The Macedonian Digest

From the readers for the readers

Edition 70 October 2011
======oOo======

Editors Notes
Our Name is Macedonia www.mhrmi.org/our_name_is_macedonia

Feature Stories
Macedonia's prime minister - A profile of Gruevski
Aug 12th 2011 , 16:53 by T.J. http://www.economist.com/blogs/easternapproaches/2011/08/macedonias-prime-minister On July 28th "European Voice", the Economist's sister EU-affairs newspaper, published my profile of Nikola Gruevski , Macedonia 's prime minister. With the odd adjustment for style, here it is. MACEDONIANS either love him or loathe him. To his detractors, Nikola Gruevski, who was confirmed as prime minister for a third term on July 28th, is corrupt, a populist, a ruthless Machiavellian and an enemy of a free media. No, no, no, say his supporters. He is as clean as a whistle, modest, the scourge of tax-dodging tycoons and a family-values man to his core. The divisiveness of the dominant figure in Macedonian politics is not simply a matter of domestic concern. Macedonia has been a candidate for membership of the European Union since 2005, was close to civil war a decade ago, and has been embroiled in a bitter conflict with Greece over its name for almost 20 years. Born in 1970, Mr Gruevski was brought up in a family that was neither privileged nor poor. His father worked in furniture and design; his mother was a nurse and, after his parents divorce, it was she who brought him up. When he was four, she went to work in Libya , like thousands of other Macedonians, and took him with her. That was a brief episode in a childhood in which the young Gruevski dreamt of being a doctor, a footballer or a cosmonaut. One thing he says he did not think about much was politicsor, for that matter, the story of his paternal family. His father was born in northern Greece ; his grandfather, mobilised by the Greek army, was killed fighting the Italians in Albania after Italy s invasion in 1941. Then, in the wake of Greece s civil war, like thousands of other Slavs in Greek Macedonia the family fled north to what was then Yugoslav Macedonia. Maybe this is an emotional component of the story of the struggle with Greece ? No, says Mr Gruevski; until recently he was never that interested in the story. Nor, he says, did he feel especially moved when he visited the ancestral village in 2001. The young Gruevskis family did not talk much about politics, with one exception. Jordan Miljakov, his uncle, talked about politics all the time. Mr Mijalkov was the representative of a Macedonian textile firm in the then Czechoslovakia . When Yugoslavia began collapsing, Mr Gruevski thought of joining his uncle and going to film school there.

He opted, instead, for economics at home. And Mr Mijalkov became the first interior minister in the government that led Macedonia to independence in 1991. Mr Mijalkovs memory is cherished by many. It was he who ordered the seizure of Yugoslav army documents, which meant that the army could not mobilise Macedonians to fight in Croatia . Soon afterwards, he was killed in a suspicious car accident in Serbia . The incident did not force Mr Gruevski into political activism, but he did hang out with members of the nationalist party that he now leads, whose name is so long that even its initials are laborious: VMRO-DPMNE. After university, where he dabbled in amateur dramatics and boxing, Mr Gruevski entered the nascent finance sector and was the first person to trade on Skopjes stock exchange. In 1996, he entered politics, becoming a local councillor in the capital. The next year he began writing on economics. This was how he first made a name as an economist. In 1998, he was minister of trade, and in 1999 became minister of finance. Today, say the name "Gruevski" and one might think of the giant bronze statue of Alexander the Great that has just been unveiled in Skopje, or all the other statues of saints and politicians that are being erected every week as part of a policy of boosting national identity. But a few years ago it was different. This was the man who began deregulating the economy, introduced VAT, a flat tax and restituted property taken by the communists. In many respects, Mr Gruevski was, for his party, the right man in the right place at the right time. With communism gone and Macedonia independent, the technocratic, English-speaking Mr Gruevski was just the type the party needed to refresh itself. But few would have expected the economics-focused whizz-kid to outsmart his opponents, come to lead his party, and win three elections in a row. The first years after he became prime minister in 2006 were characterized by growth and a focus on the economy. Then came the 2008 Bucharest NATO summit at which Greece effectively vetoed Macedonia s accession, because of the name issue. I was shocked, says Mr Gruevski. From then on, the focus changed, a shift perhaps also encouraged by the world economic crisis. Unemployment now stands at 31.7%. Mr Gruevski played the national card and won. Many Macedonians have literally wept with joy to see the statue of Alexander, but for Macedonia s socialist opposition Mr Gruevski is the devil incarnate. Take the case of A1 television. A1 was a beacon of the free media, they say, and now it has been virtually killed off for its criticism of Mr Gruevski. Three newspapers from the same group have just closed their doors. Nonsense, says Mr Gruevskis camp: Velija Ramkovski, the owner, never paid his taxes and then used A1 and its journalists as a human shield when raided by the police. Some non-partisans are unconvinced. When it comes to power he is a boxer, says one source, and he wont stand in the way of people taking out opposition media. He is vindictive and when it comes to the media he is totally selective when it comes to implementing the law. For such delicate issues, the prime minister needs someone he can really trust, they sayand they point out that the countrys security chief is Mr Gruevskis cousin, Saso Mijalkov, the son of Jordan Mijalkov. And Greece ? After the Bucharest summit, Mr Gruevski launched a case against it at the International Court of Justice. But, he says, the chances of a deal in this complex issue are much better than before. He gets on with George Papandreou, Greece s prime minister; he and Papandreous predecessor, Kostas Karamanlis, detested each other. He has had more success with Macedonia s ethnic-Albanian population, which makes up about a quarter of the countrys 2m people. Ten years ago, Macedonia teetered on the brink of an all-

out civil war pitting ethnic Albanian guerrillas against the security forces. Now Mr Gruevski is in coalition with Ali Ahmeti, the former leader of those guerrillas. The new government has an Albanian minister of defence and deputy prime minister in charge of European integration. Both Albanians and Macedonians grumble, but as one EU official remarks: Wed kill for a government like that in Bosnia . The price for this second coalition, though, was somewhat distasteful: four war-crimes cases against Albanians have been set aside. Nikola is just Nikola, chortles a friend. Ordinary people can identify with him, he is like the bloke next doorand he is literally that, because he disdains his official residence, preferring to live in his small flat, with his wife and two small children. And, notes the friend, to win so many elections he must be doing something right, after all.

Eurobasket - Skopje rejoices as Macedonia stuns Greece

Sat, 03 Sep 21:54:00 2011 http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/030920...un-greece.html Macedonia produced their second successive shock of the European Championship with an emotional 72-58 win over Greece, sparking big celebrations in the former Yugoslav republic's capital Skopje. Finland, playing in their first major event since the Eurobasket in 1995, also upset Bosnia 92-64 while Slovenia struggled for three quarters against Georgia before pulling away in the final period to register an 87-75 success. Croatia beat Montenegro 87-81 and Russia's reserve shooting guard Vitaliy Fridzon enjoyed a memorable evening as he led his team to a 79-58 thrashing of Belgium with 22 points. Macedonia, having lost to double European champions Greece by 32 points at the 2009 European Championship, pulled off the biggest surprise of the tournament so far after showing how much they had improved in Thursday's 78-76 win over Croatia. Led by American-born point guard Bo McCalebb, who scored a game-high 27 points, the Macedonians blew away their bigger neighbours as centre Pero Antic added 12 points and eight rebounds for the winners. "We played in a state of trance and our defending was quite simply fantastic. This win means a lot to us because we have given the whole nation a huge lift," Macedonia coach Marin Dokuzovski said. "I am sure the whole of Macedonia will celebrate tonight but we can't get carried away because we have a difficult game against Finland who have also proved their worth," he added. About 5,000 people, sporting national flags and setting off fireworks, gathered in Skopje's central square to celebrate and more were expected to arrive during the night.

Macedonia has strained political ties with Greece because of a dispute over the former Yugoslav republic's name, which is the same as a province in northern Greece where Alexander the Great was born. Many fans who descended on the square said beating Greece meant more to them than the unlikely prospect of winning the 24-team tournament in Lithuania, which Macedonia entered as rank outsiders. "I am a Macedonian expatriate living in Australia on holiday here and when I go back I will give my Greek friends more banter than they can possibly take," 40-year old Tome Tomevski told Reuters. "We argue over politics all the time but there will be no dispute over this because our boys played them off the court. "As far as I am concerned, they don't have to win another match," he said. "They can return home tonight to join the party which appears set to last until the morning." There was also plenty of joy for the Finns, who rekindled their own hopes of reaching the second group stage after five players finished with double scoring figures against Bosnia. Point guard Mikko Koivisto scored 17, playmaker Petteri Koponen had 14, centre Gerald Lee added 12 while forwards Hanno Mottola and Tuukka Kotti hauled 10 each to cancel out a good solo effort by Bosnia's Henry Domercant, who put on 25 points. Croatia stayed on course to reach the second group stage, featuring two groups of six, after centre Ante Tomic scored 26 points to fend off a spirited challenge by neighbours and fellow former Yugoslavs Montenegro. Point guard Marko Popovic added 23 points for the Croatians, who joined Greece and Macedonia at the top of Group C with a 2-1 record, ahead of Finland, Montenegro and Bosnia who have one win and two defeats each. Slovenia and Russia have three wins out of three in Group D while Ukraine registered their first with a 67-59 victory over Bulgaria. Reuters

First loss for Greece in the Eurobasket - FYROM beats the national team by 14 points
By George Georgakopoulos http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite5_9363_03/09/2011_404743 Greece suffered a 14-point defeat in the hands of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on September 3, the national teams first loss in this European Championship. FYROM won 72-58 to rise to the top of the groups table, along with Greece , having beaten both of the pools favorites, Greece and Croatia .

The Greeks seemed somewhat distracted from the propaganda war of their opponents (Skai radio reported that their government paid for fans to travel to Lithuania and sport flags and scarves with the name Macedonia and the star of Vergina on them) and were unexpectedly negative in attack. FYROM had Bob McCalebb in a great day, scoring 27 points, as the Greek defence Nick Calathes and Nikos Zisis in particular could not contain him. What is more, the insistence on three-point shots despite a terrible scoring rate proved disastrous, as the Greek attack could not translate its dominance in rebounds into more points. This first ever loss to FYROM may have no more consequences than the Greek prestige hurt, but is showing that the team of coach Ilias Zouros still has long way to go before it resembles the side that six years ago won the Eurobasket and reached the World Championship final by beating the US in 2006. Captain Antonis Fotsis was Greece s top scorer with 16 points, while Yiannis Bourousis had 10 points and 10 rebounds. The next game for Greece is against Montenegro on September 4.

MP Karygiannis accused of berating civil servants

By CBC News, cbc.ca, Updated: August 26, 2011 6:49 PM http://news.ca.msn.com:80/top-stories/mp-karygiannis-accused-of-berating-civil-servants Controversial Liberal MP Jim Karygiannis is the focus of complaints from Canadian government officials over allegedly verbally abusive behaviour, CBC News has learned. Immigration officials have complained that Karygiannis, the MP for Ontario's ScarboroughAgincourt riding, has used what they call unparliamentary language on multiple occasions in dealing with staff and takes an aggressive tone with civil servants. Reached by CBC News, Karygiannis said he suspects there is an orchestrated campaign to smear him. "I've had a good working relationship with the civil servants going back to 1988. I can probably get things done that a lot of other members [of Parliament] cannot get done because I contact them and say I need your help, and the help is always there," he said. "You don't get re-elected time and time again because of the work that you do if you don't look after your constituents. And people will not look after you and not be helping you if you're not nice to them." A spokeswoman for Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney wouldn't confirm the complaints. She pointed to an incident at a House of Commons committee meeting in 2009 when Karygiannis accused a departmental official of not wanting to admit black immigrants into Canada. "We cannot release details of Mr. Karygianniss interactions with departmental officials without his consent," Candice Malcolm wrote in an email.

"It is already public that Minister Kenney wrote a letter to the chair of the Citizenship and Immigration committee after Mr. Karygiannis was verbally abusive toward CIC officials when they appeared to answer questions. "We expect anyone dealing with civil servants, especially members of Parliament, to show the same level of respect and decorum with which they would want to be treated. Yelling and/or use of profane language toward civil servants by members of Parliament is not acceptable. History of controversial remarks Karygiannis, the Liberal party's multiculturalism critic, is hosting 19 cultural groups this weekend for meetings in Ottawa with Liberal MPs to talk about issues they face. But some major cultural groups in Canada are boycotting the meetings and demanding Karygiannis be forced out of his portfolio, alleging he holds controversial views that make him unsuitable for the job. The groups point to statements made by Karygiannis that they say make him an offensive pick. CBC News has obtained a letter from B'Nai Brith Canada, a leading Jewish group, as well as press releases from Macedonian, Turkish and Chinese groups, demanding Liberal Interim Leader Bob Rae replace Karygiannis in his role. Rae wasn't available Friday for interviews. The letter and statements are, in part, in support of complaints by the Macedonian Human Rights Movement International, who noted a 2011 event in Toronto where Karygiannis used a derogatory word to describe Macedonians. Karygiannis says he was referring to a term that's used in Greece to describe Macedonians from the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. "The Macedonians of FYROM in Greece are referred to as Skopjans. That's a statement which is true. That's how they're referred to," Karygiannis said. He's also championed causes that have split cultural communities, including successfully pushing Parliament to pass a motion that "acknowledges the Armenian genocide of 1915 and condemns this act as a crime against humanity." Karygiannis says he's willing to sit down with anyone and talk. "If they don't like it, then they will say OK, let's do a number on Jim. Well, that's fine. But my motto is respect, accept, celebrate and embrace." Anita Bromberg, general counsel for B'nai Brith Canada, says the organization is concerned about some of the positions Karygiannis has taken.

"Our point today is that multiculturalism is a call for a united front, for bringing communities together ... where he's been so divisive in the positions he's taken, then we are suggesting to the Liberal Party that they reconsider whether he's the best representative of putting forth that aim."

Not another BIG Greek Lie?

Growing up in Greece as a foreigner from USSR
September 4, 2011 by Guest Writers http://wiredandready.net/2011/09/04/ussr/#more-987 Editors Note: The Author is a personal friend and her post has been edited and directed by me. It is a bit caustic but at the same time is illuminating. How a foreigner from Eastern Europe experienced Greece while growing up. She wants to remain anonymous. I have never blogged before and I want to apologize if this post doesnt meet the blog readers strident criteria. I was browsing the internet this week and I accidentally came upon this blog and one article caught my attention. I asked Stefanos whether I could share my opinion with the readers and I was granted the privilege. I am originally from Russia and I was born in the early 80s. I was unlucky to be born behind the iron curtain in a true soviet-communist environment but at the same time lucky enough to witness its destruction. At school during those years we were fed propaganda: USSR is the best country and tries to liberate poor countries from the evil clutches of Capitalism, USA is evil, Capitalism bad (you know the usual) and we had no idea what was going on in the world, other than what the teachers told us. When USSR collapsed, my dad brought our family to Greece to start anew. For us it was paradise. A rich country in the EU that enjoyed the freedoms and prosperity the western world shared. It was a difficult transition since I spoke no Greek (or English) and I had a rough time during high school. But I was elated. I immediately started using the internet and I started reading about the world and the developments going on those years. Access to information was a right not allowed during communist rule. I couldnt believe how may lies we were fed and how they wanted to control us through propaganda. Before I started my life in Greece I was thinking how great it would be since they had the choice to do anything they wanted without a secret police spreading fear. The more I was growing up the more disillusioned I became. First of all most Greeks are intolerant or not receptive to foreigners. I was ostracized as a foreigner at the public school I attended. I didnt care about that a lot. I cared though about students or teachers going on strike and our school not functioning. The teaching standards were very low (one advantage of the USSR was the high quality of teaching, even though with the propaganda), cheating was common. Another problem was the propaganda the teachers were trying to spread. I was so hurt by the lies at the Russian elementary school that I developed an allergy to any kind of

propaganda. Most students didnt care about their academic future but only on how to escape school one more day or go for a smoke. After doing great at the national exams (I had became fluent in Greek) I got the right to attend a university in Greece . If I was disappointed with Greece by then at 20 (I had to start at a younger class high school) but the situation inside the universities (and outside) that disappointment would a light description. I do not know where to begin and where to stop. Lectures were attended by fewer than 20 people out of a class size of more than 200. Professors were sometimes coming late or ignoring their lectures. Other times their assistants were doing the lectures. Exams were filled with cheaters who were not punished (or even caught). More students never came to any lectures, they were smoking during lessons. If that was a temple to knowledge then Greeks had desecrated it. And desecrating they were, pillaging, destroying it. When something is given away for free people do not treat like theirs. Political parties at the universities were more interested in boosting their memberships than for any particular ideology or objective I remember I was approached by the communist youth, only because I was Russian. I had never (Nor have I yet) met so many slimy people all under one roof. At least in communist countries political parties are illegal. Those parties were always on a race who would close down the university. I missed two exam periods and I didnt have the luxury to lose any more. I was working at the same time to make ends meet. I took a decision that until now has proved the best one I have made. I want to pause and congratulate to all young Greeks who failed to enter the Greek AEI. It will only do you good. I decided to cut my losses and move and study abroad. I didnt want to become a public employee and I really wanted to learn my science, instead of getting a worthless piece of paper. Studying abroad let me enjoy responsibly my life. It was tougher but also worth it. Now I work for an MNC (Multi National Company) out from Russia and I am responsible for South East Europe. I still come to Greece since it is part of the markets I am responsible for, I also come for vacations. I want to feel sorry for Greeks but their failure is 100% theirs. At least we Russians we had communism forced upon us, Greeks have no valid excuse. Greeks are very insular and close minded people who they have a god given right over others just because their ancestors created the Parthenon. In Greece there is no respect for things they do not like. Rules have no validity and people try to come up with excuses why they wont obey the law. I was in Athens for a business meeting and I went out for dinner with my Greek co-workers. I was notified that the law had changed and it was forbidden to smoke outside. One Greek co-worker of mine asked for an ashtray and started enjoying a cigarette. His excuse was that it is not his fault but the shopkeepers since it was he who gave him the ash tray. As a person who came to this country loving it, trying to escape a repressive regime, I wanted to love my new home 100%. Now I do not. Greek politicians treat foreigners as a political chip. Greek universities produce a majority of unskilled army of youth. Yes there are great Greeks, with a good heart, good education and great skills. But you wont find them in Greece , they have escaped the vortex.

Last but not least, Greeks have a tendency to riot/protest against everything. For example even now the students (who will be the biggest beneficiaries by reforming the rotten universities) are resisting change. I really cannot understand the average Greek. The ignorance Greeks have about reality is incredible. Greeks love this bubble of theirs where everything that happens and doesnt agree with their view of the world, is a conspiracy orchestrated by some unknown foreign power. In Greece there is too much liberty, that it breaches onto other people freedoms. When you close down traffic to make a point you are infringing on my freedom too, you pig! Probably my experience in the USSR helped me form a critical mind and question everything. Greek society is nothing close to the Soviet society but they share one thing in common, a big elite part of the state who has it easier than the rest. There is no way people who have experienced communism to be in favor of it. On the contrary Ex-communists are the biggest opponents of it. The only ones who talk about communism and its rotten ideology are people who have no idea what communism is really about. Seriously you need to be retarded (or brainwashed to support it). I know from first hand and my social circle that whomever could, has already left Greece for abroad. I know what the country is going through. Eastern Europe went through this transition in the 90s. The best and the brightest have left, only the true left wingers have remained. What a pity. PS if Greece wants a better future it should go through communism. Thats the only solution to do the reforms it needs without KKE and any other leftwing organization brining the country to its knees every week.

The Byronic look: overweight and unattractive

http://www.guardian.co.uk:80/books/2011/aug/26/lord-byron-unattractive-poser BBC series on Regency Britain paints an unflattering portrait of 'self-regarding poser' Lord Byron Mark Brown, arts correspondent - guardian.co.uk, Friday 26 August 2011 15.52 BST When a man is noted for his Byronic looks he is generally chuffed dark, handsome, attractively unavailable. Slightly morose, it's true, but in a sexy way. The reality though should now be amended to overweight, not at all attractive and thoroughly unpleasant. Or, as historian Lucy Worsley puts it: "Self-regarding poser." Worsley, chief curator at Historic Royal Palaces, believes that the word Byronic is bandied around without people really knowing what it means. She makes her claim in her new three-part series on Regency Britain made for BBC4.

"Byron certainly wasn't born a Regency pin-up," she said. "He made himself into one through very careful manipulation of his image." That Byron had a serious weight problem became obvious when the filmmakers visited Berry Brothers wine merchants in St James where, 200 years ago, the poet would weigh himself on enormous scales along with his fellow dandies. There are still ledgers recording the results and the 5ft 8in (1.73m), 18-year-old Byron weighs in at a hefty 13st 12lbs (88kg), which the programme makers are classing as "borderline obese" because he had his boots on. Byron went to great efforts to lose his weight, such as playing cricket with seven waistcoats and a great coat on and going to steam rooms to sweat it off. And to be fair, Worsley said, he was down to 9st 11lbs when he was 23. Byron also suffered from a problem foot from childhood resulting in a life long limp. "He would not waltz," said Worsley. "He could not be seen on the dance floor as it would be contrary to his dignity. He wouldn't let his girlfriend, Lady Caroline Lamb, waltz either if he couldn't do it." Of course, in portraits he looks handsome, not least in the famous Thomas Phillips painting with Byron in Albanian dress which is in the National Portrait Gallery. But that was all part of his studious manipulation of his image. "There were images that he would not allow to be reproduced in his books of poetry because he looked too boyish," said Worsley. "He wanted to look theatrical and dramatic. "There are lots of images where he looks like a pallid, slightly podgy young man. Just not impressive." His poetry of course struck a huge chord in Regency Britain and he became very famous, very quickly, known for his scandalous behaviour. "I think he enjoyed being a little bit 'mad, bad and dangerous' to know, as Lady Caroline called him." Any redeeming features about Byron are heavily offset by his appalling abuse of the opposite sex. "What he did to women was dreadful getting them pregnant and stealing their kids from them," said Worlsey. " I don't admire him at all." The series begins on Monday on BBC4 and Byron features in the third episode. It covers much of the excess of Regency Britain, not least of the Prince Regent himself. The makers visit Brighton Pavilion where there is a replica of one of his corsets and a pair of his 54-

inch waist breeches. But, Worsley adds, this was a man described as "having for breakfast two pigeons, three beef steaks, a glass of brandy and some champagne."

British document shows Greek plan to invade stanbul

22 August 2011 http://www.todayszaman.com/news-2546...-istanbul.html A newly released book titled ngiliz Yllk Raporlarnda Trkiye: 1922 (Turkey in Annual British Reports: 1922), part of a series of the same name by Marmara University history professor Ali Satan, includes a document drafted by the then-British high commissioner in stanbul indicating that the Greek army had planned to invade the city in July 1922. According to the document, written by British High Commissioner Nevile Henderson , Greece asked the allied powers for permission to invade stanbul and was denied this approval on July 31, 1922 . The British government along with France and Italy showed no tolerance for the plan and stopped Greece from realizing its ambition. Great Britain recalled its fleet located in the Mediterranean to stanbul to show its determination in line with the other great powers to stop Greek troops from entering the capital city of the Ottoman Empire , which was occupied by the allied powers at the time. Henderson stated in his report that the assignment of Georgios Hatzanestis as commander-inchief of the Greek Army in Asia Minor instead of Anastasios Papoulas in May 1922 was the first step in the occupation plan. Hatzanestis was known as a radical and a hawk in comparison to his colleague. Henderson indicated the attack on Samsun was a pre-strike prepared by the Greeks to facilitate the implementation of the occupation plan. According to Henderson , the march of four Greek divisions to stanbul was a very stupid move that was designed to restore the morale of Greek soldiers and thus weaken and demoralize the enemy by directly capturing the capital city. The occupation plan failed roughly a month before the last big battle, which took place between the Turkish and Greek armies on Aug. 26. Ali Satan addresses the significance of the document by implying that if the Greek army had succeeded in invading and occupying stanbul, the Turkish army would have had to fight to take stanbul back before fighting for zmir.

From the International Scene

Turkey, minorities, and the 1936 declaration
http://www.charismanews.com/world/31...ous-properties The Turkish government made a historic U-turn in state policy this past weekend, issuing an official decree inviting Turkey s Christian and Jewish communities to reclaim their longconfiscated religious properties. The Aug. 27 decree comes 75 years after the Turkish government seized hundreds of lands and

buildings owned by its Greek, Armenian, Syriac and Jewish communities. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the surprise decision on Sunday in Istanbul , addressing a large gathering of Istanbul s non-Muslim religious leaders representing 161 minority foundations. Invited as the honored guest for an iftar (breaking the fast) meal near the end of the Muslim month of Ramadan, Erdogan declared, The times when citizens in our country were oppressed for their beliefs, their ethnic heritage or the way they dressed is over. Acknowledging past injustices inflicted on those of different faith groups, he vowed, Those days are over. In our country, no citizen is superior to another. Seated next to the prime minister at the dinner, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of the Greek Orthodox Church told the press afterwards that the new decree represented the restoration of an injustice. In a deliberate clarification the next day, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu emphasized that the governments formal decision was not a gesture toward minorities, but the return of the rights of legally equal citizens. The landmark decree is a significant step toward eliminating decades of unfair practices imposed by the Turkish state against its non-Muslim citizens. Within hours of the surprise announcement, the boards of Turkey s minority religious foundations in Istanbul were scrambling to review the status of their confiscated immovable properties. They must apply within the next 12 months to the General Foundations Board to recover each individual property. Their former holdings include schools, churches, cemeteries, stores, hospitals, orphanages, houses, apartment buildings and factories that were seized by the Turkish state and re-registered as public or foundation properties. A number were later sold to third parties. Previous changes in Turkish legislation enacted in 2003 and again in 2008 took only limited steps to correct a 1936 Declaration which had officially registered an incomplete list of minority properties. A further ruling in 1974 had prohibited non-Muslim communities from acquiring new property. The new decree states that owners of properties sold by the state to third parties will be reimbursed at market value. According to Radikal newspaper, the Ministry of Finance will determine the amount of compensation for property that had been sold to third parties, who will not be required to relinquish these lands or buildings back to their original owners. Significant Step to EU The return of these extensive properties to their rightful owners has been a key demand of the European Union, to which Turkey is applying for full membership. The unexpected government decree came after rising pressures from the European Court of

Human Rights (ECHR), which has slapped heavy fines on Turkey in recent years for failing to return these seized properties to their Christian and Jewish owners. Although the ECHR has declared the expropriations a violation of both local property rights and international law, Turkish nationalists had for decades blocked any legal changes. During July, both the EU and United States congressional leaders had upped their rhetoric regarding the long unresolved issues of religious freedom for Turkey s non-Muslim citizens. In a statement on July 13, EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule cited a number of legislative issues on religious freedom that Turkey had not yet implemented: lack of legal personality, restrictions on the training of clergy, compulsory Islamic education, religious affiliation on identity cards and property ownership. Missionaries are widely perceived as a threat to the integrity of the country and to the Muslim religion, Fule added, observing that the dialogue launched by the Turkish authorities with nonMuslim religious communities has yet to produce tangible results. That same month, Ankara reacted strongly to a measure passed by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives calling for Turkey to return stolen Armenian and other Christian churches to their rightful owners. Still pending approval by both the House and Senate, the amendment was attached to the State Departments Authorization Act for 2012. In an EU statement yesterday, Fule called the decree positive and conducive to the respect of freedom of religion in practice. He cautioned, however, that the EU Commission would monitor closely the implementation of the new legislation, in contact with both the Turkish authorities and the non-Muslim religious communities. Ironically, the Istanbul offices of the Secretariat General for EU Affairs are situated in a former grade school building of the Greek Orthodox Ayios Fokas Church in Ortakoy. A case to reclaim this property, formerly owned by the churchs Mektepler Foundation, is still before the ECHR. The minority properties expected to be returned in Istanbul include more than 50 large cemeteries; several properties of the Jewish community in Kandilli, on the Asian side of the Bosphorus; and a number of buildings owned by both the Surp Pirgic Armenian Hospital Foundation and the Balikli Greek Hospital Foundation.

Concerns
Taliban targets descendants of Alexander the Great
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/6214794/Taliban-targets-descendants-of-Alexander-theGreat.html#.TkkBlyXHGQk.email For centuries, the blond-haired, blue-eyed people of the Kalash tribes of North West Pakistan have lived a libertine lifestyle. The group, believed to be descendants of Alexander the Great's invading army, were shielded from conservative Islam by the steep slopes of their remote valleys.

While Sikhs, Hindus, and Christians were slowly driven out of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province by Muslim militants, the Kalash were free to drink their own distilled spirits and smoke cannabis. But the militant maulanas of the Taliban have finally caught up with them and declared war on their culture and heritage by kidnapping their most devoted supporter. Taliban commanders have taken Professor Athanasion Larounis, a Greek aid worker who has generated 2.5 million in donations to build schools, clinics, clean water projects and a museum. They are now demanding 1.25 million and the release of three militant leaders in exchange for his safe return.

According to local police, it was Professor Larounis's dedication to preserving Kalasha culture that Taliban commanders in Nuristan, on the Afghan side of the border that made him a target. Confirmation of the Taliban's role in his kidnapping came as their leader Mullah Omar urged American and Nato leaders to learn from the history of Alexander the Great's invasion of Afghanistan and his defeat by Pushtun tribesmen in the 4BC. He was kidnapped on Sep 8, when five masked Taliban broke into the three storey museum where he was living, killed a policeman guarding the building, tied a teacher to a post and grabbed the professor from his bed. Ajmeer Kalash, a Kalash teacher who witnessed the incident, said he had saved his own life by pretending to be a Muslim. "I did not understand their language and they did not understand mine. I tried to make them understand in Urdu language that I'm a teacher at the school." He said the men asked for his religion and "I told them that I'm a Muslim by reciting Kalma, though I'm a Kalash." "They brought out the Greek national and they opened fire at his police guard. The policeman died on the spot. They took me and the Greek citizen to the forest. There they tied my hands to a tree and left me there and went away," he said. Locals said the professor had been visiting the area since 1994 when he first came as a tourist and fell in love with the area's unique culture and its people's links to his own in Greece and Macedonia. Today there are an estimated 3,000 Kalasha left in three remote and steep valleys in Chitral in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province. The children wear their hair in orthodox Jewish-style

ringlets and sport bright coloured topi hats. The women occasionally have tattooed faces, wear long black robes with coloured embroidery. The Kalash are known as 'Black Kafirs' to local Muslims who regard them, and their women in particular, as immoral. They are scornful of their festivals and rituals, which include a rite of passage in which a prepubescent boy is fattened in the mountains over a summer and then when he returns is allowed to have sex with any woman he chooses. Married Kalash women are able to elope with other men if the object of their desire accepts a written proposal and agrees to may double her dowry to the abandoned husband often in cows. Professor Larounis, who is believed to have been living in the Kalash Valleys with his wife, had generated around two and a half million pounds in aid for 20 projects in the Kalash Valleys, including clean water schemes, and the museum in Broon village in Bumburet. Since his kidnapping Kalash women have demonstrated for his release, while elders have travelled to Nuristan to try to negotiate with his kidnappers.

Choices
Viewing cable 06ATHENS784, GREEK REACTION TO HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs http://wikileaks.org:80/cable/2006/03/06ATHENS784.html

Reference ID 06ATHENS784

Created 2006-03-22 14:30

Released 2011-08-26 00:00

Classification UNCLASSIFIED

Origin Embassy Athens

VZCZCXRO8087 RR RUEHAG RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHTH #0784/01 0811430 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 221430Z MAR 06 FM AMEMBASSY ATHENS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4861 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ATHENS 000784 SIPDIS SIPDIS EUR/SE, DRL/CDA FOR DELL, EUR/PPD FOR TEAL

E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PGOV KPAO GR HRIGHTS SUBJECT: GREEK REACTION TO HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT ENTIRE TEXT IS UNCLASSIFIED. 1. SUMMARY: The release of the 2005 Human Rights Report (HRR) received wide coverage in most major Greek media and a range of reactions from post's human rights contacts. More than fourteen print articles factually conveyed the report's account of human rights abuses occurring in Greece, but saved space to criticize the U.S. as well. A number of stories, especially broadcast news, noted that the report on Turkey was more critical than the report on Greece. Two Slavo-Macedonian minority groups issued press releases criticizing the terminology used to describe them. A Ministry of Foreign Affairs representative called the report "factual and neutral," and one of Greece's most active and prolific human rights NGOs praised the report as "the most comprehensive ever." END SUMMARY. Journalists Grill Poloffs ------------------------2. Shortly after the report was released in Washington on March 8, poloffs held an on-the-record press briefing attended by nine journalists from major Greek dailies. The journalists bluntly questioned the report's criticism of government policies and actions towards Roma, TIP victims, asylum seekers, immigrants and Jews, giving poloffs the opportunity to discuss key issues in detail, as well as explain how the report is researched and drafted. One reporter challenged the section of the report that highlighted desperate housing conditions and inadequate schooling for Roma -- an issue, she said, that the U.S. "obviously doesn't understand." She went on to explain how we misinterpret Greek idioms for anti-Semitism, illustrating that no harm is meant when "thrifty Greeks" are referred to as "Jews." Several journalists questioned whether we were officially "recognizing minorities" (namely the Slavo-Macedonians) by listing self-identified minorities in the report. Mentioning both Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib, reporters questioned U.S. credibility to draft the HRR. PA guidance left poloffs well positioned to explain how the USG actively addresses human rights issues at Guantanamo and share our mutual concern over, and response to, the prison abuses in Iraq. Press Focuses Turkey Report Being Worse that Greece Report --------------------------------------------- ------------3. At least 12 major Greek outlets and numerous regional papers, as well as most evening broadcast news covered the release of the report. Most print articles detailed the human rights abuses from the report's summary, mentioned the self-identified minority groups listed in the report, and quoted poloff statements on Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo. Most print articles had a negative slant; some called the report

"unflattering" and the U.S. "presumptuous" to have written it. Apoyevmatini, however, spun the story positively in "Kudos by the U.S. to Greece," citing that the GoG "generally respected the human rights of its citizens" and detailing improvements mentioned in the report. The broadcast news gave short, factual articles of the Greece report, with nearly equal coverage of the report on Turkey. The report on Turkey was described as more severe than the one on Greece, and press highlighted the problems of the Greek minority and Ecumenical Patriarchate. The ANA Daily News Bulletin carried side-by-side stories entitled "Greece Respects Human Rights, US State Dept Says" and "State Dept...Slams Turkey on Patriarchate." MFA and NGO Find the Report "Factual" and "Comprehensive" --------------------------------------------- -----------4. Greg Vassiloconstandakis, U.S. desk officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told poloff that he and Greek Ambassador to the U.S. Mallias were "happy" with the content and tone of the report. Specifically, he commented that the report was factual and that the inclusion of more statistics and figures made the report "more vivid, for better or worse." He thought the word "minority" was used neutrally and factually and said that the inclusion of improvements in the country's human rights record were "appreciated." There was no public mention of the report by any ministry. Greece's most active and prolific human rights NGO, Greek Helsinki Monitor, praised the new summary format, called the report "the most comprehensive ever," and expressed hope that it would get the attention of the government "for all that it says." Macedonian Minority Criticize Terminology, Praise Content --------------------------------------------- -----------5. The Macedonian Human Rights Movement International (MHRMI), based in Toronto, issued a press release March 10 expressing its "profound disapproval" of the State Department's "systematic policy of questioning the legitimacy of the Macedonian minority in Greece" by the report's use of ATHENS 00000784 002 OF 002

the terms 'Slavophones' to describe the people and 'Slavo-Macedonian' or 'Slavic dialect' to refer to their language (rather than as 'Macedonian'). The March 16 press release of the Florina-based Rainbow Party, a minor Macedonian political party in the Greek province of Macedonia, praised specific references to human rights violations against the minority, including European Court of Human Rights judgments against Greece. However the Rainbow Party was disappointed that the terms 'Slavo-Macedonian' and 'Slavophone,' were used, which "fully comply with Greece's official position" and "do not conform to the report's justified and sharply critical attitude towards Greece." Their press release called for the 2006 HRR to refer to the people and their language with their "only acceptable name" (Macedonian) as both the Council of Europe and European

Bureau for Lesser Used Languages do, "for the sake of objectivity, human rights, but, most of all, human dignity." 6. COMMENT: Media coverage of the Human Rights Report on Greece remains largely an exercise in semantics rather than substance. No media question our information, they simply question our right to judge other countries on human rights. With continued, open discussions of the most persistent human rights problems, we are hopeful more Greek journalists will increase coverage and sensitivity to these issues without our prodding. We see eye to eye with the MFA on most human rights issues, and will continue to push these issues with our interlocutors there. Ries

Free Advice
AMAC suing the Australian Macedonian Weekly
http://au.greekreporter.com/2011/08/25/ ... stralians/ The appeal of the Australian Macedonian Advisory Council from the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal against the Macedonian newspaper Australian Macedonian Weekly took place recently in Melbourne. The law suit is over an article containing vulgar insults aimed at Greece and Greeks. The article entitled Who in this celestial world gave the Greeks the right to take away the Macedonian language? was posted May 14, 2009 . It included historical falsities regarding the alleged abduction of the national identity, ancestral land and language of Macedonians by the Greeks. The writer of the article describes the Greeks as a thieving nation that chose to carry out the plan of the hellenization of Macedonia through the most brutal and inhumane methods ever invented and used against other human beings. The writer accuses Greece of using its fascist army to hellenize Macedonia claiming that, this thieving nation meticulously engaged its fascist army in destroying anything Macedonian and replacing it with Greek . This delirium continues with the writer accusing Greece of ethnic cleansing of the Macedonian people from their homes and of other murders perpetrated in the name of Hellenism. He concludes saying that these Greek deranged bastardly monsters took the Macedonian language away from our Macedonian children. The Australian-Macedonian Council which monitors the Slav propaganda, appealed last year to the Committee for Equal Opportunities and Human Rights of Victoria, against the newspaper for racist attack on the Greeks, in accordance with relevant laws of the state. As the Committee had no jurisdiction to deal with such appeals, the case was referred to the

Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal seeking the condemnation of the article as offensive, as it undermines the unity of the multicultural society of Australia and incites violence. The treasurer of the Australian Macedonian Council John Pelekanakis stated that the language of the article forced the Council to refer the matter to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. The language of the article is so insulting, outrageous I would say, that we are compelled to appeal against the article. As we emphasized during the hearings, the use of such language can lead to conflicts between members of two communities, Greek and Slav-Macedonian, to the detriment of the unity of a multicultural society. Moreover, as the publisher of AMW confessed, in response to a question from our counsel Tom Hurley, a similar article possibly published by the Macedonians in a Greek newspaper, with such sharp, derogatory characterizations would have surely caused violent reactions of the Macedonian community, explained Mr. Pelekanakis. We also wanted to denounce, in the wider Australian society, the provocative activities of the Macedonians, who like to play the victims of Greek aggression. We believe that the condemnation of this article by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal will make the Slav propagandists realise their mistake and hope it will act as a deterrent, he added. The Tribunals decision will be issued in a month.
For Immediate Release: Contact: UMD Director of Australian Operations Ordan Andreevski +61438385466 Australian Tribunal Dismisses Greek Lobby's Frivolous Legal Action Against Macedonian Newspaper September 4, 2011 - Melbourne, Australia - The United Macedonian Diaspora (UMD) congratulates the Australian Macedonian Weekly for successfully defending the right to a free press in Australia. On August 30, 2011, Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal Senior Member Ms. Noreeen Megay dismissed the complaint brought against the Macedonian newspaper by the Greek political lobby group AMAC, ending a two-year legal dispute. "In her ruling, Ms. Megay quoted the preamble of the anti-discrimination law, which recognizes that freedom of expression is an essential component of a democratic society," said UMD Director of Australian Operations Ordan Andreevski. "It appears that AMAC has forgotten that this is not Greece, and that newspapers in Australia have the right to express the facts about Macedonian history, even though they contradict the official state propaganda of Athens. However, it is unfortunate that Australia's institutions have been used by AMAC to harass a Macedonian newspaper, much in the same way that legalistic games are used in Greece to suppress freedom of expression." Despite the confusing name "Australian Macedonian Advisory Council," AMAC is in fact a Greek organization with ties to the "Pan-Macedonian Association" in Melbourne, and other Greek groups which provide financial backing to them. AMAC has a history of making wildly offensive statements against Macedonians in general, and working hard to negate the Macedonian identity in Australia, as per the official policy of the Greek state. At the tribunal, AMAC relied on the testimony of Professor John Melville-Jones, the University of Western Australia academic known for expressing the Greek government's anti-Macedonian agenda in Australia, comparing the Macedonian nation to "mythology," and making highly obnoxious statements such as: "I

have met a number of people from (Macedonia) in Perth... they were often not well educated, they have generally not been in a position to question the distorted view of history that is the basis of their nation..." Perth-based UMD Board Member Dame Krcoski stated: "The Macedonian ethnic media in Australia will not be intimidated or silenced by baseless lawsuits. Unfortunately, the Australian taxpayer is the real victim in this, because AMAC is wasting government resources to further the odious political agenda of a foreign state. Australians should be angered by AMAC's abuse of the public purse." "Though hard to prove, it is very likely that AMAC is directly funded by Greece, the same way similar Hellenic lobbies are funded in Canada and the United States. To that extent, the taxpayers of Germany and other EU countries should be made aware of what the bankrupt Greek state is spending their money on. Athens is waging an international anti-Macedonian culture war, and charging it to Europe's credit card," said UMD Voice Editor Mark Branov. For more information, please visit the Australian Macedonian Weekly newspaper website by clicking HERE.

History Phaedrus
http://www.knowledgerush.com/kr/encyclopedia/Phaedrus/ Phaedrus , Roman fabulist, was by birth a Macedonian and lived in the reigns of Augustus, Tiberius, Gaius and Claudius. According to his own statement (prologue to book iii.), not perhaps to be taken too literally, he was born on the Pierian Mountain, but he seems to have been brought at an early age to Italy, for he mentions that he read a verse of Ennius as a boy at school. According to the heading of the chief manuscript he was a slave and was freed by Augustus. He incurred the wrath of Sejanus, the powerful minister of Tiberius, by some supposed allusions in his fables and was brought to trial and punished. We learn this from the prologue to the third book, which is dedicated to Eutychus, who has been identified with the famous charioteer and favourite of Gaius. The fourth book is dedicated to Particulo, who seems to have dabbled in literature. The dates of their publication are unknown, but Seneca, writing between AD 41 and 43 (Consol. ad Polyb. 27), knows nothing of Phadrus, and it is probable that he had published nothing then. His work shows little or no originality; he simply versified in iambic trimeters the fables current in his day under the name of "Aesop," interspersing them with anecdotes drawn from daily life, history and mythology. He tells his fable and draws the moral with businesslike directness and simplicity; his language is terse and clear, but thoroughly prosaic, though it occasionally attains a dignity bordering on eloquence. His Latin is correct, and, except for an excessive and peculiar use of abstract words, shows hardly anything that might not have been written in the Augustan age. From a literary point of view Phaedrus is inferior to Babrius, and to his own imitator, La Fontaine; he lacks the quiet picturesqueness and pathos of the former, and the exuberant vivacity and humour of the latter. Though he frequently refers to the envy and detraction which pursued him, Phaedrus seems to have attracted little attention in antiquity. He is mentioned by Martial (iii. 20, 5), who imitated some of his verses, and by Avianus. Prudentius must have read him, for

he imitates one of his lines (Prud. Cath. vii. 115; ci. Phaedrus, iv. 6, 10). The first edition of the five books of Phaedrus was published by Pithou at Troyes in 1596 from a manuscript now in the possession of the marquis of Rosanbo. In the beginning of the 18th century there was discovered at Parma a manuscript of Perotti (1430-1480), archbishop of Siponto, containing sixty-four fables of Phaedrus, of which some thirty were new. These new fables were first published at Naples by Cassitto in 1808, and afterwards (much more correctly) by Jannehli in 1809. Both editions were superseded by the discovery of a much better preserved manuscript of Perotti in the Vatican , published by Angelo Mai in 1831. For some time the authenticity of these new fables was disputed, but they are now generally accepted, and with justice, as genuine fables of Phaedrus. They do not form a sixth book, for we know from Avianus that Phaedrus wrote five books only, but it is impossible to assign them to their original places in the five books. They are usually printed as an appendix. In the middle ages Phaedrus exercised a considerable influence through the prose versions of his fables which were current, though his own works and even his name were forgotten. Of these prose versions the oldest existing seems to be that known as the "Anonymus Nilanti," so called because first edited by Nilant at Leiden in 1709 from a manuscript of the 13th century. It approaches the text of Phaedrus so closely that it was probably made directly from it. Of the sixty-seven fables which it contains thirty are derived from lost fables of Phaedrus. But the largest and most influential of the prose versions of Phaedrus is that which bears the name of Romulus . It contains eighty-three fables, is as old as the 10th century, and seems to have been based on a still earlier prose version, which, under the name of "Aesop," and addressed to one Rufus, may have been made in the Carolingian period or even earlier. About this Romulus nothing is known. The collection of fables in the Weissenburg (now Wolfenbttel) manuscript is based on the same version as Romulus . These three prose versions contain in all one hundred distinct fables, of which fifty-six are derived from the existing and the remaining forty-four presumably from lost fables of Phaedrus. Some scholars, as Burmann, Dressier and L Muller, have tried to restore these lost fables by versifying the prose versions. The collection bearing the name of Romulus became the source from which, during the second half of the middle ages, almost all the collections of Latin fables in prose and verse were wholly or partially drawn. A 12th century version of the first three books of Romulus in elegiac verse enjoyed a wide popularity, even into the Renaissance. Its author (generally referred to since the edition of Nevelet in 1610 as the "Anonynius Neveleti") was long unknown, but Hervieux has shown grounds for identifying him with Walther of England, chaplain to Henry II and afterwards archbishop of Palermo . Another version of Romulus in Latin elegiacs was made by Alexander Neckam, born at St Albans in 1157. Amongst the collections partly derived from Romulus the most famous is probably that in French verse by Marie de France. About 1200 a collection of fables in Latin prose, based partly on Romulus , was made by the Cistercian monk Odo of Sherrington; they have a strong medieval and clerical tinge. In 1370 Gerard of Minden wrote a poetical version of Romulus in Low German. Since Pithou's edition in 1596 Phaedrus has been often edited and translated; among the editions

may be mentioned those of Burmann (1718 and 1727), Bentley (1726), Schwabe (1806), Berger de Xivrey (1830), Orelli (1832), Eyssenhardt (1867), L Mller (1877), Rica (1885), and above all that of L Havet (Paris, 1895). For the medieval versions of Phaedrus and their derivatives see L Roth, in Philologus, i. 523 seq.; E Grosse, in Jahrb. f. class. Philol., cv. (1872); and especially the learned work of Hervieux, Les Fabulistes latins depuis le siecle d'Auguste jusqu'a la fin du moyen Age (Paris, 1884), who gives the Latin texts of all the medieval imitators (direct and indirect) of Phaedrus, some of them being published for the first time. This entry was originally from the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica. Here's a book on Phaedrus- http://books.google.com/books?id=MYA...donian&f=false - which you can read in full. Posted by TrueMacedonian

Stories

FEEDBACK: RE: The article "More On The Hyksos-Israelites" -By A Digest Reader (September's Digest) Risto, I found this article quite interesting but there are some things I don't agree with. Here are some of my own suggestions: .The Egyptian Hieroglyphic Script & The Egyptian Hieratic Script. The Egyptian Hieratic Script was invented and developed more or less at the same time as the Hieroglyphic Script and was used in parallel with it for everyday purposes such as keeping records and accounts and writing letters. The Egyptians were already using both of these scripts when the Hyksos-Israelites first arrived in Lower Egypt at approximately 1800 BC. *'Although Hebrew is a derivative of the ancient Egyptian language', it is possible that the HyksosIsraelites were not quite so wedded to the writing systems employed in Thebes (Egypt); and through their many contacts with neighbouring countries to the north and east they would often come into contact with alternative alphabets and languages that were substantially easier to learn and use. .The Egyptian Demotic Script. The more cursive Egyptian Demotic Script or popular script, a name given to it by Herodotus, developed from a northern variant of the Hieratic script in around 660 BC. The Egyptians themselves called it 'sekh shat' (writing for documents). The "Egyptian Demotic (popular) Script" is not Hebrew writing. By Vidan FEEDBACK: RE: The article "PROTO-SLAVIC WRITING" -By Bogdan T (August's Digest) Risto, I'd like to add to this piece if I may. If we took a ride in Tito's Time Machine and stopped in the year 1700 BC, we would find an array of proto-Slavic tribes settled in many coastal lands around the Mediterranean. Over time the proto-Slavic

tribes had developed and used different forms of writing systems to record their somewhat diverging but still related languages. .The proto-Slavs on the island of Crete used pictorial symbols (pre-Linear A) to record their language. .The proto-Slav Pelasgians at Morea (modern day Peloponnesus) would have used proto-Cyrillic (phonetic) characters. .They also may well have used a writing system dubbed "strokes and incisions". *It is debatable as to where the Hyksos-Israelites originally came from. Apart from those settled in Lower Egypt, many, also, may well have been scattered all over the southern Mediterranean at this time and they began to have a linguistic influence on the proto-Slavs in the region. .Linear A is said to have first appeared on the island of Crete around 1650 BC. There are those who say that the language recorded by Linear A was Semitic. Continued..... I don't entirely agree with the content in the article "Phoroneus & The Paleo-Phoenician Script and Language (Scota and Gaedel -part 16)" -Macedonian Digest #39, but there are some interesting points. Risto, your readers may want to take another look at this article. .The Hyksos-Israelites took the proto-Cyrillic Script off the Pelasgians at Morea and brought it back down to Lower Egypt. .The Pelasgian Script then became the basis for the Paleo-Phoenician Script (and still the later Phoenician Script). *Paleo-Phoenicians = A fusion of Hyksos-Israelites & proto-Slavs. .Linear A was superseded by the more sophisticated Linear B Script. The language recorded by Linear B would also have been Semitic, or part there of. .The early "Israelites" adopted the Phoenician Script in the 11th century BC (not the Linear A - or - B Scripts). .The "Greeks" swapped scripts from Linear B to the Phoenician alphabet around the 9th century BC, but maintained their language. *9th Century Greeks = A fusion of proto-Slav Pelasgians/Hyksos-Israelites/Nubians (Ethiopians)/Egyptians/Phoenicians/etc By Vidan FEEDBACK: RE: Not another BIG Greek Lie? "The Greeks stole Greek philosophy from black Egypt!: A review of "Stolen Legacy" By Brother George G.M. James. By Brother Femi Akomolafe at Hartfordhwp.com" (September's Digest) Risto, I don't entirely agree with the content in this article and some of the wording in it. The article implies that there was an "Ancient Greek" ethnicity when there never was one. The citizens of the Ancient City States were a mixture/fusion of indigenous proto-Slav Pelasgians, Hyksos-Israelite colonists/exiles, Nubian (Ethiopian) exiles, Egyptian exiles, Phoenicians, and so on. The title doesn't make sense. If anyone stole anything it was the Hyksos-Israelites, whom adopted many aspects of "White Egyptian" culture. By Vidan

Book and other Reviews

A journalist is using a master's to research her own Greek tragedy, writes Melinda Ham
http://www.smh.com.au/national/postgraduate-education/unearthing-the-facts-201109121k5fb.html HELEN VATSIKOPOULOS, a Walkley Award-winning television reporter and presenter who has covered stories from Sri Lanka to Mexico and Malaysia to Israel in the past 27 years, is now telling her own story. Vatsikopoulos is making a career change from journalism to academia to write a memoir that will delve into family tales of fratricide, love and heroism during the 1946-49 Greek Civil War.

''I've spent my whole career telling other people's stories,'' she says. I knew the story was there in my family but my parents never wanted to talk about it. Once I started asking questions, I realised their story was just as good as the ones I'd been reporting on. ''Basically, my father's side of the family supported the left and my mother's side the right.'' But Vatsikopoulos isn't just sitting down to write her book alone. In 2009, she enrolled in a master by research course at the University of Technology , Sydney , which gives her feedback from UTS academics specialising in creative writing, European politics and history. It also gives her access to the university's library - both physical and online - while she progresses with her manuscript. In addition to her memoir, she is required to produce a literature review and a 10,000- to 15,000word exegesis explaining how she researched the project. The head of creative practices at UTS, Professor John Dale, is Vatsikopoulos's supervisor. She is one of six students with whom he regularly corresponds by email, providing feedback on their work. He also meets with them fortnightly or monthly for consultations. ''As well as access to academics and the library, students also get to be part of an academic community and even though they don't attend any courses or classes, they get the benefit of meeting other students who are all of a high calibre,'' Dale says. Another bonus is that all master by research students across the university are fully sponsored by the Commonwealth and pay no fees. The entry process is, however, very competitive. All master by research and PhD students must write a proposal detailing their suggested creative project. Successful candidates are accepted on the quality of their proposal, most of which entail new research, Dale says. There are currently about 80 students in the creative practices research program. Former students have included author Kate Grenville, who wrote a historical novel for her degree. The result was The Secret River, set on the Hawkesbury River in colonial times. The book won her the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and was short-listed for the Man Booker Prize. Grenville initially set out to write a family history, too, but when she found facts in short supply, decided to fictionalise the story. Vatsikopoulos is so far resisting the temptation to write a novel. ''Academic research is the backbone of this book. To me, coming from a journalism tradition, I believe facts are paramount,'' she says. In addition to reading many books and journal articles on the Greek Civil War, Vatsikopoulos is interviewing relatives and people from her parents' generation and older to try to gather as much oral history as possible. She has already travelled to Canada to interview a branch of the family and plans to go to Greece soon. Two years into the process, her memoir and degree have been a huge learning curve. Even though she has nearly three decades of writing experience, she completed her journalism degree back in 1982 and now has to relearn academic style and unearth her creative-writing talents. ''Journalistic writing is pared down, simplistic. You don't use the most complicated words, especially in television journalism, where the pictures provide the creative image,'' she says. ''Now I have to learn how to develop characters myself and use visual literacy.'' Vatsikopoulos initially decided to embark on the project as a legacy for her own children. ''My 12-year-old son is all excited about mediaeval history but I thought: 'Hey, you need to know about your great grandparents' history - that's your heritage.''' And she's not ditching journalism entirely. While researching, Vatsikopoulos has been lecturing at UTS in television journalism and has just been offered a permanent position. As a

consequence, she has decided to elongate her master's into a PhD to give her more time to complete the project. She is not ruling out a return to documentary-making either - maybe she'll turn her memoir into a film.

Macedonia Theater of the World

Interview by Aleksandar Donski Recently American writer, historian and Latin teacher Celeste Benjamin Tracy published the novel In the Theater of the World, available on Amazon as an e-book Kindle edition, later to be available in paperback. Ms. Tracy is American of Spanish and Hungarian-Czech descent, teaches Latin in Westhampton Beach , Long Island , New York , and holds degrees in Latin, English and Education. MS. TRACY, WHAT IS YOUR BOOK ABOUT? In The Theater of the World is an ancient autobiographical novel about Alexander the Great during his adolescence. Alexander begins with a prologue in the Spring of 324BCE, introducing himself to the reader and explaining his purpose in writing his autobiography; he offers to the reader a question to ponder while reading it, later answering it in his epilogue dated June 323BCE, ten days before contracting the illness that kills him. I view my world as a theater, and my acts are demonstrated holding both sword and scepter. I am on a stagebefore me the audience of the world, says Alexander in his prologue, launching the reader into his lyrical-style recounting of his youth from age thirteen to twenty. He commands the reader to Take from my reminiscence what you wish for I have withheld nothing, revealing all of my phases, light and dark, illuminating a selection of scenes and dimming others. The primary reason why I wrote the novel was to inspire the teenage reader to strive and pursue their ambitions, be healthy and strong of mind and body, honor their ancestors and nation, and to take the good qualities of Alexander and emulate them. I hope a reader with prior knowledge of Alexander will get to know him intimately, and the reader knowing little or nothing of him will be inspired to learn more about him. YOUR BOOK IS WRITTEN IN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL STYLE, NARRATED BY ALEXANDER HIMSELF. HOW DO YOU PRESENT THE HISTORICAL FIGURE? I present Alexander experiencing his world through the lens of theater. In 328BCE Alexander is recorded to have said he believed himself to be playing for the theater of the world, thus I used his statement as the theme for the novel. He had throughout his very short life viewed his experiences and glories as theater, and performed his feats through the guise of his heroes Achilles and Hercules, who had become his alter egos. His perspectives, behaviors and achievements in adulthood may have evolved from behaviors and experiences of an introspective and intense teenage dreamer who imagined himself perpetually on a stage. And so, I go to the early evolution of the historical figure, and portray him as a passionate teenager: bold and brazen, brilliant of mind, emotional, tenacious, physically powerful but with a non-specific ailment, impulsive, fiercely loyal, and in need of praise and love from his family and friends, especially from his father, King Philip II. I neither marbleize nor glorify him, but humanize him, and show him as a teenager of ancient civilization who is not so different from todays adolescent. I immerse the reader in his world and in the significant traditions and culture of ancient Macedonia , having attempted to avoid anachronisms that would sacrifice authenticity. HOW DO YOU PRESENT GEOGRAPHICALY THE WORLD IN WHICH ALEXANDER LIVED? The geography of Alexanders world is presented historically, devoid of anachronisms, identifying specific nations by their ancient, genuine names to maintain the continuity of the

novels setting. Macedonia is Macedonia , identifying clans from Upper and Lower Macedonia , speaking the Macedonian language; Greece as the City-States, its districts and peoples as Achaea , Aetolia and Attica , speaking the Hellenic language. As for the neighboring nations I refer to them as Epirus , Illyria , Thrace , Hesperia , Persia . The peoples of those nations I identify them as, respectively: Epirote; Illyrian and its northernmost tribesmen Autariatae; the neighboring Celtae; the Maedi and Thracians of Thrace; the Samnites, Romans, Lucanians and Bruttians of Hesperia, and Persians. Presently, a map is not provided in the novel. I am in search of an artist to commission to illustrate a map. WRITTEN IN THE GENRE OF THE NOVEL HOW DO YOU RECOUNT THE EVENTS OF HIS YOUTH WITHOUT IT READING LIKE EXPOSITION? Descriptively, applying the senses, and at times, lyrically, including my own poetry so as to show a poetic Alexander, and I invented a small number of scenes to mesmerize the reader. The majority of the novels foundation, however, is historical. I also inserted some of Alexanders original quotations from his adulthood, believing Alexander to have held these perspectives in his youth and later applied them during his reign. The timeline of the novel includes such events as: the famous taming of his war horse Bucephalus, his three-year education by Aristotle, his regency and his first military engagement against a Thracian army at age 16, his major role in the Battle of Chaeronea, his exile and experience in Illyria (of which I embellish for resources lack the detail), his collusion with the Persian satrap, Pixodarus, and, concluding the novel, the assassination of his father, Philip II. Also, I expounded upon his friendships and included his first arranged encounter with a courtesan. WHO ARE THE CHARACTERS IN THE NOVEL AND HOW DID YOU DEVELOP THEM? I included historical characters and invented others, which I indicate in my Authors Note. The historical characters in the novel are developed based upon their interactions with Alexander recorded by the ancient authors Plutarch and Arrian, and several modern authors biographies. As expected, limited documentation lends poetic license to a writer, and so, I invent some personalities and enhance others. I emphasize in the novel the certain characters, whose personalities I developed using ancient resources: Craterus, Lysimachus, Perdiccas and Hephaestion. Ancient and modern sources identify them as Alexanders closest companions. Each of them is portrayed as having a close relationship with him, however, of the four Hephaestion is presented in the novel to be Alexanders spiritual soul mate, his other self, dearest among his friends, as Arrian entitled him, carissimus (Latin: most precious, most beloved); I believe Craterus to have been fidelissimus, most devoted. I imagine Lysimachus to have revered Alexander, and Perdiccas to have been Alexanders closest before Hephaestion appeared, for at his death bed, Alexander gave to Perdiccas his royal ring. I devoted tremendous energy and time to get into their heads so as to make them realistic and personal while respecting historical evidence. Of the characters I developed in the novel, the most challenging for me had been Aristotle. Aristotle was the greatest cerebral influence upon Alexander. Resources indicate Alexander to have said that Philip gave to him life, but Aristotle gave to him knowledge, and so, I was compelled to show a teacher whose mind and methodology exceeded all, whereby spellbinding Alexander; a teacher who facilitated learning rather than dominating it, whose teaching was provocative enough to stir Alexanders analytical mind, and whose personality was commanding but compassionate. WHAT OF ALEXANDERS DAILY LIFE, HIS SURROUNDINGS AND COUNTRY? The natural world of Alexander is illustrated through his senses, and I labored to stir the readers senses: the scents and feel of the terrain, and the tastes, sights and sounds of his daily life.

Though having never visited Macedonia , I tried to paint a mountainous, verdant, luxuriant, aweinspiring, mysterious landscape that I believe to have shaped and cultivated his nature. I imagined him, his family, his companions and people to be highlanders, powerful and resolute, lover of horses and of nature, skillful in the toreutic arts, fortified by the natural environ, and strengthened by means of suffering from centuries of prejudice by the City-States and surrounding kingdoms, all historically based. WRITING A NARRATIVE IN THE VOICE OF AN ANCIENT HISTORICAL FIGURE IS A CHALLENGE. HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO BALANCE HISTORY WITH CREATIVITY? In referencing the Acknowledgment section of my novel, I indicated that Twenty-two years of collecting information and acquiring knowledge of Alexander the Great was an odyssey of learning for memy research experience, having begun in 1982, was a timeline of should I and am I able to write an ancient autobiographical novel about Alexander the Great. Family and friends throughout the near two-and-half decades encouraged, advised and educated me, and so, here it is, written to the best of my ability without intention to impress and aggrandize, only to inspire interest in Alexander the Great by means of introducing himself and beginning with his youth.

: ! 1878 1920 . . , , ( ) . : 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

11. 12. 320.000, . (7 200 , 7 500 5 500 ). 25 000, 30 000, . ( 600 700 , 650 750 500 550 ). , , , , 07.09.2011

Poetry
- DUSHAN RISTEVSKI - . . PAIN I love pain and welcome it with open arms I do not run from the inevitable -running returns you to the gulf of the abyss. I want the pain to suffer with me. SOLITUDE

Loneliness is akin to the feeling of guilt akin to rage fear and suffering Loneliness is akin to the pain of existence to hopelessness and despair Loneliness is the pain of life ... IN SEARCH OF MYSELF I know where the stars are and where the sun rises, where the seas and oceans caress the sand and the flowers bloom in mountain meadows. I know where the streams and little rivers gurgle, where the birds chirp and the bees bumble. But how can I reach them when I dont know where I am or where I will be tomorrow or why I am here - .

 . ... EMPTINESS Darkness in the room a heavy, leaden gloom silence in this space and solitude in my soul -I count the beats of my heart. The door is studded and heavy bars on the windows a refuge for pigeons. A mirror on the floor reflects the depths of my life I have thrown away the keys walled up window and door and chained myself to the bed ... . . ... A PATH YET UNTRODDEN

I dont know where I am The day brings uncertainty intention is nothing but a wish unfulfilled, waiting and longing to come true. Ask yourself what we do not know and the door of the unknown will open with a quiver of joy and trepidation. There is no fleeing from pain it is part of existence do not be ashamed of the nakedness of truth do not go back to the womb grow with the passage of your years and deepening consciousness . . LONELINESS Loneliness I see it in your eyes rain splashes your face your tears

are invisible claps of thunder your crying silently splits the sky; have the clouds come down and enveloped you? I know you want to look loneliness in the face and beg the shadow to leave but fear grips you and grins as you swoon it loves your loneliness. - - - - . PRISONER OF THE PAST I am alone with it: her shadow in an empty room laid with carpets from the old country, filled with a smoke of scrawled messages. Dont touch the shadow! There is no door only windows with bars wrought by the smiths of Bitola. Her contours and the rooms blur in the air thick with lavender, stale sweat and cigarette smoke. The feeling of guilt is shut away. The scattered cloths and scraps of food on the floor now wait for the sleeper to rise and brave a step outside.

 ( ) . . ... , ... - ... ... THE PATH OF WAITING (For my mother) Mother dear, why rush to leave this world? Open the gates hear my steps and the joy of my children. Your bed has long become the home of your pain petrified bones and stiff muscles that seek salvation in waiting. Your skin

pale like parchment covers your skeleton that sways and hobbles through empty rooms seeking photos of us children She whispered: Carry me out into the garden, my Son, so I can smell the flowers and hear the song of the bees She said: I whisper for fear of my own voice I am waiting for deliverance It is time it is time for me to leave you Mother calls for me to join her 1954 , . 1973 , . 1985 , 1991 , 1996 . - 1976 . - 1982 , - , . - St George , St George Migrant Resource Centre. 1987 1990 Ethnic Affairs Commission. 1991 St George. : (1984) - - (1989); (1992); (2001); - (2003); (2009) (2009). : - (1990) - (1996), (1992), (2009) (2006) (2009), (2009) (2010). , . 2007 , a 2008 . (2010) (2011).

 , . Dushan Ristevski was born in 1954 in Bitola Macedonia. He migrated to Sydney in 1973. Having completed his Diploma in Welfare Work in 1985 and Bachelor of Social Sciences in 1991, in 1996 he gained his Masters Degree in Counseling. Dushan has been actively involved in the community welfare since 1976. As a founder of the Macedonian Australian Welfare Association in 1982, Dushan played an instrumental role in establishing community welfare services for young people, women and the elderly. Through his involvement with the St George Migrant Resource Centre he also played a major role in the establishment and improvement of welfare services for the multicultural communities in the St George Area. Between 1987 and 1990 he served as a part time commissioner with the Ethnic Affairs Commission of NSW. Since 1991 he has been working as a Counselor for the St George Mental Health Service. Dushan is a published author of the following books of poetry: Polutici (1984) republished bilingually Polutici Fragments (1989), Dream-Agony (1992), Clasp (2001), Flower-Woman (2003), Stolen Thoughts (2009), and Forbidden Love (2009). He also wrote two monodramas: Mother, performed in Sydney and in Prilep (Macedonia) at the Vojdan Chernodrinski Theatre Festival in 1990 and Neda, performed in Sydney in 1996. He is an author of the scripts: Protest (1992), Raskol (2009) and the dramas Fear and Shame published in Macedonian (2006) and in English (2009), Mr Balkan (2009), Old and Happy (2010). He has also published poetry in various anthologies in Australia, Macedonia and the United States. For the play Fear and Shame in 2007 he was awarded with the St George Hospital and Community Health Service Award of Excellence for Innovation in Health Education. In 2008 he was awarded with the Macedonian Community Golden Sun Award for art and literature. Dushan has received two prestigious poetry awards, Iselenichka Gramota (2010) and Stojan Hristov (2011). Dushan is a founding member of the Macedonian Literary Association of Australia Grigor Prlichev, member of the Writers Association of Macedonia and of the Journalists Association of Macedonia. Na ovogodishnite Strushki Vecheri na Poezijata mu e dodelena na Dushan nagradata "Stojan Hristov". Congratulations to Dushan Ristevski for achieving the Stojan Hristov award at Struga Nights in the Republic of Macedonia for his contribution to enriching Macedonian literature and culture.

Feedback
Greetings Risto, At the Victorian School of Languages (Australia) we have been developing some online Macedonian language programs for school children and it is my pleasure to inform you that the first of a series of free interactive Macedonian activities are now available on Languages Online. This is a Victorian Department of Education site. The material is accessible for free to anyone with an internet connection. http://www.education.vic.gov.au/languagesonline/ The activities include 10 beginner level topics. Each topic includes:

 5 - 7 interactive tasks for students to practise key vocabulary for that topic. These activities include voice recordings and are self-correcting. 4 - 5 complementary worksheets. These can be printed and photocopied. Additional resources such as an A3 poster of the key vocabulary, flashcards, answers and translations for all activities, song lyrics and an MP3 version of the song (if a there is a song for that topic). Additional topics are currently in development and will be released when complete. Could you please forward this message/promotion to any of your contacts in the world wide diaspora and especially to those in Egejska who may be able to use this free resource. Thanks Stefo Stojanovski ======oOo====== If you have something to say or if you want to know something, this is the forum for you. Please write to us and we will publish your thoughts in this Digest. Try and keep it simple and brief, no longer than a page. Please send your comments to Risto Stefov at rstefov@hotmail.com.

From the readers for the readers

A Monthly free of charge electronic Digest for fair use only ======oOo======