MHR Review #20 Published in October 2014
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Contents . MHR Review #20 published in October 2014. Designed by Ljubica Durlovska and edited by George Vlahov 03 What is Old is New—The Case of Golden Dawn in Australia By Dr. Vasko Nastevski 06 News in Brief Compiled & Summarized by Mitch Belichovski 10 Letter from Dr. Chris Popov and SBS Response By Dr. Chris Popov Letter to EU Parliamentarians 13 By OMO “Ilinden” Pirin In Response to the Triumphalizing of Ignorance 15 By Dr. Stojko Stojkov, Translated by Dr. Chris Popov AMHRC Condemns MANU’s Intention to Mark Ilinden Together with BAN 17 July 3, 2014 AMHRC Calls Upon Australian Government to Deny Greek “Neo Nazi” Group MPs Entry into Aus- 19 tralia August 27, 2014 21 My Adventures in Darkest Europe By Victor Bivell 26 Radical Islamism and Albanian Jihadists in Syria By Tom Vangelovski How Disappearing Villages and Urbanization are Contributing to Social Problems in Macedonia 29 By Victor Sinadinoski Macedonian Folk Poetry 36 By Dr. Michel Seraphinoff Greek Propaganda Triangle: Anthens—Bitola—Kostur 39 By Dr. Dimitar Ljorovski Vamvakovski 45 Macedonian Gatherings in Melnik & Musomishte “Non-Existent” Macedonians Celebrate 48 By Dimitri Ioannou (Jovanov) Golden Supporters Photograph Yannis Kolesidis AP WHAT IS OLD IS NEW—THE CASE OF GOLDEN DAWN IN AUSTRALIA By Dr. Vasko Nastevski The MHR Review has previously Australia.1 Somehow the fact that Victoria at the time, the Hon Ted covered the increasing prominence of Golden Dawn has been ‘here’ since at Baillieu and the then Minister for the so-called “Golden Dawn”. An least 2012 seems to have escaped the Multicultural Affairs, Mr Nicholas excellent expose was provided by attention of most. Golden Dawn’s Kotsiras. Pavle Filipov Voskopoulos, who is a introduction to Australia and its member of Vinozhito, (a Macedonian potential insidious influence was The Golden Dawn was founded political party struggling for the rights previously highlighted by the around 1985 and significantly of Macedonians in Greece) in Issue 13 AMHRC (and the Jewish Community developed its activities during the – December 2012. Readers are in Australia).2 Their participation at 1990’s, becoming a registered encouraged to revisit that article. This the ‘Greek Independence Day Parade’ political party in Greece in 1993. short commentary supplements that at the Shrine of Remembrance on 25 Golden Dawn’s establishment within earlier paper by briefly covering March 2012 and their open Greek society coincided with the Golden Dawn’s newfound topicality manifestation of their ‘Nazi-style independence of the Republic of in the Australian context. salute’ was particularly disturbing. Macedonia in 1991. Indeed, its initial Strangely, no Australian politician at focus was on rejecting the use of the There have been a number of the time saw any need to condemn democratically chosen name of the sensationalist reports appearing in the their presence, even those Australian Republic of Macedonia.3 Inevitably, mainstream Australian media of politicians that attended the same their far-right agenda and philosophy Golden Dawn’s presence in event, which included the Premier of would become more apparent. Greek 3 Helsinki Monitor, a non-governmental violence is well known. Amnesty reported to have stated: organisation concerned with International recently stated that: monitoring and reporting on human I am embarrassed by the existence rights abuses had no hesitation as early … the Golden Dawn debacle is of Golden Dawn. Golden Dawn back as 2009 to brand the Golden only the tip of the iceberg. does not represent me, it does not Dawn as being: Entrenched racism, excessive use represent my family and does not of force and deep-rooted impunity represent the vast majority of openly neo-Nazi, anti-Semitic, are a blight on the Greek police. Greeks living in Victoria.13 racist and white supremacist [and] Successive Greek governments have been involved in many violent have so far failed to acknowledge, The censure of the Golden Dawn by incidents against migrants, let alone tackle, these human rights members of the Greek community in Macedonians ... as well as in violations by police and on-going Australia is certainly welcomed. desecration of Jewish monuments.4 impunity.8 Hopefully the next step will be a similar denunciation of the Golden Yet, it is only very recently that Amnesty International go into Dawn platform, especially as it relates attempts have been made to significant detail on the links between to Macedonia. At present, the views marginalise the Golden Dawn within the Golden Dawn and the Greek held by Golden Dawn regarding Greek society. For a long time it police in their contemporaneous Macedonia and the Macedonian appeared as if Greek society was investigation and report entitled A people, in which they will ‘not accept either indifferent to their existence or Law Unto Themselves: A Culture of a name containing the term more disturbingly, supported some of Abuse and Impunity in the Greek Macedonia’14 for use by the Republic their actions. As Pavle Filipov Police.9 of Macedonia, as well as the complete Voskopoulos outlines for us in the negation of the Macedonian identity, article mentioned at the outset: Despite obvious signs of Golden continues to be shared by some Dawn’s presence in Australia as early members of the mainstream Greek Greek political parties and the as 2012, the local Greek Community community.15 average Greek have similar initially appeared to downplay their worldviews and hold onto similar activities and influence, suggesting Even where the concept of the right to stereotypes. These perspectives that “Golden Dawn do not appear to self-determination and self- have strengthened over the last few have set up a local chapter” or identification for all Australians is decades and today they alternatively “it’s a small element that espoused, somehow the translation of aggressively manifest themselves is not representative of our community these terms to members of the via Golden Dawn.5 in any sense”.10 However, more Macedonian Community seems to recently, and following various reports evade some elements of Greek Not surprisingly, during the 2012 in the mainstream Australian media society. Offensive terms to reference Greek Parliamentary Elections, and the effective criminalisation of the Macedonian Community, Golden Dawn received 7% of the Golden Dawn in Greece,11 the Greek particularly the use of prefixes to popular vote in Greece, which initially community in Australia has expressed “distinguish” the Macedonian awarded them 21 seats.6 Indeed, in a greater concern and even Community continue to be used. In disconcerting but sure sign of how condemnation towards the Golden one sense, the remnants of such well the Golden Dawn had embedded Dawn. For example, the Hellenic thinking perhaps should not be itself in Greek society, they began Council has issued a statement in surprising. As Voskopoulos highlights operating alongside the Greek police. which they have expressed “alarm” in his article, this is merely being As the Greek Supreme Court has regarding reports that “the ultra-right consistent with aspects of an noted: wing Golden Dawn party in Greece overarching ideology of Greek claims to have opened branches in nationalism and, these same aspects … in certain cases, whose number Sydney and Melbourne”.12 More prevail in Greek society generally and could be higher, members of the recent reports that Golden Dawn result in the targeting and victimisation Greek police assisted, or in the Members of the European Parliament of the Macedonian minority in best case tolerated, members of the are to visit Australia has solicited a Greece.16 Awkwardly for those that organization [Golden Dawn] who further escalation of the rhetoric maintain the denial of the existence were committing criminal against them. An example comes and identity of Macedonians, possess 7 offences ... from Nicholas Kotsiras, a Victorian views directly aligned with the widely Parliamentarian and previous Minister condemned extremist group Golden Golden Dawn’s connection to Greek for Multicultural Affairs, who is Dawn. police and its record of hate and 4 Whilst the global criticism of Golden To this effect, the Australian 04-03. 9 Amnesty International, ‘A Law Unto Dawn and the rejection of their Government has refused entry into Themselves: A Culture of Abuse and Impunity n presence in Australia by the broader Australia to David Irving, considered the Greek Police’, April 2014, see especially Greek community is comforting to an to hold and espouse racist, anti- section 2.3.6. 10 ‘Golden Dawn: No Place in Australia’, Neos extent, for members of the Semitic views and as somebody who Kosmos, 31 July 2012 at http://neoskosmos.com/ Macedonian community, it is not just has consistently denied the events of news/en/golden-dawn-no-place-in-australia. Golden Dawn that is undesirable, but the Holocaust. One wonders whether 11 Helena Smith, ‘Golden Dawn Leader Jailed the racist ideology they espouse. the Australian Government will Ahead of Greek Criminal Trial’, The Guardian, 3 Unfortunately, some of the views of eventually take a similar position with October 2013, at http://www.theguardian.com/ Golden Dawn already have a presence the members of the Golden Dawn, world/2013/oct/03/golden-dawn-leader-jailed- nikos-michaloliakos. See also Alkman Granitsas, in Australia. The formal establishment who not only deny the existence of a ‘Far-Right Lawmakers lose cover in Greece’, The of Golden Dawn ‘chapters’ in whole people, but openly sympathise Wall Street Journal, 2 April 2014, at http:// Australia, from a Macedonian with the views held by David Irving. online.wsj.com/news/articles/ perspective, does not represent Certainly, Golden Dawn’s notoriety SB4000142405270230384780457947712182732 anything radically new in Greek stems from their ‘messages of hatred 4890. society, as the desire to deny the and racial tension’, they ‘promulgate 12 Ioanna Zikakou, ‘Golden Dawn Branches Out into Australia’, Greek Reporter, Australia, 18 April identity and existence of the extreme views about violence’ and 2014, at http://au.greekreporter.com/2014/04/18/ Macedonian people, is common to more recently have been dealt with as golden-dawn-branches-out-into-australia/.