the Balisty treated prisoners of war. According to eyewitnesses they employed ritualistic executions that included killing by a knife cut to the throat and licking the blood off the knife blade.
The plan for a "Greater Albania" died after World War II but the desire for it simmered on in the hearts of a few extremists only to re-surface with the break-up of Yugoslavia in the 1980's. With no allies, this time Albanian extremists turned to modern methods of warfare, "lobbying". After establishing a strong lobby in the Western Diaspora they went to work prodding and disturbing old wounds. Some well-positioned prods at Serbia gave them the expected retaliatory response. The propaganda machine, like a Hollywood film production, quickly scripted the scenes painting the Albanians as "victims" and the Serbs as "aggressors". The Western media lapped it up and turned it into headline news. After all it fit Western expectations of "good versus evil".
Where did the Albanians get the money? Like filming epic productions, creating propaganda costs money, a lot of money. Most of the money came from the sale of illegal drugs and the sex trade industry. A lot of money came from taxing ordinary Albanians both at home and in the Diaspora. Some came from rich individuals and organizations that saw the conflict as a long-term investment and an opportunity to make a lot more money. The Albanians knew that militarily they were no match for the Serbs, so they used "every means possible" including lying, cheating and fighting dirty to provoke a "superpower" military response against the Serbs. In time they succeeded and their investment paid off. I can only imagine the exhilaration of the UCK as they watched the mighty Western air force pound Serbia back into the 19th century. It's reminiscent of the glee of Venice in 1204 as she watched the destruction of Constantinople by the Latin 4th crusade.
Don't get me wrong, the West is not so naive that it would blindly get itself involved in a purely humanitarian situation. They have a plan of their own, I can only speculate as to what it is (Camp Bondsteel?).
See https://www.wsws.org/articles/2002/a.../oil-a29.shtml also https://www.realitymacedonia.org.mk/...e.asp?nid=1837
If you want to find out more about the recent Balkan conflicts read Scott Taylor's latest book "Diary of an Un Civil War" or visit "www.antiwar.com".
What is the West planning for the Balkans? I don't know but if I were Albanian I would let history be my guide! Not everything turns out the way you want it. There is no "free lunch" now days.
Playing the "victim" worked so well in Kosovo why not try it in Macedonia? Try it the Albanians did. Right after the Kosovo conflict the Albanian propaganda machine went to work again, spinning and weaving scenarios and manipulating the Western media. Apparently it seems that the media didn't learn anything from the Serbian experience. Or should I say they didn't care to learn anything because if they did they would have had to admit they made a mistake and supported the wrong side. What about Macedonia: who is who in Macedonia? That apparently doesn't seem to matter because the media has made up its mind. The Albanians are the "good guys" and they can do no wrong. They were the good guys in Kosovo, so therefore it is only logical that they are "the good guys" in Macedonia, right?
A lot of what is happening in Macedonia can be directly attributed to what happened in Kosovo. It has nothing to do with "fighting for rights" or not having enough rights. The Macedonians of today are the same Macedonians of 1991 when Macedonia became a sovereign nation. They are the same Macedonians that opened the doors to 300,000 Kosovo Albanian refugees.
The Albanian success story with Serbia in Kosovo has given the "Extremist Albanian Element" courage, high profile, popularity, notoriety and momentum to continue the quest for a "Greater Albania". The Albanians lied, cheated, fought dirty and committed unspeakable acts of terror then successfully pinned it on the Serbs and got away with it. Who is going to stop them from doing it again in Macedonia, the Western media?
Some of the blame for what is happening in Macedonia I squarely place on the shoulders of the Western media. Time and time again the Western mainstream media refuses to do its homework and continues to report "well camouflaged" propaganda as "the news".
It is easy to let things slip as "news" but difficult to imagine the consequences they create for those "making the news". What puzzles me the most is how Western reporters who have witnessed atrocities committed by Albanians can still report that Albanians are "fighting for their rights"? How do you justify "burning churches" as fighting for your rights? How does kidnapping and severely torturing civilians qualify as fighting for your rights? How does mutilating the bodies of soldiers serve as fighting for your rights? How are Albanians who committed criminal acts against Macedonians going to reconcile them with their Macedonian neighbours? If Albanians truly want more rights they should be focusing on diplomatic and not criminal acts. But are they truly "fighting for rights"? Examine their acts and decide for yourself!
If you are interested in learning more about Balkan issues please read Scott Taylor's books "INAT" and "Diary of an Un Civil War". This is reporting the way it should be and Scott, without holding any punches, is "telling it the way it is".
I don't want to leave the impression that all Albanians are bad guys. Like most people, the majority of Albanians are honest, hard working and tolerant of others. Macedonians, in every corner of Macedonia at one point or another, have coexisted with Albanians. Culturally however, we have subtle differences. Unlike the Macedonians, Albanians abide by an ancient law of conduct and practice the old edict of an "eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth". They believe that "unkind acts must be avenged with equally unkind acts". The ancient law prohibits Albanians from what we call "airing dirty laundry in public". Unlike the Christian Macedonians whose culture and religion prohibits them from using violence, the Muslim religion allows violence to be used "in acts of defense" which can often be intentionally misinterpreted by the propagandists. Using violence as a problem-solving tool between Albanian and Albanian is not uncommon but can start a war when used against other cultures.
By enacting the code of silence, a small but extreme violent element can wield unimaginable terror on the majority of the population. Now imagine what it could do if empowered and backed with the military might of a superpower.
Using threats and violence to solve problems and not allowing the victims to tell about it has empowered small but extreme elements in Kosovo and Macedonia to control very large numbers of Albanians both at home and in the Diaspora.
It is wrong for one to say that Albanian men are criminals involved in the drug and the sex trade (see http://msnbc.com/news/725802.asp?cp1=1) without qualifications. It is true that proportionally there are more Albanian men involved in criminal activities in Macedonia than Macedonian men. However, inactivity in the young breeds discontentment and boredom, which in turn leads to mischief. Young men who feel that there is no future for them in education drop out of school and look for opportunities elsewhere like joining criminal gangs or extreme political elements. There is also the popular misconception that committing violence against other races is "patriotic", which attracts the young and politically unaware. Men of intellect can do little against such propaganda especially when ignorant men point loaded guns at their heads.
What about Albanian women?
Culturally, Albanian women are very different from Macedonian women. Albanian women are expected to be obedient daughters and the devoted mothers of many children. Very few Muslim men believe in educating their daughters. In fact most believe that an ignorant daughter is an obedient daughter. Don't look for too many Albanian women with higher education or in intellectual circles.
The bottom line here is that the West, by accident or by design, has yet again allowed acts of violence to be committed against the Macedonian people. What hurts the most is the perpetual abuse Macedonians endure at the hands of the Western media. Time and time again the "real victims" are accused of being "aggressors" while the "real aggressors" are labeled as "victims" and allowed to get away with murder.
The only aggression Macedonia has committed in the last 2,400 years lasted a dozen years or so during the short-lived exploits of Alexander the Great. Philip built a strong Macedonia for defense against his neighbours not for military exploits. The Illyrians looted and pillaged Macedonian settlements from the west, Thracians raided Macedonian settlements from the north, Persians invaded Macedonia from the east and the City States plundered the Macedonian timberlands from the south. Philip extended his frontiers to protect his country from exploitation not to make it into an empire. It was Alexander's and only Alexander's desire to make Macedonia into a world power.
Since Alexander's death, Macedonians through the ages have been victims of world aggression. At the outset, Macedonia endured attack after fierce attack from Rome during the four Roman Macedonian wars. Rome didn't cease until Macedonia was rubble and that still didn't satisfy her. To add insult to injury Macedonia was partitioned into four pieces rendering her incapable of defense. Macedonia was the last to fall to the Romans and for her courage and tenacity she paid a heavy price. Roman cruelty and brutality turned Macedonia into a slave state and her people into slaves and "gladiator fodder" for Roman amusement. Life became so harsh that mothers no longer wanted to bear children. No wonder Macedonia was the first European nation to turn away from violence and embrace the teaching of the peace loving Christ. One can almost say that Christianity came to Macedonia by accident. One of the first encounters came when Jesus' mother Mary, travelling by boat was forced to land on the shores of the Macedonian coast during a violent storm. Expecting not to be welcomed by the heathens and barbarians she was pleasantly surprised to find gentle people that not only welcomed her, but were also familiar with her son's teachings. She was so happy that she blessed the old coastal mountain that became known as Sveta Gora (Holy Mountain). The news traveled far and wide and prompted Apostle Paul to visit Macedonia in 50AD. Paul was a Jew and a Roman citizen whose name was Saul of Tarsus before he was Christianized. Paul was well received by the masses when he spoke to them directly and they understood his words. That could only have been possible if Paul spoke Macedonian, the only language the masses understood. During the same year the first Christian church "The Golden Gate" was built on Holy Mountain, which prompted the start of the Christianization in Europe. The Macedonians were the first people to be Christianized.
As Roman influence shrank in the West, Christianity in Macedonia grew strong and consolidated its power on Holy Mountain. With the collapse of Rome, power shifted from West to East. A new capital was built that would serve the Christian Empire for over a thousand years. With the new capital came a new age and a new way of life free of Roman tyranny, cruelty and brutality. It was a lasting age because it was based on peace and love modeled after Christ's teachings.
The name given to the new capital was "Tsari Grad" ("City of Kings") a well-chosen name for a powerful capital that would govern the "Pravoslaven" ("Most Glorious") Holy Christian Empire for a millennium. Tsari Grad later became known as Constantinople named after Emperor Constantine and the Pravoslaven Empire became known as the Byzantine Empire named after the ancient town of Byzantium on top of which Constantinople was built. (For more information on Macedonia please read Vasil Bogov's excellent book, "Macedonian Revelations") See www.macedonian-revelation.cjb.net).
Some authors say that Macedonia was never Latinized and the Byzantine Empire was not at all a Roman Empire but a Macedonian Empire modeled after the old Macedonian Empire from Alexander's time. The first Eastern Emperor was Constantine, a Macedonian Caesaropapist (both Caesar and Pope), who after becoming Emperor in 312AD founded Tsari Grad and a year later accepted Christianity as the official religion of his empire. Constantine chose to build his capital at Byzantium instead of Solun for two reasons. First, Byzantium was strategically positioned between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Second, the city was built on an Island surrounded by water, which made it a natural fortress. As well as being a military strategic point, Tsari Grad was also a center of commerce connecting east and west.
The location of Tsari Grad was a choice by design and served the Pravoslaven Empire from 313AD to 1543AD. While Western Europe toiled through the dark ages, the Pravoslaven Empire stood on guard as a bulwark against invaders protecting Europe from the East. Also, while Western Europe lay intellectually dormant, the Pravoslaven Empire gave the world art, culture, law, science and architecture.
Two hundred years after Constantine another Great Macedonian Emperor named Justinian (527-565) came to power. Justinian commissioned the building of the magnificent cathedral of St. Sofia in Tsari Grad (completed in 597AD). Justinian was also famous for the creation of what later became known as the "Justinian code" (law of the land), which provided Europe and later French Canada with a foundation for their legal systems.
At the peak of its power Tsari Grad became the crossroads of Europe and Asia, a center of commerce for the four corners of the world and a monopoly in silk cloth production. The strength of the Empire lay in the Imperial Army, the Bureaucracy and the Pravoslavna (Christian) Church. The church gave the emperor ideology, absolutism and religion that held population and institutions together. Multiculturalism flourished especially in the Capital and on Holy Mountain. Even multi-ethnic Emperors were allowed to share the Imperial throne.
It was a multicultural paradise that Alexander the Great would have envied. Actually, Alexander the Great was one of the first Macedonian leaders to understand the benefits of multiculturalism. Like a well-adorned garden with plants and flowers from many places of the world, multiculturalism equally adorns a society with knowledge and beauty. The more the cultures the greater the contribution to the artistic, scientific, architectural, mathematical, literary and cultural pool of a society. In the Pravoslaven Empire it was the Christian faith that bonded the many races and cultures together. Christianity for the Pravoslaven Empire was like Judaism is for the modern Jews. Nationalism and capitalism had no place in the philosophically religious Pravoslaven people.
Western Europe on the other hand, after awakening from her long intellectual sleep, took a different direction. While Christian faith was the essence of Eastern life, pursuit of wealth became the essence of Western life. Initially it was the Emperors, then the Kings and finally the wealthy that ruled the West. But as the pyramid of rule broke down, autocracy gave way to monarchy and as the merchant class gained wealth, monarchy gave way to capitalism. Slowly what was one time the Western Roman Empire, now became a myriad of smaller countries with unique languages and cultures. Autocrats became representatives of the wealthy, ordinary people pledged loyalty to their new nations and capitalism gave birth to nationalism. Capitalism, like a burning fire needed fuel to grow and land to spread. In the West's quest for trade, Venice was becoming the leader of commerce. Venice wanted to become a great merchant power, a middleman of consumerism but Tsari Grad was always in the way. Far superior to Venice, Tsari Grad monopolized the silk trade and prohibited Venice from realizing her dream. Finally, as fate would have it, her moment of glory was near. When the Crusaders ran out of money and couldn't afford to pay for their voyage to the Holy Lands, they turned to Venice. Venice offered them a way out but the offer came with a price. It was Pope Innocent the III who turned the crusaders first against the Christian town of Zara in the Adriatic in 1202 then against Tsari Grad in 1204. Principles gave away to greed and Christian turned against Christian. All this to satisfy the greed and commercial appetites of Venice. It was not a war of armies but a war of betrayal, deceit, and total annihilation. The unsuspecting and trusting citizens of Tsari Grad gladly opened the city doors for the Crusaders. Instead of bringing peace however, the Latins killed the entire Tsari Grad population, military and civilian, then looted the city of its possessions. The city streets were flooded with the blood of the innocent. Warriors, women, and children alike were all slaughtered like lambs by the Latin crusaders. This was an act of shame that the Western Church will endure for all eternity. (To learn about the crusades and much more please read "The Foundations of the West" by D. Fishwick).
The schism between the Western and Eastern Church that started with the one hundred-year icon controversy became permanent after the 1204 incident. While the Western Church broke up into many Christian factions, the Eastern Church remained united up until the 19th century. Latin was still in use by the Western Church when the Eastern Church converted to Macedonian. To simplify the written Macedonian language during the 8th century AD, Macedonian scholars created what is now known as the Cyrillic script. Then in 882AD while residing in Solun, the scholar Methodius translated many of the Glagolitic writings to Cyrillic script. Cyrillic is a phonetic script and easier to learn than the old Glagolitic. Unlike Latin, Macedonian (Old Church Slavonic) liturgy was well understood by the majority of subjects of the Pravoslaven Empire.
The legacy of the Pravoslaven Empire stretched beyond its borders and as far away as the Russian tribes. Most of Eastern Europe and Russia were Christianized by the cultural touch of the Pravoslaven Empire. After the fall of Tsari Grad, Moscow became the capital of Eastern Christianity. Not only did Russia take advantage of Macedonian arts and culture but she also claimed Tsari Grad's government. Ivan the Great married the niece of the last Pravoslaven Emperor and claimed his power as Czar of Russia.
After sacking Tsari Grad in 1204, a Latin Emperor was installed and his rule lasted until 1261 when the Pravoslavni overthrew him and regained control over the Empire. But in its weakened state the once mighty Pravoslaven Empire fell prey to the Muslim onslaught and capitulated to the Ottoman Turks on May 29th, 1543. West European aggression allowed the eastern gates to open and Muslims to sit at the Christian throne to this day.
Even though Ottoman authority ruled Macedonia, the Macedonian church for years played the role of educator, administrator and protector of the Macedonian people. Ohrid now became the cultural and religious capital of Macedonia. Holy Mountain through its fifty or so multicultural monasteries managed to keep the Turks out and the Pravoslavna faith alive.
After unsuccessful attempts to dominate the west, the Ottoman Empire finally halted at Venice and remained static until the 19th century. As Western Europe grew and flourished economically, Macedonia fell into darkness and despair. Heavy taxation, corruption, abuse and plain neglect of Macedonia by the Turks threw the Macedonian people into poverty and illiteracy. As the West received knowledge and light from the Pravoslaven heritage (via the Muslims in Spain and Sicily), Macedonia fell into darkness. The powerful Macedonian Church was abolished in 1767 by Sultan Mustafa III and the once faithful who drew strength, knowledge and inspiration from the church were robbed of their heritage.
Jealous of the privileges Macedonians enjoyed under the protection of the Macedonian Church, Greeks conspired with Turks to cause its (the Macedonian Church) demise. The same Greeks who served the Turks, spread political propaganda and lies throughout the world about Hellenism and managed to install themselves inside the Christian Church. Going after total domination of the Macedonian Church, the Greeks succeeded in Hellenizing and re-naming the Macedonian Church from Pravoslavna to Greek Orthodox and then claiming it as their own. Greeks re-named "Tsari Grad" to "Constantinople" and "Pravoslaven" to "Byzantine" to rob Macedonia of her glory. It seems that even then, the West was duped (by the Greeks) into believing that Byzantine heritage belonged to the Greeks. Even before the 16th century the jealous Greeks campaigned to erase Pravoslavism and Macedonian influence and replace it with a false legacy that favoured Hellenism. As it turned out, they succeeded.
During the 19th century history was re-written to fit the newly created modern states. Czarist Russian Imperialist desires for world domination gave the term "Pravoslavism" a nationalistic meaning in order to twist history in her favour. First, the idea of Pan Slavism was created claiming that the "Slavs" were a "nation" of one people. Second, the idea of Slav migrations from Russia to Europe was popularized to show nationalistic connections between Slavism and Russia.
Russia didn't get what she wanted (world domination), but in trying she created a false legacy that would haunt Macedonia to this day and beyond. For one, she gave the Greeks further ammunition to lay claims to the Ancient Macedonians. Having Slav origins pinned the modern Macedonians as "newcomers" to the region. Also, by claiming heritage to the Slavs and aligning herself with Bulgaria (San Stefano Treaty of 1878), Russia totally sold out Macedonia. This suited the Greeks and Bulgarians perfectly because both were in agreement that the Slavs in Macedonia were really Bulgarians and the conspiracy to hide Macedonia from the world was complete. This, as it turned out, had devastating effects on the Macedonian population after the Balkan wars. After 1912, "Slav" became a dirty word in Greece. Indigenous Macedonians were constantly harassed and humiliated into feeling unwelcome in their own homes. After 1912, many Macedonians who refused to pledge allegiance to Greece were labeled "Bulgar" and kicked out of Macedonia.
I want to make it perfectly clear that "Pravoslaven" in Macedonian means "Most Glorious" and refers to the Christian religion. "Slava" translates to "celebrate" as in a religious celebration. By no means does the word "Slav" have any connection to "nationality". "Slav" for a Macedonian once had the same meaning as Catholic for an Italian, Jew for a Hebrew, Orthodox for a Greek, Muslim for an Arab or Hindu for an East Indian. Today however, the beauty of the word "Slav" has, for political purposes, been twisted into something ugly, undesirable and denigrating to all Macedonians. So please Western Media refrain from calling us "Slav".
The Pravoslaven Empire lasted from 324AD when Christianity was first adopted as the official religion of the Empire to 1767 when the Turks, with Greek help, officially extinguished the Macedonian Church. After that up until 1850, the Macedonian Church lived underground and continued to operate illegally keeping the Christian faith and the Macedonian culture alive.
After the fall of Tsari Grad and the establishment of the Sultan as the sole master of the Balkans, the waters connecting the Mediterranean Sea (Stredno Zemno More) and the Black Sea (Tsrno More) were closed to all trading traffic, including Western Trading Vessels. As a direct result Columbus discovered America. With the re-discovery of science and mathematics, astronomy was not far behind. The need to find alternate routes to the Orient led Columbus to "go around" and stumble into a new continent. The rest is history.
The 19th and 20th centuries were busy times in the Balkans and will be a subject for future writings. In this document I want to show that like today, superpower intervention shaped future events in the past. The Balkans were the last capitalist frontier in Europe. While Russia was vying for access to the Mediterranean Sea, Britain, France and Turkey were trying to prevent her. Turkey was old and decrepit and needed modernization to bring her up to current economic standards. At the same time "The Sick Man of Europe" (Turkey) was poor and needed hefty injections of capital which the capitalist countries of Europe were more than willing to oblige.
This created a problem, super power Russia wanted Turkey out and superpowers France and Britain (investors) wanted her in Europe. None of the superpowers wanted to create a large modern country in the Balkans.
The superpowers, in their zeal to play politics accidentally created Greece, which became a British protectorate just to keep the Russians out of the Mediterranean. Russia kicked out Turkey from Europe and created "Greater Bulgaria" but didn't have the courage to hang on to her and Turkey was put right back. Russia then became Serbia's ally desperately hoping to gain access to the Adriatic Sea. In response, the Western powers created Albania, a protectorate of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In the meantime the Macedonians were given the boot not once, not twice, not three times but four times.
First, Britain and France re-instated Turkish Rule in Macedonia right after rejecting the San Stefano Treaty (Greater Bulgaria).
Second, during the 1903 Ilinden Uprising, Macedonia wanted Turkey out but the Western powers wanted her in. No one stepped in to help Macedonia rebellion.
Third, after the Balkan wars of 1912-1913 when it became clear that the true intentions of the "Balkan League" (Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria) were to partition Macedonia, no one from the superpowers stepped in to stop them.
Fourth, when Macedonia's partition was ratified at the Versailles Treaty during the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, Macedonians were not allowed to attend the conference and to represent their county's interests.
(If you wish to learn more about Macedonian History from the last two hundred years, please read an excellent book by the Macedonian author "A. Michael Radin, IMRO and the Macedonian Question").
Let's not forget World War II and the Macedonian Partisan uprising against the Fascist forces. How were the Macedonians rewarded for their contribution? This was another time the West could have saved Macedonia but instead they chose to throw her back to the Greeks and Bulgarians to finish her off.
Now tell me who are the "aggressors" and who are the "victims"?
If the West is interested in helping the true victims of oppression, before they continue to help the Albanians in Macedonia who do have rights, they must first turn their attention to the Macedonians in Albania, the Macedonians in Bulgaria and the Macedonians in Greece who have no rights whatsoever in comparison to the Albanians in Macedonia. If they think that the Albanians in Macedonia are victims of oppression then what do they call the Macedonians in Democratic Greece who are not even recognized as a people, never mind having rights? There is something wrong here and if the West wants to correct it they must equalize the balance of rights for all minorities in the Balkans.
Macedonia has given Europe Christianity and kept her safe from the dark. Macedonia was the keeper of light and the guard of ancient knowledge and civilization. Through her accumulated "knowledge of the ages" Macedonia gave Europe art, mathematics, biology, medicine, law, physics and philosophy. What has Europe done for Macedonia lately?
My greatest hope in writing this article is to convince all Macedonians that we must believe in ourselves and rediscover the glory of our past, not as others tell it to us but "as it truly was".
by Risto Stefov
[email protected]
May, 2002
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It's a shame that so little of Macedonian history is known to the World, that the Western media routinely bundles Macedonia in the same package as her aggressive neighbours. I get frustrated every time I read an article that pins Macedonians as the "aggressors" and the "doers" of unbefitting acts of barbarism.
In writing this document I will show that not only are Macedonians not aggressors, but also in fact throughout history they have been victims of aggression. Macedonians never raised arms against any nation (other than for defense), condoned violence or promoted slavery in the last 2300 years. Yet the Western media cannot seem to distinguish the acts of a Macedonian from those of his non-Macedonian neighbour. Take the most recent history for example. Armed Albanians that terrorized western Macedonia were labeled "victims of Macedonian aggression". Does that make any sense? Who was doing what to whom here? Will the Western media speak the same language if violence and terror was committed in the west? Will they write Albanians "are fighting for more rights" if a bunch of Albanians took up arms and killed French, German or English soldiers or policemen, or kidnapped civilians for ransom? Let's be realistic here.
Day after day, over and over we read stories with lines like "Ethnic Albanians are fighting for their rights," in report after report after report. Does the media think readers can't remember from one day to the next? Or do they think that by saying it over and over and over again it will become believable? Even when Albanians fight against Albanians, the Macedonians seem to be somehow responsible according to some media reports. What gives?
Speaking of rights, if the Western media cares so much about minority rights why haven't they written "comparative" reports between ethnic groups in the Balkans? What about examining the rights of Macedonians living in Albania? Are they afraid that they will reveal the truth that "Ethnic Albanians" in Macedonia have more rights than any other minority in the Balkans? In fact the Albanians in Macedonia have more rights than Macedonians living in Albania, Bulgaria, and Greece combined. Why isn't the Western media jumping on Albania, Greece or Bulgaria for not supporting "rights" for their minorities? Does one have to use violence to qualify for rights or does one have to carry a gun to get media attention? What kind of precedence is the Western media setting?
It is not my intention here to take "puck shots" at the Western media. In fact it goes against the grain for me to be critical of the West after the West opened the doors for so many Macedonians at their darkest times. But at the same time I can't sit in the sidelines and watch what I hold so dearly be unfairly put down for the sake of making politics.
Here are some things I find puzzling:
1. Why didn't the Albanians in Macedonia insist on "more rights" when Macedonia became independent in 1991? They had plenty of opportunity.
2. If Macedonians didn't care about Albanians as some Albanians claim, why did they open the border and homes to over 300,000 Kosovo refugees?
3. Why do Albanians need to resort to guns and violence to obtain "more rights" and not to politics? One-third of the politicians in parliament are Albanians representing the Albanian voters.
4. Why did the idea of "fighting for more rights" by violence come about after the bombing of Yugoslavia and not before?
5. Outside of violent revolutions or dictatorships, it is a historic first for a minority to impose itself on a majority and dictate its terms by "violence". Why is the West condemning terrorism and violence everywhere else but allows it to freely flourish in Macedonia?
6. If the Albanians are truly "fighting for more rights" why do they expel Macedonian civilians out of ethnically mixed neighbourhoods? How is that going to help them get "more rights"? Why do they want ethnically cleansed, "Albanians only" territories?
7. Why is Greece, a modern Democratic country, a member of the European Union, and a signatory of Human rights agreements, allowed to stomp unabated on its Macedonian minority without a single reaction from the Western media? Yet all hell breaks loose when Macedonia, a sovereign nation tries to defend itself from terrorism?
Let us not speak of ourselves as "fair and impartial". Let our deeds speak for themselves.
Who are the Albanians?
Like Greece, Albania is a modern nation. Albania was created by Austro-Hungary, Britain, France and Italy and became a nation for the first time in 1912 (December London Conference). Before that, Albania was occupied by the Ottoman Empire and would have fallen victim to Serbia and Greece had it not been for Western power intervention. She too would have suffered the same fate as Macedonia had it not been for Austro-Hungary's desire to keep Russia away from the Adriatic waters. Serbia, a Russian ally wanted parts of Albania for herself so she could have access to the Adriatic. None of the Western superpowers, however, wanted Russia to have access to the Mediterranean Sea. So to block Russia out, the Western superpowers created a "Western Protectorate" along the Adriatic coast and named her Albania. The name is a modern term without historical significance. Like the Greeks who wanted to be called Helene, the Albanians wanted to be called Illyrians, after the ancient Illyrians who two millennia ago lived in the same region, but that was not to be. Today modern Albanians prefer to call themselves Sqiptar and Arnaout instead of Albanian. The Albanians of today speak two languages, the Gheg dialect in the north and the Tosk in the south.
The idea of "Greater Albania" was born in 1878 when nationalism became widespread and gripped the Balkans with hysteria and violence. A radical group named Balli Kombetar started the idea by proposing the creation of an "ethnically pure" Albania to encompass all territories where Albanians existed. This was to include parts of Montenegro, Kosovo, parts of Serbia, parts of Macedonia and all of Greek occupied Ipiros. Greek and Serbian expansionism however, reduced Albania to its present day borders. The current territory was later sanctioned by the Western powers (Bucharest Treaty and ratified by the Versailles Treaty) during the Paris Peace Conference of 1919.
Being allies with the Ottoman Turk (before 1912) Albanians were often employed by the Ottoman military and as elite guard to the wealthy and prominent Turks.
It is believed that before the Ottoman occupation, Albanians were Christian who later converted to Islam. Being of the same faith (Muslim) Albanians had equal rights as their religious brethren the Turks. They lived their lives free to do business, loot, persecute and prey on their Christian neighbours. At the same time Turkey refused to give Albanians their independence until the West forced it on them in 1912.
The issue of a "Greater Albania" resurfaced during World War II, this time sponsored by Adolph Hitler himself. During the occupation (1941 to 1945) parts of the Balkans were re-partitioned and re-distributed to German and Italian allies. The Italian administered Macedonian territory of Tetovo, Gostivar, Kichevo, Struga, and Debar were given to Albania while Skopje, Bitola, and Shtip were given to Bulgaria.
YES, for those of you who didn't know, Albania was an ally of Nazi Germany. In fact the Albanians were a trusted ally of the SS. In 1944, an Albanian Waffen SS Division was formed, the 21st Waffen Gebirgs Division der SS "Skanderbeg"(Albanische Nr.1). The Skanderbeg Division occupied Western Macedonia with a base in Tetovo. Later there were plans to form a second SS division by Himmler who purportedly believed the Albanian Ghegs were of pure Aryan origins (Carl Savich). Himmler's plans however, did not come to fruition as Germany was in retreat before Himmler was able to complete the job.
According to Partisan accounts, the "Balisty" (Albanian Skenderbeg division) fought back fiercely and were tough to put down. There were also horror stories circulating of how the Balisty treated prisoners of war. According to eyewitnesses they employed ritualistic executions that included killing by a knife cut to the throat and licking the blood off the knife blade.
The plan for a "Greater Albania" died after World War II but the desire for it simmered on in the hearts of a few extremists only to re-surface with the break-up of Yugoslavia in the 1980's. With no allies, this time Albanian extremists turned to modern methods of warfare, "lobbying". After establishing a strong lobby in the Western Diaspora they went to work prodding and disturbing old wounds. Some well-positioned prods at Serbia gave them the expected retaliatory response. The propaganda machine, like a Hollywood film production, quickly scripted the scenes painting the Albanians as "victims" and the Serbs as "aggressors". The Western media lapped it up and turned it into headline news. After all it fit Western expectations of "good versus evil".
Where did the Albanians get the money? Like filming epic productions, creating propaganda costs money, a lot of money. Most of the money came from the sale of illegal drugs and the sex trade industry. A lot of money came from taxing ordinary Albanians both at home and in the Diaspora. Some came from rich individuals and organizations that saw the conflict as a long-term investment and an opportunity to make a lot more money. The Albanians knew that militarily they were no match for the Serbs, so they used "every means possible" including lying, cheating and fighting dirty to provoke a "superpower" military response against the Serbs. In time they succeeded and their investment paid off. I can only imagine the exhilaration of the UCK as they watched the mighty Western air force pound Serbia back into the 19th century. It's reminiscent of the glee of Venice in 1204 as she watched the destruction of Constantinople by the Latin 4th crusade.
Don't get me wrong, the West is not so naive that it would blindly get itself involved in a purely humanitarian situation. They have a plan of their own, I can only speculate as to what it is (Camp Bondsteel?).
See https://www.wsws.org/articles/2002/a.../oil-a29.shtml also https://www.realitymacedonia.org.mk/...e.asp?nid=1837
If you want to find out more about the recent Balkan conflicts read Scott Taylor's latest book "Diary of an Un Civil War" or visit "www.antiwar.com".
What is the West planning for the Balkans? I don't know but if I were Albanian I would let history be my guide! Not everything turns out the way you want it. There is no "free lunch" now days.
Playing the "victim" worked so well in Kosovo why not try it in Macedonia? Try it the Albanians did. Right after the Kosovo conflict the Albanian propaganda machine went to work again, spinning and weaving scenarios and manipulating the Western media. Apparently it seems that the media didn't learn anything from the Serbian experience. Or should I say they didn't care to learn anything because if they did they would have had to admit they made a mistake and supported the wrong side. What about Macedonia: who is who in Macedonia? That apparently doesn't seem to matter because the media has made up its mind. The Albanians are the "good guys" and they can do no wrong. They were the good guys in Kosovo, so therefore it is only logical that they are "the good guys" in Macedonia, right?
A lot of what is happening in Macedonia can be directly attributed to what happened in Kosovo. It has nothing to do with "fighting for rights" or not having enough rights. The Macedonians of today are the same Macedonians of 1991 when Macedonia became a sovereign nation. They are the same Macedonians that opened the doors to 300,000 Kosovo Albanian refugees.
The Albanian success story with Serbia in Kosovo has given the "Extremist Albanian Element" courage, high profile, popularity, notoriety and momentum to continue the quest for a "Greater Albania". The Albanians lied, cheated, fought dirty and committed unspeakable acts of terror then successfully pinned it on the Serbs and got away with it. Who is going to stop them from doing it again in Macedonia, the Western media?
Some of the blame for what is happening in Macedonia I squarely place on the shoulders of the Western media. Time and time again the Western mainstream media refuses to do its homework and continues to report "well camouflaged" propaganda as "the news".
It is easy to let things slip as "news" but difficult to imagine the consequences they create for those "making the news". What puzzles me the most is how Western reporters who have witnessed atrocities committed by Albanians can still report that Albanians are "fighting for their rights"? How do you justify "burning churches" as fighting for your rights? How does kidnapping and severely torturing civilians qualify as fighting for your rights? How does mutilating the bodies of soldiers serve as fighting for your rights? How are Albanians who committed criminal acts against Macedonians going to reconcile them with their Macedonian neighbours? If Albanians truly want more rights they should be focusing on diplomatic and not criminal acts. But are they truly "fighting for rights"? Examine their acts and decide for yourself!
If you are interested in learning more about Balkan issues please read Scott Taylor's books "INAT" and "Diary of an Un Civil War". This is reporting the way it should be and Scott, without holding any punches, is "telling it the way it is".
I don't want to leave the impression that all Albanians are bad guys. Like most people, the majority of Albanians are honest, hard working and tolerant of others. Macedonians, in every corner of Macedonia at one point or another, have coexisted with Albanians. Culturally however, we have subtle differences. Unlike the Macedonians, Albanians abide by an ancient law of conduct and practice the old edict of an "eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth". They believe that "unkind acts must be avenged with equally unkind acts". The ancient law prohibits Albanians from what we call "airing dirty laundry in public". Unlike the Christian Macedonians whose culture and religion prohibits them from using violence, the Muslim religion allows violence to be used "in acts of defense" which can often be intentionally misinterpreted by the propagandists. Using violence as a problem-solving tool between Albanian and Albanian is not uncommon but can start a war when used against other cultures.
By enacting the code of silence, a small but extreme violent element can wield unimaginable terror on the majority of the population. Now imagine what it could do if empowered and backed with the military might of a superpower.
Using threats and violence to solve problems and not allowing the victims to tell about it has empowered small but extreme elements in Kosovo and Macedonia to control very large numbers of Albanians both at home and in the Diaspora.
It is wrong for one to say that Albanian men are criminals involved in the drug and the sex trade (see http://msnbc.com/news/725802.asp?cp1=1) without qualifications. It is true that proportionally there are more Albanian men involved in criminal activities in Macedonia than Macedonian men. However, inactivity in the young breeds discontentment and boredom, which in turn leads to mischief. Young men who feel that there is no future for them in education drop out of school and look for opportunities elsewhere like joining criminal gangs or extreme political elements. There is also the popular misconception that committing violence against other races is "patriotic", which attracts the young and politically unaware. Men of intellect can do little against such propaganda especially when ignorant men point loaded guns at their heads.
What about Albanian women?
Culturally, Albanian women are very different from Macedonian women. Albanian women are expected to be obedient daughters and the devoted mothers of many children. Very few Muslim men believe in educating their daughters. In fact most believe that an ignorant daughter is an obedient daughter. Don't look for too many Albanian women with higher education or in intellectual circles.
The bottom line here is that the West, by accident or by design, has yet again allowed acts of violence to be committed against the Macedonian people. What hurts the most is the perpetual abuse Macedonians endure at the hands of the Western media. Time and time again the "real victims" are accused of being "aggressors" while the "real aggressors" are labeled as "victims" and allowed to get away with murder.
The only aggression Macedonia has committed in the last 2,400 years lasted a dozen years or so during the short-lived exploits of Alexander the Great. Philip built a strong Macedonia for defense against his neighbours not for military exploits. The Illyrians looted and pillaged Macedonian settlements from the west, Thracians raided Macedonian settlements from the north, Persians invaded Macedonia from the east and the City States plundered the Macedonian timberlands from the south. Philip extended his frontiers to protect his country from exploitation not to make it into an empire. It was Alexander's and only Alexander's desire to make Macedonia into a world power.
Since Alexander's death, Macedonians through the ages have been victims of world aggression. At the outset, Macedonia endured attack after fierce attack from Rome during the four Roman Macedonian wars. Rome didn't cease until Macedonia was rubble and that still didn't satisfy her. To add insult to injury Macedonia was partitioned into four pieces rendering her incapable of defense. Macedonia was the last to fall to the Romans and for her courage and tenacity she paid a heavy price. Roman cruelty and brutality turned Macedonia into a slave state and her people into slaves and "gladiator fodder" for Roman amusement. Life became so harsh that mothers no longer wanted to bear children. No wonder Macedonia was the first European nation to turn away from violence and embrace the teaching of the peace loving Christ. One can almost say that Christianity came to Macedonia by accident. One of the first encounters came when Jesus' mother Mary, travelling by boat was forced to land on the shores of the Macedonian coast during a violent storm. Expecting not to be welcomed by the heathens and barbarians she was pleasantly surprised to find gentle people that not only welcomed her, but were also familiar with her son's teachings. She was so happy that she blessed the old coastal mountain that became known as Sveta Gora (Holy Mountain). The news traveled far and wide and prompted Apostle Paul to visit Macedonia in 50AD. Paul was a Jew and a Roman citizen whose name was Saul of Tarsus before he was Christianized. Paul was well received by the masses when he spoke to them directly and they understood his words. That could only have been possible if Paul spoke Macedonian, the only language the masses understood. During the same year the first Christian church "The Golden Gate" was built on Holy Mountain, which prompted the start of the Christianization in Europe. The Macedonians were the first people to be Christianized.
As Roman influence shrank in the West, Christianity in Macedonia grew strong and consolidated its power on Holy Mountain. With the collapse of Rome, power shifted from West to East. A new capital was built that would serve the Christian Empire for over a thousand years. With the new capital came a new age and a new way of life free of Roman tyranny, cruelty and brutality. It was a lasting age because it was based on peace and love modeled after Christ's teachings.
The name given to the new capital was "Tsari Grad" ("City of Kings") a well-chosen name for a powerful capital that would govern the "Pravoslaven" ("Most Glorious") Holy Christian Empire for a millennium. Tsari Grad later became known as Constantinople named after Emperor Constantine and the Pravoslaven Empire became known as the Byzantine Empire named after the ancient town of Byzantium on top of which Constantinople was built. (For more information on Macedonia please read Vasil Bogov's excellent book, "Macedonian Revelations") See www.macedonian-revelation.cjb.net).
Some authors say that Macedonia was never Latinized and the Byzantine Empire was not at all a Roman Empire but a Macedonian Empire modeled after the old Macedonian Empire from Alexander's time. The first Eastern Emperor was Constantine, a Macedonian Caesaropapist (both Caesar and Pope), who after becoming Emperor in 312AD founded Tsari Grad and a year later accepted Christianity as the official religion of his empire. Constantine chose to build his capital at Byzantium instead of Solun for two reasons. First, Byzantium was strategically positioned between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Second, the city was built on an Island surrounded by water, which made it a natural fortress. As well as being a military strategic point, Tsari Grad was also a center of commerce connecting east and west.
The location of Tsari Grad was a choice by design and served the Pravoslaven Empire from 313AD to 1543AD. While Western Europe toiled through the dark ages, the Pravoslaven Empire stood on guard as a bulwark against invaders protecting Europe from the East. Also, while Western Europe lay intellectually dormant, the Pravoslaven Empire gave the world art, culture, law, science and architecture.
Two hundred years after Constantine another Great Macedonian Emperor named Justinian (527-565) came to power. Justinian commissioned the building of the magnificent cathedral of St. Sofia in Tsari Grad (completed in 597AD). Justinian was also famous for the creation of what later became known as the "Justinian code" (law of the land), which provided Europe and later French Canada with a foundation for their legal systems.
At the peak of its power Tsari Grad became the crossroads of Europe and Asia, a center of commerce for the four corners of the world and a monopoly in silk cloth production. The strength of the Empire lay in the Imperial Army, the Bureaucracy and the Pravoslavna (Christian) Church. The church gave the emperor ideology, absolutism and religion that held population and institutions together. Multiculturalism flourished especially in the Capital and on Holy Mountain. Even multi-ethnic Emperors were allowed to share the Imperial throne.
It was a multicultural paradise that Alexander the Great would have envied. Actually, Alexander the Great was one of the first Macedonian leaders to understand the benefits of multiculturalism. Like a well-adorned garden with plants and flowers from many places of the world, multiculturalism equally adorns a society with knowledge and beauty. The more the cultures the greater the contribution to the artistic, scientific, architectural, mathematical, literary and cultural pool of a society. In the Pravoslaven Empire it was the Christian faith that bonded the many races and cultures together. Christianity for the Pravoslaven Empire was like Judaism is for the modern Jews. Nationalism and capitalism had no place in the philosophically religious Pravoslaven people.
Western Europe on the other hand, after awakening from her long intellectual sleep, took a different direction. While Christian faith was the essence of Eastern life, pursuit of wealth became the essence of Western life. Initially it was the Emperors, then the Kings and finally the wealthy that ruled the West. But as the pyramid of rule broke down, autocracy gave way to monarchy and as the merchant class gained wealth, monarchy gave way to capitalism. Slowly what was one time the Western Roman Empire, now became a myriad of smaller countries with unique languages and cultures. Autocrats became representatives of the wealthy, ordinary people pledged loyalty to their new nations and capitalism gave birth to nationalism. Capitalism, like a burning fire needed fuel to grow and land to spread. In the West's quest for trade, Venice was becoming the leader of commerce. Venice wanted to become a great merchant power, a middleman of consumerism but Tsari Grad was always in the way. Far superior to Venice, Tsari Grad monopolized the silk trade and prohibited Venice from realizing her dream. Finally, as fate would have it, her moment of glory was near. When the Crusaders ran out of money and couldn't afford to pay for their voyage to the Holy Lands, they turned to Venice. Venice offered them a way out but the offer came with a price. It was Pope Innocent the III who turned the crusaders first against the Christian town of Zara in the Adriatic in 1202 then against Tsari Grad in 1204. Principles gave away to greed and Christian turned against Christian. All this to satisfy the greed and commercial appetites of Venice. It was not a war of armies but a war of betrayal, deceit, and total annihilation. The unsuspecting and trusting citizens of Tsari Grad gladly opened the city doors for the Crusaders. Instead of bringing peace however, the Latins killed the entire Tsari Grad population, military and civilian, then looted the city of its possessions. The city streets were flooded with the blood of the innocent. Warriors, women, and children alike were all slaughtered like lambs by the Latin crusaders. This was an act of shame that the Western Church will endure for all eternity. (To learn about the crusades and much more please read "The Foundations of the West" by D. Fishwick).
The schism between the Western and Eastern Church that started with the one hundred-year icon controversy became permanent after the 1204 incident. While the Western Church broke up into many Christian factions, the Eastern Church remained united up until the 19th century. Latin was still in use by the Western Church when the Eastern Church converted to Macedonian. To simplify the written Macedonian language during the 8th century AD, Macedonian scholars created what is now known as the Cyrillic script. Then in 882AD while residing in Solun, the scholar Methodius translated many of the Glagolitic writings to Cyrillic script. Cyrillic is a phonetic script and easier to learn than the old Glagolitic. Unlike Latin, Macedonian (Old Church Slavonic) liturgy was well understood by the majority of subjects of the Pravoslaven Empire.
The legacy of the Pravoslaven Empire stretched beyond its borders and as far away as the Russian tribes. Most of Eastern Europe and Russia were Christianized by the cultural touch of the Pravoslaven Empire. After the fall of Tsari Grad, Moscow became the capital of Eastern Christianity. Not only did Russia take advantage of Macedonian arts and culture but she also claimed Tsari Grad's government. Ivan the Great married the niece of the last Pravoslaven Emperor and claimed his power as Czar of Russia.
After sacking Tsari Grad in 1204, a Latin Emperor was installed and his rule lasted until 1261 when the Pravoslavni overthrew him and regained control over the Empire. But in its weakened state the once mighty Pravoslaven Empire fell prey to the Muslim onslaught and capitulated to the Ottoman Turks on May 29th, 1543. West European aggression allowed the eastern gates to open and Muslims to sit at the Christian throne to this day.
Even though Ottoman authority ruled Macedonia, the Macedonian church for years played the role of educator, administrator and protector of the Macedonian people. Ohrid now became the cultural and religious capital of Macedonia. Holy Mountain through its fifty or so multicultural monasteries managed to keep the Turks out and the Pravoslavna faith alive.
After unsuccessful attempts to dominate the west, the Ottoman Empire finally halted at Venice and remained static until the 19th century. As Western Europe grew and flourished economically, Macedonia fell into darkness and despair. Heavy taxation, corruption, abuse and plain neglect of Macedonia by the Turks threw the Macedonian people into poverty and illiteracy. As the West received knowledge and light from the Pravoslaven heritage (via the Muslims in Spain and Sicily), Macedonia fell into darkness. The powerful Macedonian Church was abolished in 1767 by Sultan Mustafa III and the once faithful who drew strength, knowledge and inspiration from the church were robbed of their heritage.
Jealous of the privileges Macedonians enjoyed under the protection of the Macedonian Church, Greeks conspired with Turks to cause its (the Macedonian Church) demise. The same Greeks who served the Turks, spread political propaganda and lies throughout the world about Hellenism and managed to install themselves inside the Christian Church. Going after total domination of the Macedonian Church, the Greeks succeeded in Hellenizing and re-naming the Macedonian Church from Pravoslavna to Greek Orthodox and then claiming it as their own. Greeks re-named "Tsari Grad" to "Constantinople" and "Pravoslaven" to "Byzantine" to rob Macedonia of her glory. It seems that even then, the West was duped (by the Greeks) into believing that Byzantine heritage belonged to the Greeks. Even before the 16th century the jealous Greeks campaigned to erase Pravoslavism and Macedonian influence and replace it with a false legacy that favoured Hellenism. As it turned out, they succeeded.
During the 19th century history was re-written to fit the newly created modern states. Czarist Russian Imperialist desires for world domination gave the term "Pravoslavism" a nationalistic meaning in order to twist history in her favour. First, the idea of Pan Slavism was created claiming that the "Slavs" were a "nation" of one people. Second, the idea of Slav migrations from Russia to Europe was popularized to show nationalistic connections between Slavism and Russia.
Russia didn't get what she wanted (world domination), but in trying she created a false legacy that would haunt Macedonia to this day and beyond. For one, she gave the Greeks further ammunition to lay claims to the Ancient Macedonians. Having Slav origins pinned the modern Macedonians as "newcomers" to the region. Also, by claiming heritage to the Slavs and aligning herself with Bulgaria (San Stefano Treaty of 1878), Russia totally sold out Macedonia. This suited the Greeks and Bulgarians perfectly because both were in agreement that the Slavs in Macedonia were really Bulgarians and the conspiracy to hide Macedonia from the world was complete. This, as it turned out, had devastating effects on the Macedonian population after the Balkan wars. After 1912, "Slav" became a dirty word in Greece. Indigenous Macedonians were constantly harassed and humiliated into feeling unwelcome in their own homes. After 1912, many Macedonians who refused to pledge allegiance to Greece were labeled "Bulgar" and kicked out of Macedonia.
I want to make it perfectly clear that "Pravoslaven" in Macedonian means "Most Glorious" and refers to the Christian religion. "Slava" translates to "celebrate" as in a religious celebration. By no means does the word "Slav" have any connection to "nationality". "Slav" for a Macedonian once had the same meaning as Catholic for an Italian, Jew for a Hebrew, Orthodox for a Greek, Muslim for an Arab or Hindu for an East Indian. Today however, the beauty of the word "Slav" has, for political purposes, been twisted into something ugly, undesirable and denigrating to all Macedonians. So please Western Media refrain from calling us "Slav".
The Pravoslaven Empire lasted from 324AD when Christianity was first adopted as the official religion of the Empire to 1767 when the Turks, with Greek help, officially extinguished the Macedonian Church. After that up until 1850, the Macedonian Church lived underground and continued to operate illegally keeping the Christian faith and the Macedonian culture alive.
After the fall of Tsari Grad and the establishment of the Sultan as the sole master of the Balkans, the waters connecting the Mediterranean Sea (Stredno Zemno More) and the Black Sea (Tsrno More) were closed to all trading traffic, including Western Trading Vessels. As a direct result Columbus discovered America. With the re-discovery of science and mathematics, astronomy was not far behind. The need to find alternate routes to the Orient led Columbus to "go around" and stumble into a new continent. The rest is history.
The 19th and 20th centuries were busy times in the Balkans and will be a subject for future writings. In this document I want to show that like today, superpower intervention shaped future events in the past. The Balkans were the last capitalist frontier in Europe. While Russia was vying for access to the Mediterranean Sea, Britain, France and Turkey were trying to prevent her. Turkey was old and decrepit and needed modernization to bring her up to current economic standards. At the same time "The Sick Man of Europe" (Turkey) was poor and needed hefty injections of capital which the capitalist countries of Europe were more than willing to oblige.
This created a problem, super power Russia wanted Turkey out and superpowers France and Britain (investors) wanted her in Europe. None of the superpowers wanted to create a large modern country in the Balkans.
The superpowers, in their zeal to play politics accidentally created Greece, which became a British protectorate just to keep the Russians out of the Mediterranean. Russia kicked out Turkey from Europe and created "Greater Bulgaria" but didn't have the courage to hang on to her and Turkey was put right back. Russia then became Serbia's ally desperately hoping to gain access to the Adriatic Sea. In response, the Western powers created Albania, a protectorate of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In the meantime the Macedonians were given the boot not once, not twice, not three times but four times.
First, Britain and France re-instated Turkish Rule in Macedonia right after rejecting the San Stefano Treaty (Greater Bulgaria).
Second, during the 1903 Ilinden Uprising, Macedonia wanted Turkey out but the Western powers wanted her in. No one stepped in to help Macedonia rebellion.
Third, after the Balkan wars of 1912-1913 when it became clear that the true intentions of the "Balkan League" (Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria) were to partition Macedonia, no one from the superpowers stepped in to stop them.
Fourth, when Macedonia's partition was ratified at the Versailles Treaty during the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, Macedonians were not allowed to attend the conference and to represent their county's interests.
(If you wish to learn more about Macedonian History from the last two hundred years, please read an excellent book by the Macedonian author "A. Michael Radin, IMRO and the Macedonian Question").
Let's not forget World War II and the Macedonian Partisan uprising against the Fascist forces. How were the Macedonians rewarded for their contribution? This was another time the West could have saved Macedonia but instead they chose to throw her back to the Greeks and Bulgarians to finish her off.
Now tell me who are the "aggressors" and who are the "victims"?
If the West is interested in helping the true victims of oppression, before they continue to help the Albanians in Macedonia who do have rights, they must first turn their attention to the Macedonians in Albania, the Macedonians in Bulgaria and the Macedonians in Greece who have no rights whatsoever in comparison to the Albanians in Macedonia. If they think that the Albanians in Macedonia are victims of oppression then what do they call the Macedonians in Democratic Greece who are not even recognized as a people, never mind having rights? There is something wrong here and if the West wants to correct it they must equalize the balance of rights for all minorities in the Balkans.
Macedonia has given Europe Christianity and kept her safe from the dark. Macedonia was the keeper of light and the guard of ancient knowledge and civilization. Through her accumulated "knowledge of the ages" Macedonia gave Europe art, mathematics, biology, medicine, law, physics and philosophy. What has Europe done for Macedonia lately?
My greatest hope in writing this article is to convince all Macedonians that we must believe in ourselves and rediscover the glory of our past, not as others tell it to us but "as it truly was".
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