No I was trying to get links to the discovery
Chanell.LOoks like it didnt work.Clips were interesting..Post deleted.
Risto Stefov - Articles, Translations & Collaborations
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Probably something akin to walking down memory lane.
... but drunk and penniless.
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George, what was the purpose of your last post? Did you actually read it?
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ek Democratic Army firing at enemy positions during the Greek Civil War.
Artillery guns of the Greek Democratic Army firing at the enemy positions during the Greek Civil War. Soldiers loading artillery. The commander plots a target on a map and gives order to fire. Huge cannon fires, explosion at target enemy positions.
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Република Македонија
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia capital
Скопје/Skopje (467,000)
Macedonia anthem
"Денес над Македонија"
"Denes nad Makedonija"
"Today above Macedonia"
Independence of Macedonia
September 8th, 1991
Macedonia area coverage
25,714 sq km
15,977.93 sq mi
Macedonian currency
Macedonian Denar (since April 26, 1992)
Macedonia demographics
Macedonians 65%, Albanians 25%, Turks 3,9%, Roma 2,7% and Serbs 1,8%.
Languages spoken in Macedonia
Macedonian 70%, Albanian 20%, Turkish, Serbo-Croat, Roma % Vlach 10%.
Religions in Macedonia
Macedonian Orthodox 64,7%, Muslim 33,3%, Catholic and other 2%.
Organization membership
United Nations - April 8th, 1993
NATO - blocked by Greece *
EU - will be probably blocked by Greece *
Greek propaganda against Macedonia
About Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia represents a part of the entire region Macedonia (also known as Makedonija, Makedonia, Makedonya), a region that contains a great historical - geographical value, in southeastern Europe, in the south central part of the Balkan Peninsula. Macedonia covers about 68,451 sq km. The Republic of Macedonia covers about 25,713 sq km and slightly near than half of the region lies in northern Greece, 34,411 sq km. A small portion of the region belongs to Bulgaria, 6,798 sq km & 802 sq km belongs to Albania. Though mostly mountainous, the region also encompassed the valleys of the Bistrica (Halijakmon), Vardar (Axios) and Struma rivers, all of which drain into the Aegean Sea.
In the 8th century BC the sense of becoming to one nation was improved and the ancient Macedonian tribes formed their ancient kingdom, ruled by Perdica 1st. Philip 2nd, (356-336 BC), led the kingdom into a period of growth and expansion. Philip 2nd conquered the Greeks in 338 BC at the Chaeroneia battle and unified the Greek city-states with the Macedonian kingdom, and they lost their independence. Alexander the Great (336-323 BC), pursued his father's objectives and created a vast empire which stretched south into Egypt and across Persia (now known as Iran) to northwestern India. Culture and art flourished under Alexander's rule.
Alexander The Great, died in 323 BC, leaving the empire with no clear successor. Generals in the Macedonian army divided the empire into smaller kingdoms. These kingdoms continued to fight with each other for several decades until the year 215 BC. Starting in 215 BC Macedonia was assailed by the Romans in a series of three wars which lasted until 168 BC. In 148 BC the region became a Roman province. During the early Christian period the region was an important field for the missionary labors of Saint Paul the Apostle.
After the final division of the Roman Empire in AD 395 Macedonia became part of the Byzantine Empire. In the 6th-7th century the Slavs penetrated in the Byzantine empire in large numbers. The Slavic tribes, Berziti (Brsjaci), Smoljani, Dragoviti, Velegeziti, Sagudati, Rinhini, Strumjani that, settled on the territory of Macedonia mixed with the ancient population and created the Macedonian nation that exists even today. In the 9th century the brothers from Solun (Salonica), Sts. Cyril & Methodius created the first Slavonic alphabet, known as "Glagolica". Their follower, St. Clement of Ohrid, who improved their work, was the founder the of first University of Slavic literacy, in Ohrid (city known as the European Jerusalem). Also, during this period the Archbishopric of Ohrid was established (which became the biggest church on the Balkan's). In 976 AD the medieval Macedonian state was established by the four brothers: David, Aaron, Moses and Samoil, with seat in Prespa & later in Ohrid. After it's fall in 1018, Macedonia was controlled by the Byzantine leader Vasilius 2nd and later by the medieval rulers, as Strez, Dobromir Hriz, Alexi Slav, King Marko and others.
The Ottoman Turks ruled the region for 5 centuries, from 1371 to 1912. In 1767 they forbid the oldest church in the Balkans dating back to the 10th AD, the Archbishopric of Ohrid, (which was restored in 1967 under the name Macedonian Orthodox Church). Their rule was followed by many uprisings: Karpoš in 1689, Neguš in 1822, Razlovci in 1876, Kresna 1878-79 and the Ilinden in 1903, that resulted with the famous ten days, Kruševo republic. The Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO) was established in Solun (Salonica), in 1893, which goal was establishing an independent Macedonian state.
Unfortunately, after the Balkan Wars (1912-1913), Macedonia was divided among Greece (Aegean), Bulgaria (Pirin), Serbia (Vardar) and small regions were given to Albania (Mala Prespa, Pogradec and Golo Brdo). The division was confirmed, later at the Versailles peace treaty in 1919, after the 1st world war. After this tragic event, the Macedonians were living under triple rule, having no rights of using their mother language and declaring themselves as Macedonians. After the 2nd world war, in 1946 the Macedonians finally got their human rights by having own state, but only on Yugoslav south (in the Vardar part). Those who live in Aegean (Greece), Pirin (Bulgaria), Mala Prespa, Pogradec & Golo Brdo (Albania), still fight for their rights. Macedonia was the last of the Yugoslav republic's, that proclaimed independence on September 8th 1991.
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amchronlogo Risto Stefov and the falsification of Ancient Macedonian history
Australian Macedonian Advisory Council
October 29, 2008
Dear Editors,I feel obliged to write to you in order to express my deepest concern for the deliberate manipulation of well-evidenced historical events which is clearly reflected in the article “Most modern Greeks today believe the Ancient Macedonians were Greek” written by Mr. Risto Stefov. The specific article is full of unfounded claims, an enmity addressed against Greek people and sophisticated misrepresentations of the ancient Greek history with its main aim to deceive the unsuspected reader by attempting to present false claims, disguised to sound truthful.
Before proceeding through a point by point refutation of the baseless claims presented in article in question, I would like to point out that the title of the article is misleading. Certainly it´s not “Most modern Greeks” who accept the fact that ancient Macedonians were Greek but instead it´s the vast majority of the world today, including the core of the contemporary modern historians who accept it as a fact.
To rephrase the author´s initial question…Why is it so important in general for the Slavic element of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) which Mr. Stefov belongs, to believe that the ancient Macedonians were not Greek?
The answer is simple and plain. Because somehow they live under a misguided notion. Particularly, they believe that by disassociating Greeks from ancient Macedonians, this will mean in their illusionary point of view, they, the descendants of the Slavic and Bulgar tribes that entered the Balkan peninsula in the 6th and 7th centuries, are the historical heirs and descendants of the ancient Macedonians who lived a thousand or more years earlier and who were Greeks by their own testimonies. One can hardly go further in Orwellian double-speak. This absurd notion supported increasingly among the Slavs of FYROM, makes as much sense as asserting that if someone manages to prove a car´s color is not white, this would surely mean it is black!
Furthermore Mr. Stefov embarks on an clumsy effort to spread mendacious disinformation as regards to the events of the early 20th century. Incorrectly he states “Didn´t Greece in 1912, 1913 invade and occupy a fully populated Macedonia?” while the truth is that nobody has invaded Macedonia in 1913 but instead during the first Balkan war, the Balkan coalition between Bulgaria, Serbia and Greece invaded Ottoman Empire, for the liberation of the Greeks, Bulgarians and Serbs who lived there. Sadly for the author´s empty claims there was not back then, any ethnicity called ´Macedonian´. The term was used merely as a geographical indicator.
To quote some accounts of contemporary self-witnesses that shatters Mr. Stefov´s unfounded claims and deliberate misinformation:
John Foster Fraser in his “Pictures from the Balkans” verifies: “But who are the Macedonians [5]? You will find Bulgarians and Turks who call themselves Macedonians, you find Greek Macedonians, there are Serbian Macedonians, and it is possible to find Rumanian Macedonians. You will NOT, however, find a single Christian Macedonian who is not a Serbian, a Bulgarian, a Greek, or a Rumanian. They all curse the Turk, and they love Macedonia. But it is Greek Macedonia, or Bulgarian Macedonia, and their eyes flame with passion, whilst their fingers seek the triggers of their guns”. He further adds “I have some hope that in years to come the inhabitants will think less of their Turkish, Bulgarian or Greek Origin and a great deal more with the fact that they are all Macedonians”[2].
Edmund Spencer in his “Travels in European Turkey, in 1850…”writes “The population of Uskioub [Note: Modern Skopje], consisting of Arnouts, Jews, Armenians, Zinzars, Greeks, Bulgarians and Serbians, amounts to upwards of twelve thousand” [3]. Again another clear evidence there was no “Macedonian” ethnicity back then but instead it´s a modern “invention”.
Additionally, John Van Antwerp Fine gives us a realistic portrait of the situation in the Macedonian region by writing: “Until the late nineteenth century both outside observers and those Bulgaro-Macedonians who had an ethnic consciousness believed that their group, which is NOW two separate nationalities, comprised a SINGLE people, THE BULGARIANS [4]. Thus the reader should IGNORE references to ethnic Macedonians in the Middle Ages which appear in some modern works. In the Middle Ages and into the nineteenth century, the term ´Macedonian´ was used ENTIRELY in reference to a geographical region. Anyone who lived within its confines, regardless of nationality could be called a Macedonian.”.
Furthermore, Arthur Douglas Howden Smith in 1908 adds: “It should be remembered, to begin with, that there is NO Macedonian race, as a distinct type [5]. Macedonians may belong to any of the races of Eastern Europe or Western Asia, as, indeed, they do. A Macedonian Bulgar is just the same as a Bulgar of Bulgaria proper, the old principality, that in October, 1908, at Tirnova, was proclaimed independent of Turkey. He looks the same, talks the same, and very largely, thinks the same way. IN SHORT HE IS OF THE SAME STOCK. There is no difference, whatsoever, between the two branches of the race, except that the Macedonian Bulgars, as a result of their position under the Turkish government, have less culture and education than their northern brethren.”
To help the readers having a more informative view over the issue on stake, I urge them to take a look in the following link. It contains a vast number of excerpts taken by 90 neutral sources, written by travelers, historians, diplomats related to the subject which put an end to the unfounded claims over a so-called “Macedonian “Ethnicity back then. Mr. Stefov, conveniently for his agenda, chooses to ignore all the overwhelming evidence.
http://history-of-macedonia.com/2008...-in-fyrom/Lets return back to the core issue of Mr. Stefov´s article. Namely the ethnicity of Ancient Macedonians. Of course there is no issue at all, whether the modern Slavs
descendants of the Slavic tribes that invaded the Balkan peninsula centuries after the demise of the ancient Macedonian kingdom have any link with ancient Macedonians. Obviously as verified by any serious historian, they haven´t!!!
1. The Ancient Macedonians spoke a dialect of the Greek language
Mr. Stefov incorrectly assumes that “This [Koine] was an international language which was used in the Macedonian court and by the Macedonian administration.”. This is simply fallacious and deserves an immediate rectification. Koine became the international language BECAUSE of Alexander´s campaign. Prior to Alexander´s campaign, ancient people like Illyrians, Persians, Paeonians, Indians, Carthaginians, Romans, Thracians, Egyptians, Dardanians did NOT speak Greek. Most of them begun to speak Greek (Koine) AFTER Alexander´s pan-Hellenic campaign to Asia. Therefore Mr. Stefov´s conclusions are entirely wrong since his own premises are erroneous in the first place.
The eminent linguist Olivier Masson states “For a long while Macedonian on mastics, which we know relatively well thanks to history, literary authors, and epigraphy, has played a considerable role in the discussion [6]. In our view the Greek character of most names is obvious and it is difficult to think of a Hellenization due to wholesale borrowing. ´Ptolemaios´ is attested as early as Homer, ´Ale3avdros´ occurs next to Mycenaean feminine a-re-ka-sa-da-ra- (´Alexandra´), ´Laagos´, then ´Lagos´, matches the Cyprian ´Lawagos´, etc. The small minority of names which do not look Greek, like ´Arridaios´ or ´Sabattaras´, may be due to a substratum or adstatum influences (as elsewhere in Greece). Macedonian may then be seen as a Greek dialect, characterized by its marginal position and by local pronunciations (like ´Berenika´ for ´Ferenika´, etc.). Yet in contrast with earlier views which made of it an Aeolic dialect (O.Hoffmann compared Thessalian) we must by now think of a link with North-West Greek (Locrian, Aetolian, Phocidian, Epirote). This view is supported by the recent discovery at Pella of a curse tablet (4th cent. BC) which may well be the first ´Macedonian´ text attested (provisional publication by E.Voutyras; cf. the Bulletin Epigraphique in Rev.Et.Grec.1994, no.413); the text includes an adverb ´opoka´ which is not Thessalian. We must wait for new discoveries, but we may tentatively conclude that Macedonian is a dialect related to North-West Greek.”
2. The ancient Macedonians prayed to the same Greek gods as the ancient Greeks.
The poorly-chosen argumentation reveals Mr.Stefov´s inconsistence with ancient history. His lack of evidence subsequently forces him to produce irrelevant anachronistic analogies with…Christianity even if it is more than obvious we are talking about issues having to do merely with classical ages. Mr. Stefov, for your discomfort, it is only Greeks which gave their deities the familiar Greek epithets, such as Agoraios, Basileus, Olympios, Hypsistos of Zeus, Basileia of Hera, Soter of Apollo, Hagemona and Soteira of Artemis, Boulaia of Hestia, etc and naturally Macedonians as being Greek themselves, were doing similarly which certainly is not the case for non-Greek people. Furthermore nowadays historians agree that Macedonians had the religious and cultural features of the rest Hellenic world.
The worship of the twelve Olympian gods in Macedonia is undoubted
and it is shown explicitly in the treaty between Philip V and Hannibal of Carthage “`In the presence of Zeus, Hera and Apollo …and in the presence of ALL THE GODS who possess Macedonia AND THE REST OF HELLAS” [7].
3. The ancient Macedonians united the ancient Greek city states and spread the “Hellenic” language and culture to the known world.
Mr. Stefov adds further his own misguided perception which is the epitome of misinformation. He states “Macedonia fought and defeated the so called “Greeks” in battle and subjugated them from 338 BC until 206 BC when they were briefly liberated and again subjugated by the Romans”.
This is another terrible effort to create the wrong impression amongst the readers that “Macedonians fought Greeks in Chaeronea”. Contrarily, in Chaeronea the opposing sides were:
ξύμμαχα και υπήκοα
[allied and SUBJECTED]. One line of approach was direct annexation attempted disastrously by Perdiccas II and successfully by Philip.”Prof. Bosworth adds “Lyncestis probably co-operated with the Illyrian invaders as before in the war against Archelaus, the chaos in lower Macedon at the accession of Amyntas was an ideal time to avenge the annexation attempted by Perdiccas and probably by Archelaus”.
Essentially Mr. Stefov just managed with his above wrong assertion to dissolve his own self-made ´construction´ of ancient Macedonian history speaking about a “unified” Macedonian kingdom.
In relation to the spread of Greek language and culture declares quite amusingly that: “As for spreading the so-called “Hellenic” language and culture, there is no evidence that the Macedonians exclusively did this for the sole purpose of honoring the “Greeks”. The Macedonians gave the world what the Macedonians had and considered to be of value”.
I will briefly analyze the falsification of the author´s assertion, before presenting an enumeration of ancient sources [9] proving that Alexander launched a Pan-Hellenic campaign against Persia and through his conquests spread Hellenism in a vast colonizing wave throughout the Near East. Furthermore he created economically and culturally, a single world stretching from Greece to the Punjab in India with Greek (koine) as lingua franca. He built a network of almost thirty Greek cities throughout the empire, a building program that was expanded by later Hellenistic rulers. These became enclaves of Greek culture. Here gymnasia, baths, and theaters were built. The upper classes spoke koine Greek, wore Greek dress, absorbed Greek learning, adopted Greek customs, and took part in Greek athletics. Ancient sources reports as such and the pan-Hellenic character of his campaign were the definitive statements of the Macedonian royalty and nobility. We find Greek language, poleis, architecture, and art expand As far east as India. Even in Judaea of Roman times, there was a group of Jews called “The Hellenists”. The Greek language survived in the Indian region as late as about AD 120, when the Kushan king Kanishka, who ruled western India, Bactria, and Sogdiana (in an inscription) declared that Greek was to be replaced by “Aryan” (the Bactrian language).
It would be essential to complete this reply with numerous excerpts showing exactly how ancient Macedonians felt themselves about their own ethnicity. After all this is what matters mostly.
ChaeroneaCombatants
Side A´
Macedonia, Thessaly, Epirus, Aetolia, Northern Phocis, Epicnemidian Locrians*
Vs
Side B´
Athens, Beotian League (Thebes, etc), Euboean League, Achaean League, Corinth, Megara, Corcyra, Acarnania, Ambracia, Southern Phocis.
Neutral sides
Sparta, Argos, Arcadia, Messene. The three last had alliances both with Athens and Philip but their pro-Macedonian activity of 344/3 BC showed they were leaning towards Philip. However they didn´t sent aid to Chaeronea in Philip´s side because of the blocking in Isthmus by Corinth and Megara. Sparta had withdrawn almost entirely from Greek affairs in 344 BC.
Elis had an alliance with Philip though they didn´t take part in Chaeronea but showed their pro-Macedonian feelings by joining their forces with Philip in the invasion of Laconia in the autumn of 338 BC.
In other words, we find on both sides Greeks!!! We are dealing apparently with a Greek civil war!!
If this is translated to Mr. Stefov´s illusionary world that “Macedonians fought Greeks” then following the same irrational line of thought, we have to assume in Coronea “Spartans also confronted Greeks”.
Battle of Coronea (394 BC)
Combatants
Sparta Vs Thebes, Argos, and allies
In addition, the author adds “So, according to “Greek” logic, the Macedonians united the so-called “Greek” city states by subjugating and subordinating them under Macedonian control. By the same “Greek” logic we can conclude that Hitler too, in WWII, united the Europeans by subjugating them and placing them under German control.”
Here we get a trustful and genuine proof of the author´s selective quotation and hypocrisy. If we are to take his assertion as truthful, then the author ignores conveniently the fact that even the “Unification” between Lower Macedonia and the Upper Macedonian kingdoms by the Argead Royal house was forceful. In fact the annexation of Upper Macedonia took centuries to be successful.
According to the eminent historian prof. A. B. Bosworth [8]
“The upper kingdoms then had a constant struggle to preserve their independence and fostered alliances with the peoples to the west and north. On the other hand the policy of the kings of Macedon was to make the recalcitrant mountaineers truly “
1. Alexander I, king of Macedon:“Men of Athens… Had I not greatly AT HEART the COMMON welfare of GREECE I should not have come to tell you; but I AM MYSELF GREEK by descent, and I would not willingly see Greece exchange freedom for slavery. …If you prosper in this war, forget not to do something for my freedom; consider the risk I have run, out of zeal for the GREEK CAUSE, to acquaint you with what Mardonius intends, and to save you from being surprised by the barbarians. I am ALEXANDER of MACEDON.”
Herodotus, The Histories, 9.45, translated by G.Rawlinson]
2. Alexander The Great:“Your ancestors invaded Macedonia and the rest of Greece and did US great harm, though WE had done them no prior injury […] I have been appointed hegemon of the Greeks”
(Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander II,14,4)
3. Alexander the Great speaking to his troops:There are Greek troops, to be sure, in Persian service — but how different is their cause from ours ! They will be fighting for pay— and not much of it at that; WE on the contrary shall fight for GREECE, and OUR HEARTS WILL BE IN IT. As for our FOREIGN troops —Thracians, Paeonians, Illyrians,Agrianes — they are the best and stoutest soldiers of Europe, and they will find as their opponents the slackest and softest of the tribes of Asia.
Arrian (The Campaigns of Alexander) Alexander talking to the troops before the battle. Book 2-7 Penguin Classics. Page 112. Translation by Aubrey De Seliucourt
4. Alexander The Great and Diogenes
“But he said, ´If I were not Alexandros, I should be Diogenes´; that is to say: `If it were not my purpose to combine barbarian things with things HELLENIC, to traverse and civilize every continent, to search out the uttermost parts of land and sea, TO PUSH THE BOUNDS OF MACEDONIA TO THE FARTHEST OCEAN, AND TO DISSEMINATE AND SHOWER THE BLESSINGS OF HELLENIC JUSTICE and peace over every nation, I should not be content to sit quietly in the luxury of idle power, but I should emulate the frugality of Diogenes. But as things are, forgive me Diogenes, that I imitate Herakles, and emulate Perseus, and follow in the footsteps of Dionysos, the divine author and progenitor of my family, and DESIRE THAT VICTORIOUS HELLENES SHOULD DANCE AGAIN in India […]“
5. Alexander the Great dedication to Athena:
Alexander, son of Philip, and the Greeks, except the Lacedaemonians, from the barbarian inhabitants in AsiaMany more excerpts can be found on:
history-of-macedonia
Notes:
1] “Pictures From The Balkans” by John Foster Fraser (published in 1906), Page 5
2] “Pictures From The Balkans” by John Foster Fraser (published in 1906), Page17
3] “Travels in European Turkey, in 1850: Through Bosnia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Thrace,…” By Edmund Spencer, page 28, Published 1851
4] The Early Medieval Balkans: a critical survey from the sixth to the late twelfth century By John Van Antwerp Fine, Page 37
5] Arthur Douglas Howden Smith, “Fighting the Turk in the Balkans: An American´s Adventures with the Macedonian Revolutionists”, 1908, p. 4-5
6] Olliver Masson, 1996, “Oxford Classical Dictionary: ´Macedonian Language”.
7] Polybius 7.9.1-7; Treaty of alliance between king Philip V of Macedonia and Hannibal
8] ´Philip II and Upper Macedonia´ by A. B. Bossworth, p.100
9] (Aelian ´Varia Historia´ 13.11; Arrian I.16.7, I12.1-2, Plutarch Ages. 15.4, Moralia I, 328D, 329A, Alex. 15, 33, 37.6-7; Diod. 16.95.1-2, 17.67.1; Callisthenes 2.3.4-5, 2.4.5, 2.4.7-8, 3.1.2-4; Arrian “Indica” XXXIII, XXXVIII, XXIX, ´Anab.´ Arrian I.16.7, II, 14, 4, 3.18.11-12 ; Polybius IX.35.2, IX.34.3, 17.4.9; Curtius 3.3.6, 4.1.10-11, 4.5.11, 4.14.21, 5.6.1, 5.7.3, 5.7.11, 8.1.29)
[email protected]
Australian Macedonian Advisory Council
Conclusion: As it is evident from the extensive analysis of the facts, Mr. Stefov´s article consists of an overall historical falsification and distorted presentation of facts. Of course it´s his and his people right to denounce for whatever reason this may be, their well-attested from all sources Slavic/Bulgarian origin and history but it´s not their right to usurp the history and heritage which rightfully and evidently belongs to Greece. I hope that Mr. Stefov and the people he represents will eventually find a name which represents their heritage – “Macedonia” evidently does not!
By Ptolemy
for
Source: http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/79306
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Hellenic Electronic Center (HEC) Responds to Risto Stefov
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Comments
westclub4
November 1, 2008 at 6:32 pm
Dear brother Dimitrios and readers,
Indeed, it is the job of professional historians, linguists, archaeologists and anthropologists to provide ‘us’ –i.e. the ‘bewildered general public’, with some –if any at all, significant evidence, and also with substantial information about antiquity; that is, from the far and distant past (i.e. the Spring of early human civilization) to the present date.
As a matter of fact, it is the job of the supposedly and yet so called ‘educated’ professionals of this or that particular scientific field to provide our policy-makers too with scientific evidence and also with either absolute historic facts or with such relevant concluding remarks that would definitively shape our future to the better, so that they would also bring peace and prosperity to our glorious land and to our ancient Greek people, as well.
Nonetheless, our job as ethnically conscious Greek bloggers is to inform the general public to the best of our ability about those matters that might concurrently be of great significance and of an also great importance to them, as well as, to put pressure upon the policy-makers of our country either to produce a unified and an also significant national strategy about these matters or to reform and revise where necessary the already existing national strategy of their choosing, so that our national and foreign policy becomes more substantial and also successful.
To the extent that there is any such national strategy at all, we can expect to see the results of it soon, and yet thereafter we begin to claim what it’s really ours and what should really belong to us as a nation and without ever having to beg for it to our western imperialist ‘allies’, nor to our so called ‘friends and protectors’ in order for them to act on our behalf and do for us things properly, and also do justice while we sit there and wait.
Ancient Greek mythology –and, yet again ancient Greek literature too as well as the many contemporary archaeological findings may provide the so called ‘professionals’ with as much information and evidence they like and need, in order to put forward such a national strategy before the eyes of the Greek public and of Greek politicians and policy makers, so that we finally manage to produce something which might be significant and appropriate too for an ethnic strategy that is worth of the name and which might also become relevant in respect to the ethnic Greek minorities in neighboring countries. Mind you that at present these ethnic Greek minorities might be either conscious or unconscious of their Graeco-Pelasgian and Hellenic ethnic origin, ancestry and descent.
Indeed, had we got particular references and also appropriate quotations that are available to us at the moment would significantly help if we were to elaborate those quotations to our present contributions too. Hence, it is important that we do not fail to produce quoted arguments in order to further stress and support strongly of our point. But, I particularly insist that it is not our job only to produce substantial papers and masterpieces of professional and of academic work at the same time. Nor is it our role to attempt do the job of the ‘missing’ professionals either, in order to take part on an ongoing debate and discussion of this or of either that particular blog. From the labor movement and also from its daily political and economic struggle we know that ‘a single strike is worth more than any of the best, more elaborate and also most detailed documents and Party Programs that are yet ever to be produced by the Central Committee of any of the Labor Parties’.
This also applies to national strategy and to policy-making, as well. That is, in respect to these ethnic Greek minorities in the neighboring countries too. Therefore, on my behalf, I strongly advise and also invite historians and all other relevant so-called professionals to take part to this ongoing discussion and debate about ancient Macedonian ethnic origins and descent. I also propose to extent and also to further this concurrent debate as far as to the historic ethnic roots and origins of all ancient Greek and Pelasgian-Greek peoples that were once habituating to –and, which were also dueling throughout the area of the Hellenic Peninsula, Asia Minor, Italy, Egypt and the Middle East.
I therefore presume that we can all learn something that might prove to be of great significance and also importance to our cause, which is none other than the liberation of all glorious and historic Hellenic lands of our Peninsula, as well as, to assist to the Hellenicisation of either the conscious or unconscious Greek, mix-Greek and also mix-Barbarian Greek and Pelasgian-Greek peoples that are still living to –and also throughout the whole of the Hellenic Peninsula, at present.
Long live Hellenism and the ancient Greek and Pelasgian-Greek cosmopolitismos! Long live Macedonia and Paeonia, Moesia and Thrace, Epirus and Epirus Nova, Illyris and Dardania as well as the rest of historic Greece! For the cultural Hellenicisation of all Hellenic and Pelasgian Greek Peoples and lands throughout the Hellenic Peninsula! Long live the forthcoming Hellenic Republic!
Elias Leon A.
Athens, Greece.
Dimitrios
November 1, 2008 at 3:04 pm
Hi Elias,
Thank you for your information!
I wanted to ask you if there is any scientific prove or any agreement amongst historians on the above mentionend matter.
In general, isn’t it of great importance to put forward any of the proven historical facts to a platform such as Wikipendia for example?
Greetings!
westclub4
November 1, 2008 at 7:00 am
Addendum,
The ethnic Macedonian Greek brothers and sisters of the north are neither Slavs nor Bulgars. They are of an equally historic ethnic Greek origin and of an also significant Pelasgian (i.e. ancient Greek and proto-Greek) ancestry to ourselves i.e. the Macedonian Greeks of the south. The concurrently enslaved ethnic Macedonian brothers and sisters of the north comprise of many thousand Graecophone, Vlachophone and Arvanitophone ethnic Greeks and ethnic Pelasgian Greeks too who were once habitating to the southern and also to the eastern and northeastern parts of FYROM. These are the areas which were once populated either by ethnic Macedonian Greeks or by Illyro-Epirotic Greek and Dardano-Paeonian Greek and Graeco-Pelasgian peoples.
There is an also significant Illyro-Thracian Greek and Pelasgian-Greek element to the population of FYROM. In particular, to those areas which lay to the central, northern and western parts of that partitioned state. In ancient and historic times, and also for an almost thousand years before the Avaric Slavs and the Tataric Bulgars ever set foot to the Hellenic Peninsula, those particular regions were laying to the lands of the ancient Paeones, Bryges, Agriannes and Dardanes. The ethnic and historical origins of those ancient peoples were at that time significantly Greek or proto-Greek -i.e. they were of an ancient Pelasgian-Mycenean Greek origin of the particular Thrako-Illyrian cultural branch of the same nonetheless proto-Greek and Pelasgian people and of also the same cosmopolitismos.
To the Greeks of the Classic Age, they seemed as if they were left behind culturaly because they had once coalesced with the Troyan Phrygio-Pelasgian Greeks of Asia Minor and thereafter, they were left outside to the cultural advances made by the southern Doric Greek peoples and of that particular neo-Greek sphere of influence and cosmopolitismos ever since. In other words, most of southern Pelasgian or proto-Greeks ever since the Dorian kathodos onwards had became significantly Doric or Hellenic Greek themselves, though some of them still to that date had yet remained more Pelasgic (i.e. Aeolic) or mixed (i.e. Ionic) Greek and proto-Greek as opposed to the Hellenic Doric and Epiroto-Macedonian tribes of the north and of the northwest who became significantly Hellenic.
At the same time, many Epiroto-Macedonian Dorian (i.e. Hellenic) tribes had also began their expansion northwards and eastwards -i.e. to the lands of the formerly backward Pelasgian Greek remnants. Hence, they expanded (and yet extended their rule) to the lands of the Paeones, Bryges, Thracians, Illyrians, Dardanians etchetera, even prior to the times of Philippe and of Alexander. Moreover, it is ever since the Macedonian expansion to these formerly Pelasgian Greek Brygian, Paeonian, Dardanian and Thrako-Illyrian lands that those proto-Greek (or Pelasgic-Greek) and thus, Thrako-Illyrian Greek tribes became significantly Hellenicised, meaning that they became culturaly equals to the southern Hellenicised Greeks.
Hence, most of the Hellenic Peninsula and definitively all lands that lay within FYROM today were already Greek (i.e. Pelasgian or Thrako-Illyrian proto-Greek) even prior to the historic Macedonian expansion of the Greek Classic Era or became significantly Hellenic (i.e. Doric Greek) ever since, to say the least. Also, even prior to Macedonian (i.e. Doric Greek) expansion the Pelasgian Greeks and proto-Greeks of the north had established significant condacts with the the either Ionian or Aeolian Greeks of the southern Hellenic Peninsula. Hence, they also contributed to their significant Hellenicisation, which must have been conducted at a time that was certainly prior to the time of Philippe and thereby, their substantial Hellenicisation which is well attested throughout the Hellenistic Era has definitively been not only as a result of Macedonian (i.e. Doric Greek) expansion but it is also due to the significant contribution and effort made at past and at previous times by many Ionian and Aeolian Greeks who made colonies into Thrake and Illyria, ever since antiquity and at distant Classical and historic times, which were to follow the Greek Dark Ages right after the civil war at Troy and the destruction of the old and rampant Mycenean Greek civilisation by the southward moving Dorian Hellenes.
However, these peoples became significantly mixed and even romanised after the Roman Conquest and, as a result of their linguistic and cultural mixture their historic Aeolic, Doric or Ionic Greek language got substantially latinized ever since and either to a lesser extend (i.e. Arvanitophone Greeks with the Arvanitic Graeco-Latin language) or to a far greater extend (i.e. Vlachophone Greeks with the predominantely latinized Vlachic language). Nonetheless, those same Vlachophone and Arvanitophone Greeks of the north are the same Hellenes of the old with the rest of us -i.e. with the rest of us, concurrent southern Greeks of the Hellenic Macedonia and of the rest of the southern Hellenic Peninsula, as well.
The slavophone ethnic Macedonian Greeks of the north have adopted the west-Bulgarian dialect as their language, ever since the 8th Century. Nevertheless, we will not find many slavophones who would trade their Macedonism with an either Bulgarian or yet again with a Serbian passport in nowadays, which is very encourraging fact, to say the least. Since we assist this brothering people of ours with historic knowledge and information, we would become able to explain to them that they are definitively neither Bulgarian nor Slavic. The same we must do also with the Arvanitan Greeks of northewestern FYROM as well as with all of the Vlachophone Greeks of Norhtern Macedonia too.
We need to explain patiently to either of them that they are neither Slavs, nor Bulgars, nor Turks, nor Latins, nor Romans, neither anything else that is non-Greek. Insted, we need to explain to them that they are a Hellenic Macedonian people like ourselves who live in the south, though they speak Slavic (i.e. the slavophone ethnic Macedonians), Graeco-Roman (i.e. the Arvanitans and also the Albanian Sqipetars) or Latin (i.e. the Vlachs) and so on.
This is not an easy task either. Indeed, it is a heavy taske for us, modern Greeks of the southern Hellenic Peninsula. Yet, it is the only way available to us at present to restore peace and also to bring prosperity to the southern Hellenic Peninsula. This is the historic duty of each and of every Greek at present who respects, understands and wants to honour of the heavy name and also culture, he or she carries to eternity, under the glorious label of being an ethnic Greek of the rather ancient Pelasgian or Hellenic original and same peoples’ stock.
Long live Macedonia and the rest of Greece! Freedom to all ancient Greek, Hellenic and Pelasgian lands! Freedom to Northern Macedonia, Norhtern Epirus, Illyris, Dardania and Epirus Nova, Moesia, Northern and Eastern Thrake! Long live the forthcoming Hellenic Republic!
Elias Leon A.
Athens, Greece.
westclub4
October 31, 2008 at 8:16 am
Indeed, this is a nice article, which also manages to answer to the quite many of the historic misconceptions that are created purposely by the Great Skopjan School of Falsefication of Absolute Historic Facts.
Nonetheless, we shall all be extremely cautious especially when we use ourselves reproduce the many translated texts into English, which might also contain many foggy bits, here and there. Probably, the best thing to do is we ourselves to read and translate those parts from the the original (i.e. from the ancient Greek prototype) or simply to reproduce the ancient Greek text as such. This is so, because there are many mistakes that are of particular importance and of great significance to us all and to our cause.
In particular, it is another thing to say ”Alexander of Macedon” and a rather different thing to say ”Alexander the Macedon”. The Glyxbourgh’s were Kings of Greece and even before them, King Othon has been a King of the Greeks, but none of them were of a Greek bloodline and origin himself.
When we refer to King Alexander the Macedon (i.e. the Macedonian Greek King Alexander) we should stress his Greek Macedonian origin. That is of course another thing from simply saying King Alexander of Macedon (i.e. Alexander the King of Macedonia), which does not stress, nor it specifies his Greek (i.e. Macedonian Greek) ethnicity.
Indeed, Alexander was a Macedonian and a Macedonian at that time also meant a Greek. Alexander was not a Greek King who ruled over Macedonia and Macedonia was definitively not a foreign -i.e. a non-Greek- land, to say the least. Alexander was not a Greek King who ruled another tribe. He was a Macedonian himself. His father has been a Macedonian Greek and his mother an Epirotan Greek. His tribe -i.e. the Macedonians, were also Greek. In particular, Macedonians were of an ancient Dorian Greek ethnic stock -that is, quite similar to the Magnetes, Epirotes and Lakedaemones or Spartiates (i.e. the Spartans of ancient Laconia).
They all shared the same origins because they were Dorian Greeks. They all spoke the same Dorian Greek dialect and they also shared the same culture, customs and religion. In that sense, they all were Dorian Greeks or Hellenes as opposed to those who were Ionian Greeks (e.g. the Athenians and also the Greeks in Chalkidiki to name but a few) and who were of an also ancient though of a Pelasgian Greek (i.e. Ionian) origin and who spoke Attic, which has been a more elaborate dialect of the ancient Greek language.
There were also many more Greek tribes who spoke differernt Greek dialects such as the Aeolians (e.g. the Thessalians and also the Greek colonists near the ancient city of Troy), who spoke Aeolic Greek. Their dialect has also been Greek but of a particularly more ancient (or primitive) form. Aeolic Greek was closer to the proto-Greek or to the ancient Pelasgian language and therefore, it must have been closer to the language of the Pelasgian Paeones (or ‘Upper Hellenes’), Bryges, Dardanians, Illyrians, Thracians, Phrygians, ancient Troyans and Mycenaeans Greeks.
Hence, to prove only that Alexander himself has been a Greek is not enough. We also need to patiently explain that the Macedonians were a Hellenic (i.e. Dorian Greek) tribe even before they conqueer the land of the historic Macedonia. Also, we need to explain that the peoples of the historic Macedonia at the time of Alexander the Great (i.e. the Paeones, Bryges, Dardanians, southern (or the so-called ‘Real’) Illyrians, Pierres, Agrianes, Thracians and so on) were of an also Greek origin too and that they have been Greek (i.e. Pelasgian or Hellenic) either much prior to the Macedonian expansion to neighboring lands, which primarily occured under the reign of Philippe (i.e. Alexander’s father) or from at least, ever since the time of Philippe’s reign and thereafter.
All of the above, either to a Slav or a Bulgar of the contemporary Northern Macedonian region might sound ‘really Greek to them’, to say the least. But, to those who are not only habitants of ancient Macedonian land but who are also Macedonians themselves -that is, to all those who are of a real Macedonian (i.e. Dorian Greek) ethnic origin are all too very important.
Long live the ancient Greek cosmopolitismos! Long live Macedonia and the rest of Greece! Long live the forthcoming Hellenic Republic!
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Download the MHR Review - Issue #19 - June 2014 edition here (PDF - 5MB) In this edition of the MHR Review: Nova Zora’s 4th Birthday Party – George Vlahov An Interview with Dimitri Jovanov – David Vitkov News in Brief – Mitch Belichovski Funding for Macedonian Language Classes in Albania MHRMI Condemns Harassment of Dimitras To Reu...
Friday, 11 July 2014
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АВСТРАЛИСКО-МАКЕДОНСКИОТ КОМИТЕТ ЗА ЧОВЕКОВИ ПРАВА ЈА ОСУДУВА НАМЕРАТА НА МАНУ ДА ГО ОДБЕЛЕЖУВА ИЛИНДЕН ЗАЕДНО СО БАН
Мелбурн, 3/7/2014 – во месец мај 2014г.првиот човек на МАНУ, академик Владо Камбовски,изјави дека оваа врвна македонска научна иституција има намера да го одбележува големиот македонски национален празник Илинден заедно со Бугарската Академија на Науките (БАН). Намерата е преку “работни групи” научниците да разговараат за проблемите со кои се соочуени во ...
Wednesday, 2 July 2014
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MHR Review - Issue #18 - March 2014
Download the MHR Review - Issue #18 - March 2014 edition here (PDF - 2.8MB) In this edition of the MHR Review: The Good Neighbor – George Vlahov Venizelos’s Adventures – Dr. Chris Popov Early Elections in Macedonia – Dr. Vasko Nastevski Identity Politics – Tom Vangelovski Join the Macedonian Bone Marrow Drive Vinozhito & Elections – Dim...
Monday, 31 March 2014
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MHR Review - Issue #17 - January 2014
Download the MHR Review - Issue #17 - January 2014 edition here (PDF - 4.3MB) In this edition of the MHR Review: Reflections on our Status – George Vlahov The Poetry of Mihail Rendzhov – Dr. Michael Seraphinoff The Australian Macedonian Drama Group – Jim Thomev Good Neighbourliness a la Bulgare – Dr. Chris Popov Forthcoming You...
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MHR Review - Issue #16 - September 2013
Download the MHR Review - Issue #16 - September 2013 edition here (PDF - 2.1MB) In this edition of the MHR Review: The Uses and Abuses of Reason – Jim Thomev The Irredentism of the Clowns – George Papadakis Exclusive Interview with Pando Ashlakov – David Vitkov Kerim’s Erroneous Assumptions – Dr. Chris Popov Meeting with Aus...
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MHR Review - Issue #13 - December 2012
BOOK LAUNCH: English translation of THE GREEK ANTI-MACEDONIAN STRUGGLE - PART 1 by Dimitris Lithoxou
Traditional Makedonsko Lerinski Picnic @ Whittlesea Showgrounds, Sunday 10th Feb 2013
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As always it´s highly amusing to read another one of Risto Stefov´s articles.
Starting from the opening statement, one notes the factual distortion present. For an individual who allegedly doesn´t care about what Greeks may claim about themselves; he certainly seems to waste much time and energy intentionally distorting texts and manipulating history in his articles and books, and distributing his propaganda.
Right after his first bout of hypocrisy, Stefov continues by distorting his very own claims. While he intentionally misinforms us by claiming that he´s never supported some twisted direct descendance from the ancient ´Makednoi´ theory; he conveniently forgets about his article: “Evidence of the Existence of Macedonians Throughout the Ages” in which in his opening statement in the introduction is: “This document was prepared in response to Greek allegations that Macedonians do not exist and have ceased to exist since the so called “Slav invasions” of the fifth and sixth centuries AD.
The logical question of why would any individual who allegedly doesn´t, nor has ever supported the “continuity theory” ever waste time to gather and intentionally distort sources to prove that the modern day population of the FYROM has every right to title themselves and claim heredity from the Makednoi?
Stefov’s opening statement which attempts to refute Greek allegations and the insinuation of providing proof that the Macedonians have existed, since Slavic invasions doesn´t do much for his case.
It is obvious that he is at the very least intentionally misinforming readers of his true objectives.
Stefov and his followers constantly insinuate that Greeks allegedly strive to present the FYROM population as Bulgarians (he should know the difference between Bulgars and Bulgarians) and Slavs.
While this is partially true, what Stefov intentionally neglects to mention is that Greeks are simply reproducing what his ancestors themselves had stated.
We could take for example the organization called BMARC (Bulgarian Macedonian-Adrianopolitan Revolutionary Committee) all members of which, today, are considered as fine FYROM patriots. It is this very organization, (their very own national heroes) which totally legitimize our reference to the true ethnicity which they detest.
In its 1896 statute BMARC states:
Art. 1. The goal of BMARC is to secure full political autonomy for the Macedonia and Adrianople regions.
Art. 2. To achieve this goal they [the committees] shall raise the awareness of self-defense in the Bulgarian population in the regions mentioned in Art. 1., disseminate revolutionary ideas – printed or verbal, and prepare and carry on a general uprising.
So the question asked must be, which is the population FYROM national heroes aimed to raise the awareness in and title Bulgarian; if not the forefathers of the population that today attempt to usurp a history and heritage which they have no connection to?
Stefov also accuses Greeks of titling the population of FYROM as Slavonic.
But what defines a Slav?
Slavs are an ethnic group connected by language, customs, traditions, beliefs.
We know beyond doubt that the population of FYROM does speak a Slavic language. We also know from their own authors like Tanas Vrazhinovski and Vladimir Karadzoski that FYROM folklore is predominantly Slavonic.
Both authors give numerous examples of worship of Slavonic deities and place names directly related to these deity´s names. Customs as any Bulgarian or Serb may confirm are also highly similar, if not identical.
So identical that we may safely conclude that the population of FYROM is indeed Slavonic and the attempt to present the use of the ethnonym ‘Slav’ as some form of insult, simply indicates the extent of propaganda aimed at (not to an international audience), but as its main target group has the FYROM youth. In some futile attempt to teach the FYROM population to hate their true origins and believe that their only true destiny is indissolubly connected upon usurping a history and culture which is totally alien to them is unacceptable.
Yet another fallacy promoted by Stefov for his audience is the case in which Philip of Macedon didn´t unite as so many true historians have accepted (see Thomas R. Martin, Lewis Vance Cummings, Richard Gabriel, Alan Fildes, Joann Fletcher, Robin Lane Fox…etc) but conquered. If that isn´t enough, he also resorts to fallaciously extending Philip´s empire further North to incorporate the lands of FYROM and by doing so legitimize his claims.
While it is true that these lands have seen various conquerors and settlers, what Stefov neglects to mention, is that while the above may have partially influenced the locals with their own culture, they never did manage to alienate them from their own. Something we clearly see in the alleged descendants of the Makednoi. Stefov and his believers have totally failed to provide a single logical explanation as to how any since trace of cultural connection to those they claim descendance from is non-existent.
During the last years the main FYROM offensive in the name debate is centralized on the following logic: “since we can´t prove a connection to the ancients, we´ll centralize on disproving yours”, which is exactly what we see Stefov doing today.
Unfortunately his attempts are caught either constantly celebrating ignorance or due to malicious intent, falsifying facts. Stefov claims that the name/term Greeks was ignored until after the Roman conquests which is when it was allegedly coined. Its puzzling how an alleged authority in history, who has published so many books about ancient history, could possibly ignore the reference of the eponym ‘Graikos’found in Hesiod´s Catalogue of Women or the village ‘Graia’ noted in Homer´s Catalogue of ships or even the later reference to the Graeci in Aristotle´s Meteorological. This is yet another well known quasi-historical attempts to approach the issue which Stefov is renowned for. Had he tried to tackle the issue on its factual basis, he wouldn´t centralize on the Latinization which has been passed down to the majority of language but the term which classicists acknowledge as the proper denomination and that is that of Hellenes (even though they have been used interchangeably). But even uttering the term ‘Hellenes’ is simply unthinkable for Stefov; for he would then have to deal with Hesiod´s reference to a ‘race of the Hellenes’ (works and days), a race of Hellenes which would disprove the very basis of his theory of various city-states alien to each other, not forming a single body of people.
While it is conveniently true that Greece wasn´t used by Ancient Greek geographers to describe the region in question, we know of several of them that use the term ‘Hellas’ (Agatharchides, Pausanias and Strabo being some of the more well known examples). If we were to look towards Roman writers with Pliny the Elder´s Natural History being one of the finest examples, we´d find that throughout his entire work and especially books 3-5 which are geography related, the term ‘Greece’ is constantly used to define the region.
One really has to wonder why Stefov tries to alienate an entire people from their heritage with such void argumentation. So the term ‘Rhomios’was used by the Greek population to define themselves, what does this actually prove?
While the term Rhomios may indeed be partly alien to their ancestors, one can´t neglect to note that it derives from the ‘Constitution Antoniniana of Caracalla’ which allowed all freemen of the Roman provinces to obtain Roman citizenship and that it is directly related to the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium) which they were subjects. A term forged to represent their citizenship but also their Greek ancestry (see Andreas Osiander´s Before the State), hence why it (and not ‘Rhomaios’) was also used to strictly designate the subjects of Greek ancestry and them alone. It is also interesting to note the perception of some of the empire´s neighbors. Armenians, Russians, Georgians, Jews and even Ottomans titled the subjects ‘Graikoi’, Yunan, Yavani , or the authors Theodorus Studitus, Anna Komnene, George Gemistos Plethon, Michael Psellus and Theophanes Confessor all used the ethnonym Hellenes; terms directly linked to their ancestral roots which they recognized then, but today this author (Stefov) with some highly questionable arguments tries to refute the facts.
Stefov continues to unsuccessfully tackle the demographics of Greece. If under his logic the Slavic presence in the Balkans gives the Slavic population of FYROM some right to usurp a history; heritage and claim descendance from the ancient Makednoi (even through their very customs, traditions and folklore) prove them totally alien to it. Then how can someone even try and attempt to alienate the Vlachs from the Ancient Greeks?
While theories on their origin vary and one could argue their autochthonous origin, doesn´t their presence in the region which is dated prior to the time when the Slavs were nothing but mere invaders(Procopius) give them the right to claim ancestry?
Stefov makes reference to the total population of Greece upon its liberation while exaggerating and distorting possible population statistics. There is no accurate account of the possible ethnic makeup of the population, therefore any argument either for or against homogeneity would be ridiculous. One would notice that while Stefov doesn’t make any reference of Greeks as being a part of the population, he adds Turks; which as it is well documented, were non-existent since in their vast majority had fled upon the rebellion and Slavs. Then again such claims by Stefov who has previously promoted the totally outdated and disregarded ‘Fallmerayer theory´, anything seems possible.
Finally, there needs to be a mention of the Albanians. Since the only census which provides us with data is that of 1928 we must take that into consideration. In a 1928 census we find that the total amount of self-identified Albanian-speakers (and not ethnic Albanian origin) is approx. 19,000. A population of 19,000 in 1928 when Greece had liberated its lands and had a total population of some 6.2 million. Stefov claims that the Albanians were obviously the majority in the region in the early 1800´s; hence his reference to them and no reference to the Greeks. One must ask of what happened to the Albanians?
Well, we could take into account the statements of the Albano phone population itself, who in 1836 Christophoros Perraivos recorded their self-identification as purely Greek and were recognized as such by Alexandros Ypsilantes; who in his letter makes reference to their ancestors that fought in the battle of Marathon.
Finally, it must be noted that people like Risto Stefov, while providing an entertaining read, continue to distort Greek history (in a way similarly described above) and must not be taken seriously.
by www.macedoniaontheweb.com
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Proud Macedonians in Gorna Dzumaja, Pirin Macedonia
Introduction | Makedonski Icelenuchki Almanac | OMO Ilinden | OSCE Human Rights Conference - Presentation by MHRMC
International Helsinki Federation 1999 Human Rights Report | International Helsinki Federation Report on Bulgaria
Amnesty International Press Release
Introduction
OMO Ilinden-PIRINPirin Macedonia came under Bulgarian occupation after the Balkan Wars in 1913. Macedonians were denied their human rights, the right to speak their own language, and the ability to openly express their Macedonian identity. These human rights violations continue today. Bulgarians also claim that Macedonians are "really Bulgarians" and that they speak "a Western Bulgarian dialect." This despite the fact that Macedonian is spoken by millions of people throughout the world and is an internationally recognized language and taught at dozens of universities worldwide.
"We Macedonians are not Serbians nor Bulgars but simply Macedonians. The Macedonian people (narod) exists separate from the Bulgarian and the Serbian. We feel with both and the one that helps our liberation we'll thank but neither should forget that Macedonia belongs to the Macedonians." - Boris Sarafov, 1902
"In 1875 Pulevski published a 'Dictionary of Three Languages' (Macedonian, Albanian, and Turkish). In the introduction he wrote that 'a nation is the term for a people who have the same origin, who speak the same language...and who have the same customs, songs, and festivals...Thus the Macedonians are a nation, and Macedonia is their fatherland.' Several years later he founded a Macedonian literary society in Sofia, which was quickly suppressed by the Bulgarian authorities." 1
"According to a confidential report submitted to the Foreign Office at the end of World War II by Captain P.H. Evans, a British intelligence officer, the district of Florina was 'predominnantly a Slav region not a Greek one,' where Greek was regarded 'as almost a foreign language' and the Greeks were 'distrusted as something alien.' Evans emphasizes that 'the inhabitants of the area, just as they are not Greeks, are also not Bulgarians or Serbs or Croats. They are Macedonians.'" (Rossos 1991:293-294)
"The official policy of the Bulgarian state, ever since the first democratic elections of June 1990, has been to denounce the existence of a Macedonian minority. Thus the police have been given a free hand in suppressing all public manifestations of Macedonian identity. Moreover, the New Bulgarian Constitution of July 13, 1991, as well as the Political Parties Act provide for a discriminative ban against organizations and political parties on ethnic and/or religious basis." 2
"Bulgaria should recognize the Macedonian minority" - Krassimir Kranev, Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (Sega, May 15-21, 1997)
The following is a quote from the CIA World Factbook 1998 regarding Bulgaria's ethnic composition:
Ethnic groups: Bulgarian 85.3%, Turk 8.5%, Gypsy 2.6%, Macedonian 2.5%, Armenian 0.3%, Russian 0.2%, other 0.6%
The following are two quotes from Jorn Ivar Qvonje, Professor of Balkan Linguistics at the University of Copenhagen: 3
"The Macedonian language norm has been acknowledged by the Slavonic linguistics (with the exception of the Bulgarian linguists who until recently have kept the designation 'West-Bulgarian dialect'). In the highly respected 'Guide to the Slavonic Languages', London 1961 (p.797) by R.G.A. de Bray, the Macedonian language is treated on par with other Slavonic languages."
"A fine textbook in Macedonian is: V. Bojic & W. Oschlies: 'Lehrbuch der Mazedonischen Sprache', Munchen, 1984, Slavstische Beitrage nr. 175. A Macedonian - Russian dictionary was published in Moscow in 1963. It is therefore beyond doubt that the Macedonian language is accepted as an independent language by international linguists."
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Makedonski Icelenuchki Almanac 4
Minorities in BulgariaIn Bulgaria, in Pirin Macedonia, there was in 1919 a compact Macedonian population of about 250,000. Official Bulgarian policy and statistics following the Second World War showed different figures in different periods concerning the number of ethnic Macedonians in the country. The encyclopedic handbook Ethnic Minorities in Europe quotes data from the official censuses. In 1946 there were 300,000 people enumerated as Macedonians and in 1956 - 188,000. According to the sources quoted, in 1990 there were about 250,000 Macedonians living in Bulgaria. It is important to note that according to the 1956 census, when 187,789 inhabitants declared themselves as Macedonians, they constituted a majority in a large part of Pirin Macedonia. In the Blagoevgrad District alone, which comprised 281,015 inhabitants, 178,862, or 63.7% declared themselves as Macedonians. There are also many Macedonians living in Sofia and other parts of Bulgaria. In spite of all claims by Bulgaria to European orientation and the acceptance of European democratic values, during the 1992 population census the Macedonians were not allowed to declare their ethnic affiliation under a separate heading.
In a short period after 1947, the Macedonians living in Pirin Macedonia had schools in their mother tongue and their own theatre. More recently, Amnesty International, the Organization for International Human Rights, and Human Rights Watch/Helsinki have given documentary evidence about the situation there and about the violation of the individual and minority rights of the Macedonians.
The authorities have been refusing the registration of the Ilinden United Macedonian Organization and the Macedonian Democratic Party, although they fulfill all the necessary legal conditions. The 1995 U.S. Department of State report underlines "the Government's refusal since 1990 to register a Macedonian rights group, OMO Ilinden," and that this is a "restriction of the constitutional rights to express opinions and to associate". Police and judicial repression against the leaders and activists of OMO Ilinden and other Macedonian organizations is continuing. In order to prevent the celebration of anniversaries of historical events by the Macedonians in Pirin Macedonia, special police forces are used and even military manouevres are organized at that time.
In 1994 and 1995, the periodicals of the Macedonian organizations in Pirin Macedonia came under attack from the Public Prosecutor of Bulgaria. Several periodicals, including Makedonska Volja, however, continue to write openly on the discrimination against ethnic Macedonians in Bulgaria. An illustration of the extent of this discrimination is the expulsion from the Bulgarian Writer's Association of the writer Slave Makedonski, whose works have been translated into several world languages, owing to the fact that he has publicly declared his Macedonian ethnic affiliation. A number of writers, artists, and other individuals are harassed or denied access to jobs because of their Macedonian feeling.
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OMO Ilinden
The Pirin MountainsOMO (United Macedonian Organization) Ilinden is an organization of Macedonians in Pirin Macedonia that are dedicated to achieving cultural and human rights. It was established in November of 1989 during the fall of communism in Eastern Europe. As citizens of other countries were finally attaining their freedom, Bulgaria, along with Greece, remained determined to deny their minorities any rights. The Bulgarian government has consistently denied this group the right to register as a "legal" organization.
"In July 1990, OMO Ilinden applied for registration at the district court of Blagoevgrad but was turned down as the 'targets of the organization and the means of its attainment are directed against this nation's (Bulgaria) unity, and are aiming at spurring a national and ethnic hostility' (Bulgarian Telegraph Association, July 18, 1990) and the Blagoevgrad prosecutor warned that the leaders faced prosecution under Article 162 of the penal code which allows for up to six years imprisonment." 5
Other articles of the Criminal Code that are frequently used to prosecute Macedonians and other national minorities are Articles 108 and 109 which deal with "anti-state agitation and propaganda" and Article 39 of the People's Militia Law which "allows administrative punishment (that is without trial), which has reportedly been used to forcibly resettle members of the Macedonian ethnic minority in other areas of the country." 6
OSCE Human Rights Conference - Presentation by MHRMC
The following quotes are from the Macedonian Human Rights Movement of Canada, on behalf of OMO Ilinden, made at the OSCE Human Rights Conference in November, 1998 in Warsaw, Poland.
To read more about MHRMC's presentations at the conference regarding Bulgarian and Greek discrimination against ethnic Macedonians, please click here
The Current State of Bulgarian State Compliance with Its Obligations Respecting Freedom of Expression, Free Media and Information, Freedom of Association, and the Right of Peaceful Assembly
Freedom of Expression and Free Media
With respect to those citizens who identify themselves as Macedonians the Bulgarian government has and continues to place unlawful restrictions on a number of fundamental rights of these people. Whether it be through uneven application of laws which on their face do not seem to discriminate against the Macedonian minority, or through unlawful conduct of officials, the effect is the same: Macedonians in Bulgaria who choose to openly call themselves Macedonians suffer abuses of their human rights repeatedly. As regards freedom of expression and free media and information, for instance, the Macedonian human and minority rights organization, OMO-Ilinden has recently suffered the following outrageous act at the hands of the Bulgarian authorities.
On April 14 of this year, OMO-Ilinden began the publication of a newspaper which was intended to serve as a voice for its members and their concerns and interests. Just two days later, on 16, April, 1998 seven policemen broke up a meeting of this organization without a search warrant and after 8:00 p.m. (the latest time in which searches can be conducted legally). Notwithstanding the statement of police sergeant Krsomir Karonfil, that he was “sent by the authorities to come and search your organization’s headquarters and seize what is necessary,” when asked for evidence of his legal right to conduct such a search, he was unable to provide such evidence. Fearing violence, OMO-Ilinden members allowed the search to continue without any other protest, hoping that they could achieve some measure of relief after the fact through the court system. All equipment and supplies necessary to publish a newspaper (including what is for those in Bulgaria a particularly expensive item, a photocopier) were seized and, as of today (some six months later) have not been returned. Nor, subsequent OMO-Ilinden’s official complaint to the regional authority who oversees these kinds of searches, and to the highest military authority in Sofia, has there been a response to the complaints lodged.
In addition to forcibly restricting the right of OMO-Ilinden to publish its own newspaper, the government of Bulgaria uses, or permits others in the private sphere to use, the media to discredit the legitimacy of OMO-Ilinden and, by extension, the central tenet of the organization: the existence and significance of the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria. OMO-Ilinden is either portrayed as a fringe organization of mentally unstable people (the implication being, to believe you are Macedonian in Bulgaria must mean you are insane) or as a terrorist organization responsible for a whole range of criminal activity (implying that only criminals call themselves Macedonians). Examples are very numerous. In all cases, despite the government’s direct or indirect involvement of the promulgation of untruths about OMO- Ilinden, the organization is, perhaps not surprisingly, forbidden access to the same media for purposes of rebuttal. Furthermore, when OMO-Ilinden has attempted to seek redress through the courts, they are denied standing at the first stage and a court-derived remedy is denied them.
Following are specific examples of comments made in the following newspapers: 24 Chassa, Trut, 168 Chassa, Duma, Makedonje, Struma and Pirin News:
OMO Ilinden threatens regional journalist with death - Struma April 24, 1994
OMO Ilinden prepares to kill journalist - Struma June 6, 1994
OMO Ilinden stole TV equipment of German news crew - Pirinski Delo August 2, 1994
Bomb threats attributed to OMO Ilinden - Struma June 24, 1994
psychopaths from the Macedonian disease - Mariana Cvetoslavova in 168 Chassa October 4, 1998
OMO Ilinden members are lunatics and psychopaths - Anatoly Velichkov, Member of Bulgarian Parliament in 168 Chassa October 4, 1993
OMO Ilinden needs psychotherapy - Crsomir Kanakachana, President, VMRO and Member of Bulgarian Parliament in 24 Chass September 4, 1998
Head Bulgarian Prosecutor : OMO Ilinden are lunatics and traitors - Trut March 23, 1998
Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of this pattern of using the media to discredit a legitimate organization, is the fact that these comments are not made by a single newspaper or journalist, but rather they are made by radio, television and newspaper staff, government officials and even members of the Bulgarian Parliament.
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International Helsinki Federation 1999 Report
The following are excerpts from the IHF's 1999 human rights report. For the full text please visit their website
Throughout 1998 Bulgaria was ruled by a government consisting of the United Democratic Forces (UtDF), formed after the elections of April 1997. In contrast to previous years, 1998 was not marked by political or economic upheavals. The government continued its policy of reform and reiterated its willingness to abide by European human rights standards. This created a favorable public climate both for legislative reforms as well as for NGO activities.
However, the actual development of the human rights situation in Bulgaria in 1998 was contradictory. While authorities continued their dialogue with human rights NGOs and carried out investigations into past abuses, sentences for human rights violations were very mild. On the whole, in most spheres of human rights the situation did not change, in some a setback was observed.
Freedom of Association and Peaceful Assembly
The rights of ethnic and religious minority groups as well as trade-union activists to association and assembly were restricted. The only positive development was the government's June decision to register the moderate Macedonian culture-based organization TMO-IMRO, led by Georgi Solunski.
Protection of Ethnic Minorities - Macedonian Minority
In early July the European Commission of Human Rights admitted the complaint submitted by ethnic Macedonians regarding the violation of their right to peaceful assembly. Despite this fact, violations continued.
· On 18 April several hundred activists of UMO "Ilinden" were prevented from placing flowers on the grave of Yane Sandanski, a historic Macedonian figure on the basis of an order of the Blagoevgrad District Prosecutor's Office. People attempting to approach the site of the grave near Rozhen were turned back because of their "technically faulty vehicles." Vassil Gyudjemov, who still managed to reach to the grave, was detained for not carrying a passport and beaten by the police.
· On 2 August the mayor of Petrich banned the UMO "Ilinden" celebrations of the anniversary of the Ilinden Uprising in the Samouilova Krepost locality near Petrich. Yordan Toshev, a local UMO "Ilinden" activist, was arrested for having thrown flowers at the policemen's feet.
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International Helsinki Federation
Protection of Ethnic Minorities
Report by the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights
to the
United Nations Commission on Human Rights
Fifty-Fourth Session
Geneva, 16 March - 24 April 1998
(Item No. 16)
Protection of the ethnic and cultural identity of the minorities in Bulgaria is inadequate. Members of ethnic minority groups appear today to have less chance of receiving instruction in their mother tongue than in previous years. A request by members of the Bulgarian Turkish community to receive instruction in and about their own language was rejected by the authorities.
On 4 December 1997, the government adopted Decree N 449, setting up a National Council on Ethnic and Demographic Questions at the Council of Ministers. The Council is a consultative body expected to develop and propose strategies of demographic policy, promote tolerance and understanding between ethnic and religious groups, and to coordinate support for Bulgarians abroad. This strange combination of functions raises serious doubts about the Council’s capacity to fulfill them.
The Macedonian Minority
Under the new government of the United Democratic Forces, policy towards ethnic Macedonians has remained unchanged. Macedonians are subjected to various forms of harassment, including confiscation of their publications, being prevented from holding assemblies and book presentations, and officials refusing to let them meet on public premises.
On 28 August 1997, customs officers at Stanke Lissichkovo border checkpoint confiscated 31 books from Georgi Hristov on the ground that he had not declared them upon entry and that they had a "pro-Macedonian nationalistic content."
On 20 April 1997, the Blagoevgrad district prosecutor banned a rally by activists of UMO "Ilinden," a pro-Macedonian
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Proud Macedonians in Gorna Dzumaja, Pirin Macedonia
Introduction | Makedonski Icelenuchki Almanac | OMO Ilinden | OSCE Human Rights Conference - Presentation by MHRMC
International Helsinki Federation 1999 Human Rights Report | International Helsinki Federation Report on Bulgaria
Amnesty International Press Release
Introduction
OMO Ilinden-PIRINPirin Macedonia came under Bulgarian occupation after the Balkan Wars in 1913. Macedonians were denied their human rights, the right to speak their own language, and the ability to openly express their Macedonian identity. These human rights violations continue today. Bulgarians also claim that Macedonians are "really Bulgarians" and that they speak "a Western Bulgarian dialect." This despite the fact that Macedonian is spoken by millions of people throughout the world and is an internationally recognized language and taught at dozens of universities worldwide.
"We Macedonians are not Serbians nor Bulgars but simply Macedonians. The Macedonian people (narod) exists separate from the Bulgarian and the Serbian. We feel with both and the one that helps our liberation we'll thank but neither should forget that Macedonia belongs to the Macedonians." - Boris Sarafov, 1902
"In 1875 Pulevski published a 'Dictionary of Three Languages' (Macedonian, Albanian, and Turkish). In the introduction he wrote that 'a nation is the term for a people who have the same origin, who speak the same language...and who have the same customs, songs, and festivals...Thus the Macedonians are a nation, and Macedonia is their fatherland.' Several years later he founded a Macedonian literary society in Sofia, which was quickly suppressed by the Bulgarian authorities." 1
"According to a confidential report submitted to the Foreign Office at the end of World War II by Captain P.H. Evans, a British intelligence officer, the district of Florina was 'predominnantly a Slav region not a Greek one,' where Greek was regarded 'as almost a foreign language' and the Greeks were 'distrusted as something alien.' Evans emphasizes that 'the inhabitants of the area, just as they are not Greeks, are also not Bulgarians or Serbs or Croats. They are Macedonians.'" (Rossos 1991:293-294)
"The official policy of the Bulgarian state, ever since the first democratic elections of June 1990, has been to denounce the existence of a Macedonian minority. Thus the police have been given a free hand in suppressing all public manifestations of Macedonian identity. Moreover, the New Bulgarian Constitution of July 13, 1991, as well as the Political Parties Act provide for a discriminative ban against organizations and political parties on ethnic and/or religious basis." 2
"Bulgaria should recognize the Macedonian minority" - Krassimir Kranev, Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (Sega, May 15-21, 1997)
The following is a quote from the CIA World Factbook 1998 regarding Bulgaria's ethnic composition:
Ethnic groups: Bulgarian 85.3%, Turk 8.5%, Gypsy 2.6%, Macedonian 2.5%, Armenian 0.3%, Russian 0.2%, other 0.6%
The following are two quotes from Jorn Ivar Qvonje, Professor of Balkan Linguistics at the University of Copenhagen: 3
"The Macedonian language norm has been acknowledged by the Slavonic linguistics (with the exception of the Bulgarian linguists who until recently have kept the designation 'West-Bulgarian dialect'). In the highly respected 'Guide to the Slavonic Languages', London 1961 (p.797) by R.G.A. de Bray, the Macedonian language is treated on par with other Slavonic languages."
"A fine textbook in Macedonian is: V. Bojic & W. Oschlies: 'Lehrbuch der Mazedonischen Sprache', Munchen, 1984, Slavstische Beitrage nr. 175. A Macedonian - Russian dictionary was published in Moscow in 1963. It is therefore beyond doubt that the Macedonian language is accepted as an independent language by international linguists."
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Makedonski Icelenuchki Almanac 4
Minorities in BulgariaIn Bulgaria, in Pirin Macedonia, there was in 1919 a compact Macedonian population of about 250,000. Official Bulgarian policy and statistics following the Second World War showed different figures in different periods concerning the number of ethnic Macedonians in the country. The encyclopedic handbook Ethnic Minorities in Europe quotes data from the official censuses. In 1946 there were 300,000 people enumerated as Macedonians and in 1956 - 188,000. According to the sources quoted, in 1990 there were about 250,000 Macedonians living in Bulgaria. It is important to note that according to the 1956 census, when 187,789 inhabitants declared themselves as Macedonians, they constituted a majority in a large part of Pirin Macedonia. In the Blagoevgrad District alone, which comprised 281,015 inhabitants, 178,862, or 63.7% declared themselves as Macedonians. There are also many Macedonians living in Sofia and other parts of Bulgaria. In spite of all claims by Bulgaria to European orientation and the acceptance of European democratic values, during the 1992 population census the Macedonians were not allowed to declare their ethnic affiliation under a separate heading.
In a short period after 1947, the Macedonians living in Pirin Macedonia had schools in their mother tongue and their own theatre. More recently, Amnesty International, the Organization for International Human Rights, and Human Rights Watch/Helsinki have given documentary evidence about the situation there and about the violation of the individual and minority rights of the Macedonians.
The authorities have been refusing the registration of the Ilinden United Macedonian Organization and the Macedonian Democratic Party, although they fulfill all the necessary legal conditions. The 1995 U.S. Department of State report underlines "the Government's refusal since 1990 to register a Macedonian rights group, OMO Ilinden," and that this is a "restriction of the constitutional rights to express opinions and to associate". Police and judicial repression against the leaders and activists of OMO Ilinden and other Macedonian organizations is continuing. In order to prevent the celebration of anniversaries of historical events by the Macedonians in Pirin Macedonia, special police forces are used and even military manouevres are organized at that time.
In 1994 and 1995, the periodicals of the Macedonian organizations in Pirin Macedonia came under attack from the Public Prosecutor of Bulgaria. Several periodicals, including Makedonska Volja, however, continue to write openly on the discrimination against ethnic Macedonians in Bulgaria. An illustration of the extent of this discrimination is the expulsion from the Bulgarian Writer's Association of the writer Slave Makedonski, whose works have been translated into several world languages, owing to the fact that he has publicly declared his Macedonian ethnic affiliation. A number of writers, artists, and other individuals are harassed or denied access to jobs because of their Macedonian feeling.
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OMO Ilinden
The Pirin MountainsOMO (United Macedonian Organization) Ilinden is an organization of Macedonians in Pirin Macedonia that are dedicated to achieving cultural and human rights. It was established in November of 1989 during the fall of communism in Eastern Europe. As citizens of other countries were finally attaining their freedom, Bulgaria, along with Greece, remained determined to deny their minorities any rights. The Bulgarian government has consistently denied this group the right to register as a "legal" organization.
"In July 1990, OMO Ilinden applied for registration at the district court of Blagoevgrad but was turned down as the 'targets of the organization and the means of its attainment are directed against this nation's (Bulgaria) unity, and are aiming at spurring a national and ethnic hostility' (Bulgarian Telegraph Association, July 18, 1990) and the Blagoevgrad prosecutor warned that the leaders faced prosecution under Article 162 of the penal code which allows for up to six years imprisonment." 5
Other articles of the Criminal Code that are frequently used to prosecute Macedonians and other national minorities are Articles 108 and 109 which deal with "anti-state agitation and propaganda" and Article 39 of the People's Militia Law which "allows administrative punishment (that is without trial), which has reportedly been used to forcibly resettle members of the Macedonian ethnic minority in other areas of the country." 6
OSCE Human Rights Conference - Presentation by MHRMC
The following quotes are from the Macedonian Human Rights Movement of Canada, on behalf of OMO Ilinden, made at the OSCE Human Rights Conference in November, 1998 in Warsaw, Poland.
To read more about MHRMC's presentations at the conference regarding Bulgarian and Greek discrimination against ethnic Macedonians, please click here
The Current State of Bulgarian State Compliance with Its Obligations Respecting Freedom of Expression, Free Media and Information, Freedom of Association, and the Right of Peaceful Assembly
Freedom of Expression and Free Media
With respect to those citizens who identify themselves as Macedonians the Bulgarian government has and continues to place unlawful restrictions on a number of fundamental rights of these people. Whether it be through uneven application of laws which on their face do not seem to discriminate against the Macedonian minority, or through unlawful conduct of officials, the effect is the same: Macedonians in Bulgaria who choose to openly call themselves Macedonians suffer abuses of their human rights repeatedly. As regards freedom of expression and free media and information, for instance, the Macedonian human and minority rights organization, OMO-Ilinden has recently suffered the following outrageous act at the hands of the Bulgarian authorities.
On April 14 of this year, OMO-Ilinden began the publication of a newspaper which was intended to serve as a voice for its members and their concerns and interests. Just two days later, on 16, April, 1998 seven policemen broke up a meeting of this organization without a search warrant and after 8:00 p.m. (the latest time in which searches can be conducted legally). Notwithstanding the statement of police sergeant Krsomir Karonfil, that he was “sent by the authorities to come and search your organization’s headquarters and seize what is necessary,” when asked for evidence of his legal right to conduct such a search, he was unable to provide such evidence. Fearing violence, OMO-Ilinden members allowed the search to continue without any other protest, hoping that they could achieve some measure of relief after the fact through the court system. All equipment and supplies necessary to publish a newspaper (including what is for those in Bulgaria a particularly expensive item, a photocopier) were seized and, as of today (some six months later) have not been returned. Nor, subsequent OMO-Ilinden’s official complaint to the regional authority who oversees these kinds of searches, and to the highest military authority in Sofia, has there been a response to the complaints lodged.
In addition to forcibly restricting the right of OMO-Ilinden to publish its own newspaper, the government of Bulgaria uses, or permits others in the private sphere to use, the media to discredit the legitimacy of OMO-Ilinden and, by extension, the central tenet of the organization: the existence and significance of the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria. OMO-Ilinden is either portrayed as a fringe organization of mentally unstable people (the implication being, to believe you are Macedonian in Bulgaria must mean you are insane) or as a terrorist organization responsible for a whole range of criminal activity (implying that only criminals call themselves Macedonians). Examples are very numerous. In all cases, despite the government’s direct or indirect involvement of the promulgation of untruths about OMO- Ilinden, the organization is, perhaps not surprisingly, forbidden access to the same media for purposes of rebuttal. Furthermore, when OMO-Ilinden has attempted to seek redress through the courts, they are denied standing at the first stage and a court-derived remedy is denied them.
Following are specific examples of comments made in the following newspapers: 24 Chassa, Trut, 168 Chassa, Duma, Makedonje, Struma and Pirin News:
OMO Ilinden threatens regional journalist with death - Struma April 24, 1994
OMO Ilinden prepares to kill journalist - Struma June 6, 1994
OMO Ilinden stole TV equipment of German news crew - Pirinski Delo August 2, 1994
Bomb threats attributed to OMO Ilinden - Struma June 24, 1994
psychopaths from the Macedonian disease - Mariana Cvetoslavova in 168 Chassa October 4, 1998
OMO Ilinden members are lunatics and psychopaths - Anatoly Velichkov, Member of Bulgarian Parliament in 168 Chassa October 4, 1993
OMO Ilinden needs psychotherapy - Crsomir Kanakachana, President, VMRO and Member of Bulgarian Parliament in 24 Chass September 4, 1998
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