MHR Review #20 Published in October 2014

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

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

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/. 13 both. A case of what is old is new. a criminal organisation. ■ Dan Oaks, ‘Golden Dawn: Members of controversial Greek far-right political party to visit Australia’, ABC News Online, 25 August 2014, Post Script: As readers will no doubt http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-25/golden- notice elsewhere in this issue, the dawn-meps-to-visit-australia/5694960. 14 AMHRC has publically called for the ENDNOTES A. Papapostolou, ‘Golden Dawn Nixes Name Macedonia’, Greek Reporter, Greece, 2 January two Golden Dawn representatives to 1 See 60 Minutes Report – ‘Greek Tragedy’ of 10 2013, at http:// be denied entry into Australia on the April 2014, at http://sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/ greece.greekreporter.com/2013/01/02/golden- basis that they would fail to meet the stories/8828189/greek-tragedy-the-rise-of-europes- dawn-does-not-accept-name-including-macedonia/ neo-nazis. #sthash.6ixRuPUw.dpuf. character test in Australia’s Migration 2 See for example ‘AMHRC condemns the 15 See Australian Hellenic Council website - http:// legislation. A similar request has been presence of “neo-Nazis” at a local community www.helleniccouncil.org.au/index.php? made by others, including from the event’, 11 April 2011 at http:// option=com_content&view=article&id=73&Itemi www.macedonianhr.org.au/wip/index.php? d=53. See also Australian Hellenic Council, Greek community. option=com_content&view=article&id=149:amhr Position Paper, ‘Support for the Federal c-condemns-the-presence-of-qneo-nazisq-at-a- Government’s position regarding diplomatic Indeed, it is interesting to note the local-community-event&catid=34:- recognition of the FYROM’, Prepared by Dr amhrccat&Itemid=50. Panayiotis Diamadis, AHC (NSW) Secretary, June original intention of section 501 of the 3 European agency for Fundamental Rights, 2009. Migration Act 1958. This is neatly ‘Racism, discrimination, intolerance and 16 Pavle Filipov Voskopoulos, above n v, p.26. encapsulated in the Second Reading extremism: learning from experiences in Greece 17 Commonwealth, Parliamentary Debates, House of Representatives, 17 December 1992, 4160. of the Bill introducing the relevant and Hungary’, Thematic Situation Report, 2013, p.23. amendments by the then 4 Greek Helsinki Monitor, Information Related to Commonwealth Parliamentary the Questions by the Rapporteur in Connection with CERD’s Consideration of the Sixteenth to Member for Calwell, Andrew Nineteenth Periodic Reports of Greece, Report to Theophanous, who outlined that: the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racism and Discrimination (UN CERD), The Minister has put forward a August 2009. 5 Pavle Filipov Voskopoulos, ‘The Rise of Bill which will give the Minister “Golden Dawn” in Greece’, MHR Review, Issue the power to exclude certain 13, December 2012, p.25. 6 people who have committed Rob Cooper, ‘Rise of the Greek neo-Nazis’, Daily Mail, London, 7 May 2012 at http:// offences or whom for several www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2140686/Greek reasons it is undesirable to have in -elections-2012-Neo-Nazi-party-Golden-Dawn- Australia. The kind of person we want-force-immigrants-work-camps.html. Their seats were later reduced to 18 following second are thinking about is someone round elections. who specialises in preaching 7 Findings of Deputy Prosecutor of the Greek messages of hatred and racial Supreme Court at www.capital.gr/News.asp? id=1879846. tension, someone who wants to 8 Amnesty International, ‘Impunity, excessive force promulgate extreme views about and links to extremist Golden Dawn blight Greek violence, or someone who has a police’, 3 April 2014 at http://www.amnesty.org/ 17 en/news/impunity-excessive-force-and-links- criminal record. extremist-golden-dawn-blight-greek-police-2014-

NEWS IN BRIEF Compiled and Summarized by Mitch Belichovski

On May 29 it was reported by BIRN that On June 16 BIRN reported that Macedonia’s interest abroad high on the Macedonia has donated over half a Macedonia’s economy grew by 3.9 per agenda. million Euros along with food and other cent in the first quarter this year. The aid items to victims in Serbia, Bosnia and achievement is even greater bearing in On June 23 Independent MK reported Croatia that were affected by the recent mind that in 2012, Macedonia saw two that the Government passed a set of floods. The Macedonian Red Cross consecutive quarters of negative growth measures for the assistance of socially noted that EUR260,000 had been as a result of the European debt crisis. vulnerable categories, mainly those gathered through a humanitarian phone The construction sector, which grew by who have a disability. One measure line as well as from concerts, events and 13.7 per cent during the same period, is included free of charge reports for the theatre plays. seen as the main driver of the current legalisation of illegal buildings. The growth rate. Prime Minister noted that the recipients of On June 3 it was reported by BIRN that a these reports won’t lose their benefits coalition of non government On June 18 it was reported by BIRN that once the buildings have been legalised. organisations and population experts are the Economic Chamber of Macedonia The other measures focused around demanding a new census be undertaken launched an initiative for a joint purchase improving the life of persons with a in Macedonia following a failed attempt of shares in Thessaloniki’s maritime disability or handicap. in 2011. The coalition has launched a transport hub. Located approximately 70 campaign called "Census Now” and kilometres from Macedonia’s southern On June 23 it was reported by claims that the census is necessary for the border, Thessaloniki is by far the most Independent MK that heavy rain has success of regional development policies. important sea transport hub for destroyed the whole agriculture While the government has not budgeted Macedonia. While the tender process production across parts of Macedonia for a census this year the last survey conditions are tough the Macedonian this season. Vineyards have suffered the showed that 64 per cent of the country companies must purchase at least 7 per most, however, both tobacco and melon was Macedonian and 25 per cent cent of the shares currently being plants have been affected also. Risto Albanian. privatised to have a say in the ports Vuckov, a plantation protection expert, management. stated that “we cannot expect quality On June 4 BIRN reported that almost all grapevine crops as rains and diseases opposition MP’s have submitted their On June 19 BIRN reported that the including potash and mildew have written resignations to parliament. The opposition did not show up as the new ravaged almost all of them.” resignations followed a string of fraud Macedonian Government was sworn in accusations against Prime Minister before the Parliament. PM Gruevski On June 23 Independent MK reported Nikola Gruevski who won the noted that the new Government is a that Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia controversial April elections. The combination of youth and experience are to open joint embassies in South Macedonian leaders are now willing to invest their whole energy in the America and Africa. The same model contemplating holding new elections for country’s progress. The PM also noted was also proposed to Croatia and those seats that have been vacated by the finding a solution to the name dispute Slovenia but was rejected as the countries opposition. with Greece as well as promoting are EU members. Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski has announced that the purpose

of joint embassies is to have common have the same kind of cooperation with Macedonian education minister and head facilities and not a common diplomacy. the US. of the Directorate-General for research Some EUR20,000 would be saved and Innovation, Robert-Jan Smits. The annually per shared diplomatic residency. On June 30 it was reported by cooperation between the EU and Independent MK that Greece remains the Macedonia is not recent, however, the On June 25 Independent MK reported main obstacle for Macedonia’s Euro- program is expected to help smart, that the Greek Foreign Minister Atlantic integration. In the last press sustainable economic growth. Evangelos Venizelos said that conference within the Greek presidency Macedonia’s name is “not a bilateral with the European Union, Chief of On July 6 Independent MK reported that issue but a pending international Diplomacy Evangelos Venizelos, protesters dissatisfied with the verdict issue.” Post his last visit to Skopje reported that Greece’s accomplishments against the life sentence for six defendants Venizelos agreed with the Macedonian can be “downsized to various initiatives in what is referred to as the “monster Prime Minister for the negotiation process and not so many important projects.” The case” have clashed with police in to intensify according to a Greek Foreign Minister also reiterated that the name Tetovo. The protest group in Tetovo set Ministry press release. Also according to dispute with Macedonia is an off from Yaya Pasha Mosque and Venizelos, the process under the auspices “international issue.” Following the chanted abusive slogans against the of UN mediator Matthew Nimetz is right statements, Athens has again confirmed prosecutor in the trial and the Minister of and appropriate. that Greece will use all available sources Interior and also chanted “UCK.” within the European Council so that On June 25 it was reported by Macedonia is not granted a start date to On July 6 it was reported by Independent Independent MK that the North-Atlantic negotiation talks. MK that vandals and hooligans who Council, a branch of NATO, would not stoned and injured police officers and be extending an accession invitation to On June 30 Independent MK reported damaged the Basic Court building in Macedonia to the upcoming NATO that Macedonian territory is included in Skopje during protests held against the summit in Wales. Macedonia has met the the ISIS extreme five year plan for “monster” case verdict. Six offenders membership criteria but accession has global domination. In a map that has have been brought to court and ordered been rendered impossible until Greece been widely shared on social networks, eight day detention and these six lifts a veto over the naming dispute. the islamist group has outlined a plan for protesters have been transferred to the NATO Secretary General, Anders Fogh how they would like to expand their prison pending their trial. In addition, Rasmussen confirmed the right to veto boundaries beyond Muslim-majority misdemeanour charges have been issued remains a privilege of the member states. countries. With brutal efficiency ISIS has against nine persons, as well as payment carved out a large chunk of territory orders. On June 27 it was reported by BIRN that between Iraq and Syria. ISIS plans to the ruling party VMRO DPMNE has said take control of Balkan states extending its On July 13 it was reported by it is “willing to accept European territories in Eastern Europe as far as Independent MK that Skopje is the mediation” in further talks with Austria. second most polluted city in Europe. SDSM, the opposition party, as the first Skopje is found to be at the top, just meeting ended shortly after it began, On June 30 BIRN reported that six behind Sarajevo, which leads as the most without success. The opposition's alleged ethnic Albanian extremists polluted city in Europe with an index of demand for a caretaker government was have been jailed for life for terrorism air pollution of 117. According to a flatly rejected by the Prime Minister. The over the killings of five ethnic recent analysis by the World Bank shows ongoing dispute could damage Macedonians in Skopje. According to that 1,350 people a year die in Macedonia Macedonia’s EU and NATO the charges, the two fugitives, Alil Demiri as a result of air pollution with fine membership hopes. and Afrim Ismailovic, killed five particles (PM10). The analysis also Macedonians with automatic rifles near showed that air pollution costs the On June 30 BIRN reported that Skopje during Orthodox Easter in 2012, economy EUR 253 million per year, or Macedonian officials will not comment while the other five men provided 3.2 percent of GDP. over a leak that revealed an alleged secret logistical support. In a case that raised deal which allows the US National ethnic tensions in the country, Judge Ivica On July 13 Independent MK reported that Security Agency (NSA) to tap into its Stefanovski called for the court’s decision an Albanian historian and proponent of a internet data-carrying cables. to be received peacefully. Greater Albania, Koco Danaj, calls on Macedonia’s parliamentary commission Albanians to unite and to clean the tasked with civil control over secret On July 1 it was reported by Independent territories where only the Albanians services was unable to comment as it had MK that Macedonia will participate at the live, whilst using phrases such as not yet been formed after the April EU’s frame program for research and “Macedonia is dead and Serbia is general elections. According to the leak innovation called “Horizon 2020.” next.” According to Danaj, Macedonia the NSA is able to intercept huge Macedonia will have at its disposal over escaped breaking up in 2001 only volumes of private emails, phone calls the next seven years 23 million euros because the Albanians signed the Ohrid and internet chats. Croatia, Romania, intended for scientific innovation. The Agreement that was never really Hungary and Turkey are also alleged to EU project was signed by the accepted. The Albanian historian

7 believed that all Albanians support his On July 17 BIRN reported that factor that can speed up developments. idea. The boarders of “natural Albania” Macedonia’s ruling coalition has gained a Again following Matthew Nimetz’s should encompass territories of Albania, green light from parliament to press on unsuccessful visits to Skopje and Athens Kosovo, Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro with constitutional changes which include the Greek side is reassuring its allies and and Greece. defining marriage as a strictly partners that the European and Euro- heterosexual union. Some non atlantic integration of Macedonia does not On July 15 BIRN reported that Skopje is government organisations have criticised solely depend on the name issue, but the stepping closer towards gasification. the controversial change, for instance the country also needs to meet a number of Under the terms of the planned Woman’s Alliance said that “this would other criteria. The Greek media said that agreement, a private partner will have to mean that discrimination against same Athens once again made it clear it build and operate the gas grid and will be sex couples will be set in stone.” would not accept a name with a allowed to reap the profits for the first 20 However, socially conservative geographical qualifier before years. So far Turkey’s Aksoy Energy and politicians and religious leaders back the “Republic”, but only before CPL Concordia of Italy have passed the amendment. VMRO-DPMNE legislator “Macedonia” and it has to be the name next stage in the tendering process and the Vlatko Gjorcev said it would ensure that for all uses. Macedonian Transport ministry is due to no one tampers with the “centuries-long select a winner for the energy project in tradition in Macedonia” of marriage. On July 31 Independent MK reported that September. Construction is expected to a German MP, Heinz-Joachim start early next year which will allow On July 18 it was reported by BIRN that Barchmann, stated that “Greece is not consumers in Skopje to start using natural the Macedonian Government plans to ready to negotiate and ignores the gas within two or three years. establish a tax haven that will demands from other European encourage wealthy corporations to move countries to end the name dispute and On July 15 Independent MK reported that their operations to Macedonia. Financial allow Macedonia to continue its the theatre program for this year’s Ohrid experts have broadly welcomed the plans European path.” While Barchmann Summer Festival started with a on the grounds that they will boost noted that Matthew Nimetz’s 20 year performance of Shakespeare’s employment in the financial and legal long mediation experience is more than “Othello” by the National Theatre of sectors. The decision has won a mixed enough to solve the issue, “it would have Bitola’s younger generation of actors and response, however, as the former police pleased him greatly if Nimetz’s recent directed by Slovenian Diego de Brea. minister Pavle Trajanov declared “I doubt visit to Skopje and Athens had brought Katerina Anevska, the actress who is we will gain any benefit and that that something new!” The MP also stated that playing the character of Desdemon said financial conditions in Macedonia will during his visit to Athens in March this “the experience of working with Diego de improve.” Prime Minister Gruevski year he got the impression that Greece is Brea was precious.” Borce Gjakovski, insisted the plan will not attract criminal reluctant to continue talks and allow who performs the leading male role, said money, but will boost employment. To Macedonia to continue walking on its that “the scenes in the play demand expedite matters, the Government said it European path. constant presence by the actors regardless will soon propose a draft law on the of whether or not they take part in the matter. On August 5 BIRN reported that dialogue between each other. “Othello” Macedonians top the list of foreigners was played at the Antique Theatre in On July 31 Independent MK reported that applying for Bulgarian citizenship. Ohrid, one of the venues where the Ohrid a message conveyed by mediator, “This grants them easier access to EU Summer festival takes place. Matthew Nimetz, that identity is not countries” said Sofia’s embassy in negotiable, has provoked strong reactions Skopje. Although the total number of On July 16 it was reported by in the public. This announcement came Macedonians who have gained Bulgarian Independent MK that Prime Minister on the back of German Chancellor citizenship has not been revealed, Nikola Gruevski is not surprised by Angela Merkel’s comments suggesting unofficial estimates put it somewhere comments made by German Chancellor that identity is also at stake on the between 40,000 and 100,000 since 2001. Angela Merkel in which she stated “the negotiation table. An international law Out of some 7,800 applicants who filed unresolved problem between expert, Janev Igor, believes that Merkel’s requests for citizenship this year, 3,900 Macedonia and Greece regarding the statements had no background or as were from Macedonia. Unlike Bulgaria, name and identity is a burden for all.” speculated by some, are related to citizens of EU candidate country The Prime Minister mentioned that the collective conspiracy. He further pointed Macedonia have free tourist access to word “identity” is not new to those who out that the name is a legal identity within most EU countries but no right to work are acquainted with the problem. He the international law thus cannot be there. further reiterated that his party VMRO- perceived separately but as part of the DPMNE would not support any national identity. On August 5 Independent MK reported initiatives or ideas that deny or bring into that the Macedonian Ministry of Finance question the identity of the Macedonian On July 31 it was reported by issued denationalisation bonds. The people, language or nation. Independent MK that Greek online media bonds worth EUR 10 million will be used has suggested that the revival of as compensation of denationalisation international interest in the name issue is a rulings for the period January 1-31, 2014.

According to the ministry the citizens can of the Greek Army Special Forces On August 26 BIRN reported that ethnic use the bonds prior to their maturity, for during a joint military exercise with the Albanians brawled in the Macedonian stocks and shares in companies owned by Army of Cyprus. The Foreign Ministry Parliament. According to a DUI the Agency for Privatisation among requested for the Greek authorities to take legislator, Artan Grubi, the fight broke out others. The Ministry of Finance has thus urgent measures for condemning such after an MP from DPA, Orhan Ibrahimi, far issued 13 emissions of phenomena and trends that are not in the accused his rivals from the DUI of not denationalisation bonds totalling EUR spirit of European values. In addition, a taking care of their Albanian constituents. 324 million. note of protest was also handed over to To back up his claim, he said that the Ambassador Lalakos against the practice ethnic Albanian village of Lipkovo still On August 8 Dnevnik reported that on a of putting stickers on Macedonian has no drinking water, even though the new YouTube video Greek soldiers and vehicles over the MK code on the artificial lake next to it supplies water to members of special artillery units are licence plates. the nearby town of Kumanovo. shouting offensive slogans such as “we Confrontations between MP’s using fists will drink the blood of the Turks, On August 12 Independent MK reported are not unusual in the Macedonian Skopjans and Albanians” and “St Sofia that Greece has not responded to any of parliament. will be Greek, we will occupy Asia the protest notes sent by the Minor” as well as “we will tear off the Macedonian Government after the On September 10 it was reported by head of any Turk we come across” incidents which took place at the Greek- BIRN that another ethnic Albanian from during recent joint military exercises in Macedonian border or on the territory of Macedonia was reported killed in Cyprus with the Cypriot Army. There Greece involving Macedonian citizens. Syria. The news of twenty-three year has been no official reaction to date from Minister for Foreign Affairs Nikola old Xhelal Samakova came after the Greek Defence Minister. Poposki, noted that while in diplomacy, parliament last week rushed through the practice is to respond to the notes or amendments to the criminal law to bring On August 11 it was reported by react in a certain way, even a lack of jail sentences for Macedonians fighting Independent MK that the Macedonian response after so many reactions is an with parliamentary organisations abroad. Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned answer in itself. According to him, such According to Albanian-language media the Greek Ambassador to Macedonia, behaviour leaves room for concern Xhelal was fighting with a rebel group Teoharis Lalakos and presented him with because it is not conductive to promoting against the regime of Syrian President a note of protest regarding the last activity European values in the region. Bashar al Assad. ■

Letters

OMO “ILINDEN” PIRIN—LETTER TO EU PARLIAMENTARIANS Response to a letter circulated to European MPs by Angel Dzambaski, ultranationalist member of the European Parliament—29 July 2014

Angel Dzambaski

It is sad indeed that the European We have always stated that we respect minority in Bulgaria would give a lot Parliament contains ultranationalists and support the rights of all minorities, to be able to enjoy the opportunities such as the representative of VMRO- irrespective of their size and, in that and rights which the law provides for BND, Angel Dzambaski, who is regard, the rights of the Bulgarian minorities in the Republic of known in Bulgaria for his racist minority in Macedonia. If the Macedonia. In Macedonia not only is statements regarding Roma and the discrimination that Dzambaski speaks the Framework Agreement (which in insults he has directed against of did in fact exist in Macedonia, we Bulgaria exists only on paper) Macedonians. It is therefore no would protest against it as we consider implemented consistently, but every surprise that he is abusing his new that all discrimination is impermissible minority which comprises 20% of the position in order to spread hatred and and something that should concern us. population in either the whole country disinformation in the European Fortunately, however, the status of or in a municipality obtains the right to Parliament. According to him there Bulgarians in Macedonia is not as have its language treated as an official are no Macedonians in Macedonia Dzambaski describes it. Proof of that language at the corresponding level of which has “historically always been is the fact that not one international government, as well as certain special predominantly populated by human rights organization has noted rights contained in this same Bulgarians”. This same person, not any discrimination and mistreatment Agreement. surprisingly, also denies our existence of Bulgarians in Macedonia. as Macedonians in Bulgaria. In contrast to the mere five minutes of It is for this reason that we have come news in Turkish on one television Why are we paying any attention to a to the unavoidable conclusion that station in Bulgaria, in Macedonia person with such a primitive world what we are confronted with is a sick there is one television station devoted view? Because Dzambaski’s fantasy typical of Bulgarian entirely to minorities, as well as a statements, even though they emanate nationalists: namely, given their series of programs supported by the from an ultra-nationalist, in essence conviction that Macedonians and a state on other television and radio reflect the views and thoughts of the Macedonia nation do not exist, they stations, etc. While in Macedonia majority or almost all Bulgarian justify the absence or scarcity of a education to secondary school level is European MPs. His letter, if nothing Bulgarian consciousness in carried out in the language of the else, serves as a good example of the Macedonia by pointing to an invisible minorities, in Bulgaria the study of extreme, irrational nationalism which reign of terror which exists only in one’s mother tongue is provided as an is displayed in Bulgaria vis-à-vis the their minds. optional subject for only three Macedonians, irrespective of whether minorities and even then text books they live in Macedonia or Bulgaria. We are convinced that each and every have still not been provided for this

13 purpose. In this regard, we need not Macedonian campaign which began that she exercise political interference mention the political representation during the time of the Communist in the area of freedom of the press and accorded at the national and local level dictatorship and to deny the existence other media, freedom of speech and to minorities in Macedonia. of a Macedonian nation, language, thought, interfere in free academic history, minority, etc, regardless of the research, relinquish any opportunity It is pathetic that the representative of fact that it did in fact recognise them in and right to defend the rights of the a country such as Bulgaria, which the past. Dzambaski’s letter is a Macedonian national minority in treats its minorities in such a negative perfect illustration of this approach. Bulgaria and to agree to relativise the fashion and in which recent existence of its own nation. governments held the official view Moreover, the slogans employed by that no minorities exist in Bulgaria, Bulgarian Euro MPs as part of their We would like to bring to your should speak so arrogantly and rhetoric in the past decade are equally attention the fact that Bulgaria, a insultingly of a country like fallacious and delusional. They speak member of the EU, herself violates the Macedonia. It would be much better if of “good neighbourliness”, but take rights of minorities. The Macedonian Dzambaski and the remaining that to mean the obligation on the part minority in Bulgaria is still denied and Bulgarian MPs were to go to of Macedonia to satisfy every the registration of Macedonian Macedonia and learn how minorities Bulgarian desire and whim; they organizations has been rendered are respected and have their rights complain about an alleged anti- impossible, despite numerous verdicts safeguarded, rather than making Bulgarian campaign by the of the European Court for Human provocative and insulting statements Macedonian media, when what they Rights. Moreover, self-determination about Macedonia, as has been their demand in essence is for the as a Macedonian in Bulgaria is still practice to date. Macedonian government to interfere treated as an act of national treason with the freedom of media outlets and and Macedonians are still the objects The difference between Dzambaski to prohibit them from highlighting the of unpunished hate speech, sometimes and the remaining Bulgarian MPs is dire situation of the Macedonian at the highest official levels of not one of substance, however he is minority in Bulgaria or to publish government. We appeal to you to more sincere and open in what he articles and reports critical of Bulgaria consider and examine our says, while the others understand very (this is precisely what constitutes an predicament, to defend our rights as well that by making such similar “anti-Bulgarian campaign“ for them). Macedonians in Bulgaria, as absurd statements they will The same applies to the absurd matter European citizens who are compromise not only their inhumane of the “theft of history” (by which discriminated against and humiliated cause and primitive ideology, but they mean the non-acceptance of by European authorities, instead of themselves as well in the eyes of their Bulgarian national mythology heeding the arguments of colleagues. This is precisely why regarding Macedonia), through which, ultranationalists and people such as those other MPs try to conceal their in reality, they demand, under the Dzambaski whose views are not only politics of negation under the guise of pretext of an alleged defence of the highly retrograde, anachronistic and slogans deemed more acceptable in historical truth, to forcibly curtail the racist but a serious threat to the values Europe. An example of that is the right to freedom of thought and which European institutions are insistence on “joint celebrations” of academic research in Macedonia for founded on. important historical events with which the benefit of their national dogmas. they seek to impose Bulgaria’s They seek a new treaty of good On behalf of the Macedonian national mythology on Macedonia. It neighbourliness with Macedonia national minority in Bulgaria OMO is not by chance that Bulgaria does not which includes the demand that "Ilinden"- PIRIN, member of the want any other country to attend these Macedonia renounce its right to European Free Alliance. ■ events apart from Macedonia and defend the Macedonians in Bulgaria Bulgaria and has never to date sought and agree to a process of non- the holding of joint celebrations with reciprocity to its own disadvantage. any other neighbouring country, except Macedonia. It has not done so By taking advantage of its position as because its demand is inspired by a member of the EU, Bulgaria has intentions which are neither humane forgotten about the support provided or European; namely the desire to by Macedonia for its membership of present the history of Macedonia as the EU and has attempted to impose Bulgarian, as part and parcel of the extraordinary and anti-democratic continuing Bulgarian anti- conditions on Macedonia: namely,

Bozhidar Dimitrov by Novinite.com

IN RESPONSE TO THE TRIUMPHALIZING OF IGNORANCE By Dr. Stojko Stojkov, Translated by Dr. Chris Popov

To the Bulgarian media & the present-day Northern Greece", a claim Academician Gavril Katsarov and Macedonian media with which he obviously wants to Professor Veselin Beshevliev have 19 August 2014 serve Greek needs in the dispute with written on the matter - both argue that Macedonia. . However, he does the ancient Macedonians were not The self-proclaimed expert on the Greece a disservice simply because Greeks. Macedonian Issue, Bozhidar this claim does not reflect the truth. Dimitrov, in his open letter to the The territory of that State even before Further on Dimitrov obviously Bulgarian media, entitled "On the the time of Phillip the Macedonian believes the fact that the Greek occasion of the speculations in Skopje encompassed large parts of the language was the official language in regarding the names 'Macedonia' and territory of today's Republic of the Roman province of Macedonia (of 'Macedonians'", presents some of his Macedonia (the regions of Strumica, which he believes there were three, own views, mixed as they are with a Gevgelija, Pelagonija ...), and from the even though there were never more large quantity of delusions and time of Philip to the demise of the than two) is some type of argument ignorance, which are truly astonishing Macedonian state –almost the entire that is relevant to the issues raised, to a good student and disgraceful and territory of today's Republic of forgetting (of course, if he knows at inexcusable for a man who has Macedonia. all) that that language was the official pretensions to being an academic. Of language in Thrace, as well as in Asia course, there is nothing surprising in He claims that "World academic Minor etc and that this has very little all that for specialists in the field, opinion considers almost unanimously to do with the spoken language of the however I am not writing this for him, that the Macedonians were one of the population. In that regard, he claims but for his regular victims-Bulgarian Greek tribes (such as the Spartans, that during the Roman period, the readers. Thebans, Athenians)" - but in fact, concept Macedonians lost its ethnic world academic opinion is divided on content, apparently forgetting that a According to Dimitrov: "From the this issue. However, before sending little earlier he claims that there was seventh century BC to 148 BC Dimitrov off to read the works of no such thing. Macedonia was the name of an overseas authors, I would recommend ancient country whose territory was that he read what prominent Dimitrov also displays a lack of located entirely within the territory of Bulgarian authorities, such as education in relation to the Middle

Ages. His assertion that the terms false! Let me just remind Bozhidar Slaveikov, the Bulgarian awakener, poet and "Macedonia" and "Macedonians" Dimitrov of one (and there are a lot of director of the Bulgarian propaganda drive in Macedonia, for the Makedonia disappeared from Macedonia at that them) document for which he for the (Constantinople) newspaper entitled ‘‘The time is not true - they continued to be last fifteen years has owed the Macedonian Question,’’. In this article he encountered on that territory and Macedonian magazine “Macedonian revealed the existence of the Macedonian especially in Salonika, even though Sonce" one million lev; namely, the movement and question. He explained that the the creation of the theme of article by Petko Slavejkov of 1871 (18 problem was not new, that they had begun to hear about it more than 10 years ago and that Macedonia in Thrace (not in the 6th years before Novakovic!), in which it had not been taken seriously by the century as Dimitrov misleads, but at he not only describes in detail Bulgarians. More recent conversations with the end of the eighth century!) led to Macedonian national consciousness, certain Macedonians had revealed that it was more frequent use of these terms/ but even introduces the concept not “a matter of just empty words, but an idea concepts in Thrace. His claim that "Macedonist"1 which many wanted to give concrete form to in real life”. He stated that “it was difficult there were Bulgarians among the and saddening for them to hear such talk as population of Macedonia is I understand that he is uninformed and the matter was very delicate, especially given manipulative - up until the thirteenth not well-read, however if Bozhidar the situation they found themselves in “. He century the term Bulgarian in Thrace Dimitrov no longer wishes to be an added that ”today the matter is out in the was not encountered at all and even uninformed writer in Bulgarian open, due to the carelessness of one of our historiography, it’s time for him to comrades and we are therefore obliged to after that time was an extreme rarity. report on the situation” For some reason he considers that begin to read. Given his current level "Macedonian" was an "official title" of understanding, it is ridiculous for Three years later, the Bulgarian Еxarch sent of Basil II, who was not called or him to make observations and to Slaveikov to Macedonia to inquire about known by that name- that was the lecture whomsoever. Otherwise, he growing sentiment against his church. In nickname of his grandfather Basil I will continue to show himself up- February 1874, Slaveikov reported from Salonika that the Macedonian people wished and "Macedonian" was never a "title". something which (to his credit) he to develop independently of the Bulgarian Dimitrov remembers to point to the does on a large scale. Exarchate. He informed him of the intention creation of a theme called Bulgaria of the people of Voden to break their links after 1018 with its centre in Skopje And let me in conclusion paraphrase with the Exarchate and to establish the Ohrid (and including territories mostly in the words of Bozhidar Dimitrov: At Archbishopric as an independent various times the terms "Bulgaria" and Macedonian church. Slaveikov expressly present-day Macedonia, Serbia and confirmed the dissatisfaction in Albania), however, obviously he is "Bulgarians" have meant quite Macedonia with the Bulgarian church not in any position to notice that at the different things, sometimes not having by pointing to "the resistance to Eastern time when this theme existed, and anything in common. Bulgarian speech in literature" and at the generally during the period of same time “the formation of the idea of stressing the local Macedonian dialect Byzantine rule, academic sources do But is this really the reason and an argument to deny the Bulgarian as a literary language and the creation not mention “Bulgarians” in Thrace of a Macedonian church hierarchy”. and Moesia. nation, as Dimitrov does with the Slaveikov feared that the Macedonian Macedonian nation?! And for us to struggle for cultural, church and He is confused in regard to the create hatred today because of educational independence would not be Ottoman period, arguing that all different interpretations of what able to be eliminated which led him to happened a hundred, a thousand or ask the Russian ambassador to people considered the population in Constantinople, Count Ignatiev, “to visit Macedonia to be Bulgarian, which is more years ago…. Macedonia and personally tame simply not true (but that's what passions” happens when a person reads selected Assistant Professor Dr. Stojko convenient sources). Well, maybe he Stojkov. Translated from When Dimitrov was presented with Slaveikov’s 1871 letter by the editors of is not aware of existing documents Macedonian by Dr. Chris Popov of the AMHRC. ■ "Makedonski Sonce" he reneged on his which show the existence of a offer to pay one million leva and called Macedonian proto-nationalism in the them “simpletons”. He has continued 18th and 19th centuries, however, he making the offer since 1999, as he I. In 1999 Bozhidar Dimitrov stated that he should know a little more about the refuses to accept any document would give one million Bulgarian leva- about presented by Macedonians as authentic. more recent period and not 500,000 euros- to anyone who produced a shamelessly mislead people that document showing that the population of "Macedonianism is the brainchild of Macedonia was Macedonian and not Serbian political thought. And, more Bulgarian before 1944. The Macedonian newspaper “ Makedonsko Sonce” specifically, of the Serbian politician immediately produced such a document; Stojan Novakovic.” .This is totally namely an article written in 1871 by Petko R.

AMHRC CONDEMNS MANU’S INTENTION TO MARK ILINDEN TOGETHER WITH BAN Melbourne, Australia—July 3, 2014

In May 2014, the head of MANU, Academician Vlado language and culture by BAN. The official view of BAN Kambovski, stated that this leading Macedonian academic and the Bulgarian state is that Macedonians are Bulgarians institution intends to mark the Macedonian national and that the Macedonian language is a dialect of Bulgarian. holiday, Ilinden, together with the Bulgarian Academy of Consequently, Vodenicharov’s abovementioned statement Sciences (BAN). The stated intention is for “working does not offer any hope that BAN’s views have changed or groups” to be formed so that academics from both sides will change in the near future. On the contrary, the can discuss the problems they are faced with in an attempt abovementioned statement clearly indicates that the starting to break down the political barriers which exist between point for BAN in any working groups to be formed will be Macedonia and Bulgaria. During his visit to Macedonia, that “Macedonians are Bulgarians” and that BAN will the head of BAN, Stefan Vodenicharov, made the attempt to “reach an understanding” on the basis of this following statement: "interpretation of historical events “historical fact”. must be based exclusively on the facts. The facts must be examined and the arguments heard, so that no one can We consider the holding of meetings of such working interpret history as he or she wishes. Academics must talk groups on the day or around the day of the Ilinden Uprising about history, not politicians. For that purpose we agreed to with interlocutors such as academics and historians from form working groups which will discuss precisely the BAN to be extremely naïve, offensive and against the problems we are face with." interests of the Macedonian people and state. We ask ourselves whether MANU also intends to hold talks with The Australian-Macedonian Human Rights Committee the Greek Academy of Sciences about the character of the does not have any objection to more intensive cooperation Balkan Wars of 1912-13 or about the persecution of the and contacts between MANU and BAN and the carrying Macedonians in Aegean Macedonia in an attempt to “reach out of joint projects and academic studies; however this can an understanding” and to display “a European approach” only take place under one specific condition. Such when seeking to resolve other contentious matters? We collaboration must be based on the recognition condemn all forms of collaboration with BAN on and respect of a distinct Macedonian identity, sensitive matters such as Macedonian identity, language and history until such time as this

Ilinden Memorial in the Republic of Macedonia

Bulgarian institution publicly and President Gjorgje Ivanov, Bulgaria recognizes the Macedonian recognizes the Macedonian nation and proposed to President Ivanov that this people and language in the Republic language. year there be a joint celebration of of Macedonia and the ethnic Ilinden and moreover, firstly in Macedonians in Pirin Macedonia and Even more worrying is the alacrity Bulgaria and then in Macedonia. This other parts of Bulgaria. with which Macedonian President insidious proposal is but a Gjorgje Ivanov proposed to Bulgarian continuation of the decades-long We appeal to the authorities in the president Plevneliev that the Bulgarian attempts to show that Republic of Macedonia to firmly Declaration of Good Neighbourliness “Macedonians are Bulgarians” and is defend Macedonian identity and signed between Macedonia and based on the principle of “one people language and reject all attempts to Bulgaria in 1999 be transformed into a in two states”. Acceptance of the change the name of the country and Treaty of Good Neighbourliness. As Bulgarian offer to jointly celebrate the Macedonian identity, language and is widely known, by means of this national day of the Macedonian culture, instead of making concessions declaration, the then government of people would, in the current in an attempt to gain Bulgarian Ljupcho Georgievski renounced the circumstances, also mean the support for its integration into Euro- constitutional obligation to defend the acceptance of the negationist Atlantic structures. In conclusion, we rights of the Macedonians in Bulgaria Bulgarian view that there exists would like to stress that the most basic and at the same time agreed to use the neither a distinct Macedonian people European and civilizational value and formulation “the Macedonian or a Macedonian language. Therefore, inviolable right is to foster in a Language according to the the Australian-Macedonian Human dignified manner one’s own identity Constitution of the Republic of Rights Committee appeals to the and culture as the basis for equitable Macedonia” in the text of the Macedonian government and the collaboration and integration into the declaration, thereby allowing the president of Macedonia to world community.■ reality of the Macedonian language to unconditionally reject the offer to be called into question. celebrate Macedonia’s national and state-building public holiday together Recently, Bulgarian president with Bulgaria. Such a joint celebration Plevneliev, having been emboldened could only be contemplated if by the concessions made by MANU

they have absolutely no place in Australian society.

The AMHRC calls on the Minister for Immigration, the Hon. Scott Morrison MP, to take action to prevent the abovementioned Golden Dawn MPs from visiting Australia for the purpose of disseminating their racist propaganda. Under Section 501 of the Australian Migration Act 1958, the Minister has the power to refuse entry into Australia of persons who do not AMHRC CALLS UPON AUSTRALIAN meet the character test as defined in GOVERNMENT TO DENY GREEK the Act. We strongly believe that no sitting MP in the Greek or European “NEO NAZI” GROUP MPS Parliaments belonging to the Golden Dawn party or any office bearer of the ENTRY INTO AUSTRALIA Golden Dawn party would meet the character test requirements as defined Melbourne, Australia - August 27, 2014 in subsection (6) of Section 501. Namely, we believe that there is strong evidence to support the view The Australian Macedonian Human monuments” (See full GHM that in the event that any such person Rights Committee (AMHRC) is submission here: http:// as described above were allowed to deeply concerned about reports that www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cerd/ enter or remain in Australia, they European Parliament MPs from the cerds75.htm). would: Greek political party Golden Dawn, Eleftherios Synadinos and Georgios In the Greek Parliament, MPs (iii) vilify a segment of the Australian Epitideios, are set to visit Australia in belonging to the Golden Dawn party community; or October in order to “raise funds and frequently refer to Macedonians as increase awareness among Greek- “Gypsy-Skopians” (a highly offensive (iv) incite discord in the Australian Australians” according to a statement term of abuse) and call for the community or in a segment of that by Golden Dawn's Australian destruction of the Macedonian state. community; or representative. On the 4th of June 2009, Golden Dawn members forcibly disrupted the (v) represent a danger to the At present, the Golden Dawn political launch of a Greek-Macedonian Australian community or to a segment party has no less than 18 members in dictionary in Athens by the ethnic of that community, whether by way of the Greek Parliament and 3 seats in Macedonian political party in Greece, being liable to become involved in the European Parliament. The party Ouranio Toxo (EFA-Rainbow Party), activities that are disruptive to, or in preaches an openly “neo-Nazi” threatened the participants, damaged violence threatening harm to, that platform, promoting the supremacy of equipment and destroyed promotional community or segment, or in any the Greek nation and hatred of others. materials. The party regularly other way. According to a report submitted by the threatens and harasses activists The AMHRC also appeals to all Greek Helsinki Monitor (an Athens belonging to Greece’s Macedonian community organisations in Australia, based human rights organisation) to minority, deeming them to be a especially those of the Greek and the United Nations Committee on the “traitorous fifth column” simply Jewish communities, to join this call Elimination of Racism and because they demand respect for their from within the Australian Discrimination (UN CERD), Golden basic human rights. Macedonian community for the Dawn is “openly neo-Nazi, anti- abovementioned European Parliament Semitic, racist and white supremacist While such manifestations of Golden Dawn MPs and indeed all and have been involved in many intolerance and racism may be Golden Dawn MPs and violent incidents against migrants, acceptable to Golden Dawn representatives to be denied entry into Macedonians ... as well as in supporters and more widely to certain Australia. ■ desecration of Jewish elements within Greek society itself,

MY ADVENTURES IN DARKEST EUROPE By Victor Bivell

Victor Bivell

Many citizens of Western countries such as the United Bulgarians, Albanians, Vlachs, Jews, and many others. States, Canada and Australia believe that their country has a good relationship with Greece, yet Greece regularly denies Greece has “pacified” this multi-ethnic territory through a US, Canadian and Australian citizens entry into its borders, long term Hellenization program that has included massive and has done so for many years. The people who are population "exchanges" with Turkey and Bulgaria, and denied entry are those who originate from northern Greece policies of economic underdevelopment combined with but are of ethnic Macedonian, not ethnic Greek, ancestry. ruthless political suppression that have seen many tens of Thus the basis for the discrimination is race. thousands of the local inhabitants migrate to the USA, Canada, Australia and elsewhere. This practice is common. Over the past 50 years there have been thousands of incidents where people of ethnic The Greek Civil War in 1945-49 and the associated Macedonian background have been denied entry into Macedonian Freedom War in Aegean Macedonia Greece. This Greek Government policy is one which most (northern Greece), where many local Macedonians gave people, as they find out about it, invariably find abhorrent, their support to autonomy or independence from Greece, and it has rightly been criticized over many years by all of saw many more local Macedonians leave their homeland, the world’s major human rights organizations. some as political refugees, some in the aftermath as economic refugees. Although political circles in the USA, Canada, Australia and other countries with expatriate Macedonians from Many of these Macedonians have never been allowed to northern Greece know about this practice, no government return, even over half a century later. Over this entire period has been prepared to take up the cause. The Australian the Greek government has consistently and assiduously Government, for example, is well aware of the practice, but practised a policy that has denied many Macedonians the does nothing about it, neither in terms of putting pressure right to return to their birthplaces, even for short family and on Greece to change its policy, nor to assist affected social visits. individuals. The Greek Government has excluded three types of ethnic The basis for Greece’s behaviour is its 1912 invasion of Macedonians: refugees from the Greek Civil War half of the territory of Ottoman Macedonia during the First including over twenty thousand children who were Balkan War and its later annexation of this territory, which evacuated for safety reasons, human rights activists who at the time was overwhelmingly peopled by people of non- are of Macedonian background and have campaigned for Greek ethnicity - including Macedonians, Turks, human rights for the remaining ethnic Macedonians in

northern Greece, and Macedonians For example, I knew through my Another official arrived, a woman, who on their passports have their human rights work that any literature and the first official began asking me a place of birth, such as their village, or symbol related to “Macedonia” or number of questions about myself, my under its Macedonian name instead of to the “Republic of Macedonia” parents and my grandparents. the newer Greek name. would attract the attention of the Greek border guards and would It transpired that the computer held Many of these Macedonians, probably be confiscated or damaged. quite a few personal details about me particularly in the first two categories, In many instances such literature had such as my parents' names and where have been placed on a “black list”. been reason enough for the border they had lived in Greece. I found this The existence of this “black list” has officials to deny the bearer entry into out because the border guard who been well known for decades, and I Greece. spoke English asked me the names of had cause to wonder if I too was on my father and mother, the names of the list when my wife and I planned to I had brought to Europe examples of my father's mother and father, my visit northern Greece as part of our my three books plus a fourth, a father's place of birth, the Greek honeymoon in October 1996. translation into English of the novel surname under which he left Greece, Black Seed, which at the time was and my parent's village. He did this, he Both my parents, my grandparents newly printed but not yet released. I said, to cross‑check that I was the and all of my forebears as far as I am left all these books in Bitola, the last same person on the computer list. aware were from the village of Neret. town before the Greek-Macedonian After the Greek invasion and border, with the sister-in-law of a When they specifically asked “Where annexation, the village was given the fellow Australian human rights was your father born?”, I answered Greek name of Polipotamos. My campaigner. I will never forget our “Florina”, the Greek name for the parents left their village for Australia meeting that morning where we had Macedonian town of Lerin which is in 1955 and in due course became coffee and I handed over all the copies the town closest to my parents’ Australian citizens. They spent the rest of my books for safe keeping. I had village. At that point the eyes of the of their lives in Australia and never come half way around the world, from two officials met, as if to say “He is returned to their village, even for a Sydney to London, Paris, Rome, and one of them (a local Macedonian)". holiday. My wife and I planned to Skopje, but now, to enter Greece, the spend two or three nights in Greece so called “cradle of Western The man said my details, such as date and to visit the village, which is less civilization”, I had to leave my books and place of birth, matched the than 20 kilometres from the border at the gate. I had a sense that I was description of someone on his with the Republic of Macedonia. leaving enlightened Europe behind computer. This person also had a very and was truly about to enter an similar name to me. The name he I had previously visited the village for intellectually and morally dark gave was my Greek surname - the a day in 1988. But at that time I still country. name the Greek Government gave our had a Greek surname and was not family when they replaced politically active. By 1996 I had Soon after on that morning, October Macedonian surnames with Greek published three books in English on 24, 1996, my wife and I arrived at the surnames. human rights in northern Greece - Greek border. We pulled up at the What Europe Has Forgotten: The border crossing in our rented car and I was born in Australia, and had an Struggle of the Aegean Macedonians; entered the building. We were the Australian passport with my new The Rising Sun in the Balkans: The only people there at that time except Australianized name, having changed Republic of Macedonia; and for the Greek officials. The official my surname from the Greek in 1992, Macedonian Agenda. My publishing looked at our passports and after some yet the computer was able to make a business, Pollitecon Publications, was anxious moments on my part he match. also the Australian agent for the 1994 finally motioned for us to move onto Human Rights Watch report Denying the baggage inspection area a few He also asked if I had tried to enter Ethnic Identity: The Macedonians of metres further along the counter. Greece in 1995, which I had not, but it Greece. However, no one was in attendance transpired that that could have been there and after we had been waiting the date when the entry onto the list At the time I was well aware that there for about a minute the official, who was made. was a possibility that I was on the looked as if he had been inputting our My wife and I were then asked to step “Greek Black List” and so I took data into his computer, suddenly into the back office. Inside the room several precautions to minimize the called out “Australie” and motioned there were two more officials. I took possibility of arousing Greek hostility for us to come back. at the border. one to be the manager of the 22 checkpoint and the other to be a secret my forebears are known to have lived. ancestral homeland and wonder service agent or detective type. There which dot was our village. was further questioning - in English as On our way back, the Macedonian I speak no Greek - about my parents official at the Macedonian checkpoint Back in Australia, I made an effort to and grandparents, and why I wanted could sense my state of mind and find out the reason. I faxed a letter to to enter Greece. when I told him that I was not allowed the US Embassy in Athens, but I was honest in all my answers, to enter Greece he turned and spent received no response. I telephoned the explaining that my wife and I were on some long moments staring towards Greek Ambassador in Australia, but our honeymoon and wanted to visit the Greek border. Barely an hour after received only a lecture on why my parents’ village for just two or leaving my books behind, I was back “Macedonia is Greek”. I telephoned a three days and would then leave at my friend’s sister-in-law’s place to head official of the European Union Greece. pick them up. mission in Australia but he was pompous and did not want to hear However, they said that my name was My wife and I returned to the Greek about my issue. I wrote to the human on a list and I could not enter Greece. border post the next morning but the rights organization Greek Helsinki My wife could enter, but not me. I officials confirmed that they had been Monitor in Greece and while they was forbidden. I asked why many in contact with Athens and that I was were sympathetic they said they could times, but they would give no reason. forbidden to enter Greece. not assist and suggested I contact the

Bivell’s passport as stamped by the Greek border official on 24 October 1996

The border officials said I was on the Australian government. I had already list and therefore they could not allow The previous evening I had rung an contacted the Australian Department me to enter. uncle in Lerin and he and his wife met of Foreign Affairs, both by letter and us at the border coffee shop and we telephone, and in the end received a As I had done nothing wrong, and had had coffee and a long chat. My uncle bureaucratic form letter saying that it given them total cooperation and spoke to one of the Greek officials, was up to Greece who they let into the truthful answers to all their questions, I who came over and spoke to me in country and that I may be again asked that they fax to Athens to check Macedonian. He knew that I had denied entry in the future. The whether there had been a mistake and changed my “Greek” surname, and response was very unhelpful and whether I could enter Greece. They also that I had been involved in a disappointing. A couple of years later said they would. Macedonian human rights I tried again, this time writing to the organization in Australia, leading me Australian prime minister, John Meanwhile they stamped my passport to believe that such information about Howard, but was given the same with the Greek word “AKYPON” me may be on file in Athens. bureaucratic brush-off. which translates into “forbidden” or Although he was friendly, he could from my point of view “banished”. not assist me. The only official recognition of my experience came through a friend in My wife and I had to turn back, And so it transpired that the closest I Perth who unknown to me notified the deeply disappointed that at this most got to the village was a week later on Helsinki Watch office in Macedonia. important time in our lives we could the plane from Rome to Sydney, This led to an official not visit the village where my which by coincidence or luck flew acknowledgement in the 1997 Annual grandparents and parents grew up and over northern Greece and I could for Report On Greece by the International the only place on Earth where any of some minutes look down on my Helsinki Federation for Human

Rights. This reads: using for several years up until then religion”. Australia’s hand that signed and under which I had undertaken all the paper was former Prime Minister, “On 24 October 1996, Victor Bivell, my human rights and publishing Andrew Fisher. Obviously Australia’s an Australian citizen, was denied entry activities. signature, and the signature of a man to Greece. He and his wife were on who had been Australian Prime their honeymoon and wanted to visit I may never know who gave my Minister three times, like the treaties the village of Victor Bivell’s parents name to the Greek authorities in themselves, are worth, well, what is a for a few days. Bivell is the manager Athens, nor the reason my name was polite word for nothing? That is also of Pollitecon Publications (Australia) put on the list. This is because Greece how much the Australian Department which has published or distributed implements its policies against of Foreign Affairs does to meet these books about the Macedonian minority Macedonians in secret. It publishes no treaty obligations. in Greece.” information and gives the victims no right to freedom of information or As for the European Union, by With no official explanation for why I other avenue for redress. A second coincidence before leaving for Europe was not allowed in, I can only reason is because the European Union on that trip I read a report that the EU speculate about the reason and try to and the governments of the United was providing funds to Greece and draw inferences from minimal data. I States, Canada, Australia, United that some of that money would be believe I was not allowed into Greece Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and used for computers to improve border for one or more of several reasons: the other countries in Europe allow security. So it could be that the EU books I have published that deal with Greece - decade after decade - to unwittingly funded the computers that the lack of human rights for practise these policies. were and still are used for ethnic Macedonians in northern Greece, my cleansing. involvement with the Aegean Keeping locals away from their Macedonian Association of Australia homeland is a form of ethnic Any one of the reasons I mentioned which made numerous human rights cleansing, and in my understanding of above could have been sufficient to submissions to the Australian ethics, such inaction makes these have my name put on the banished Government, that I was a countries and these governments de list. For example, my books highlight spokesperson for the Macedonian facto accomplices to these policies. the fact that Greece does not have, and community in Australia in 1994 when This is made worse because some of has never had, a policy of recognition of the Republic of these countries are signatories to the multiculturalism. That since Greece Macedonia by the Australian treaties that recognized Greece's annexed half of the Ottoman province Government led to the arson of a annexation of 51 per cent of the of Macedonia, its policies for dealing number of Macedonian churches and territory of Ottoman Macedonia; they with its newly acquired ethnic other property in Australia. I also are among the countries that "gave" minorities, including the believe there may be a connection half of Macedonia to Greece, or more Macedonians, have been with my publication of the book The precisely allowed it to keep its military denationalization, assimilation and Rising Sun in The Balkans: The spoils. There are numerous ethnic cleansing, and that these Republic of Macedonia, which was international treaties that helped form policies are still practised today to the authored by the Turkish International the shape of northern Greece such as extent that Greece denies the very Affairs Agency. The publication of the 1913 Treaty of Bucharest, the existence of the Macedonians, and this book in May 1995 coincides with 1920 Treaty of Sevres and the restricts the expression of their culture. one of the dates mentioned by the Protocol Concerning the Protection of In Greece today the Macedonian border official which is possibly the Minorities in Greece, and the 1923 Orthodox Church cannot operate date my name was put on the list. And Treaty of Lausanne. But a condition freely, there are no Macedonian over the years I have noted especial of Greece keeping its war spoils was language schools, no Macedonian sensitivity by some Greeks to this that Greece respect its ethnic language newspapers, no Macedonian book based on its Turkish authorship. minorities - which it has never done. television programs, nor even a Home of Macedonian Culture despite a Another observation. I believe that my Australia was one of the signatory ruling by the European Court of name was passed onto the authorities countries to the Treaty of Sevres and Human Rights that it allow such a in Greece from someone in Australia, the Protocol on the Protection of Home. Macedonians who agitate for as the name on the computer list was Minorities that oblige Greece to these essential human rights are my Greek surname, not my protect the interests of inhabitants discriminated against and persecuted, Macedonian name, nor my “who differ from the majority of the as documented by the US State Australianized name that I had been population in race, language or Department, Amnesty International,

Human Rights Watch and many other necessary, the third stage is to stop ever to fight this cause until the Greek organizations. their children from returning. Government stops practising these Unfortunately the English language brutal and dehumanizing policies, And if any of the hundreds of does not have a word for this ‘later recognizes its ethnic minorities and thousands of Macedonian migrants stage ethnic cleansing’, this ‘long term respects their rights as people. who fled Greece for the safety of the ethnic cleansing’, this ‘multi- wider world, or their children, show generational ethnic cleansing’, but I To achieve this outcome it is signs of Macedonian consciousness have seen it and felt it and it is this that important that those countries that instead of Greek consciousness, or has denied me access to my parents’ signed human rights treaties with become active for human rights - as I village, my parents’ ancestral homes, Greece ensure that Greece fulfils its have done with my books - they are and my roots as a human being. obligations, and that so called put on “the list” and denied entry to “friends” of Greece such as the their place of origin. It is estimated In my life this Greek government governments of Europe, USA, that at least several thousand policy is one of the closest things I Canada and Australia exert pressure Macedonian-Australians have been have encountered to evil. on the Greek Government to change banished in this way; alongside an its policies. Until now these countries unknown number of Macedonian- No person or country has a right to have been part of the problem. With Canadians and Macedonian- deny a human being these things. friends like these, Greece, in its 180- Americans, among others. Faced with such a reality, I have odd years since independence, has responded by increasing my become a human rights basket case - a Having experienced this policy, I now commitment to fight this inhumane country practicing a form of social see clearly its brutal nature. As I sat in policy until it is changed. On returning totalitarianism where the dominant the back room of the border guards' to Australia in late 1996 I immediately force is not a dictator but the dual office, the realization sank in that I launched my newest human rights ideologies of an ultra-nationalistic would not see the village I had waited book, the first English language Hellenism and an ultra-nationalistic for years to see. I would not visit our translation of the Macedonian novel form of Greek Orthodoxy. This must few remaining relatives, I would not Black Seed, which is set on one of the change. see our elderly relatives for a last time, island prison camps of the 1940s I would not walk down the same where the Greek fascist government Greece needs true friends, not streets where my parents and tortured Macedonians, communists accomplices. Ironically, and although grandparents had played as children, and other undesirables. it does not know it yet, Greece's most nor see the homes where mum and worthwhile friend may yet prove to be dad lived before and after their In early 1997 I set up the first web site Macedonia, because when the marriage. for my publishing business which Macedonians finish with Greece, immediately gave the books and the Greece will have been transformed - I felt that there was now a part of my message a global reach. The web site kicking and screaming all the way - self, of my history, even of my own continues to grow. from a morally and intellectually heart, that I could not reach. In those backward nineteenth century moments, as I sat in the back office Since Black Seed I have published nationalist state into a modern, open with these new feelings, I realized another nine human rights books, and multicultural society that respects what it can mean and what it can feel bringing the total to thirteen. Among all of its ethnic and religious like to be a victim of ethnic cleansing. them is A Girl From Neret, which I minorities. believe could be the first book Yet the average person, in the popular published about our village. It was Victor Bivell was born in Australia of mind, in the popular understanding, authored by a Perth mother-daughter Macedonian background. He is a has no real grasp of what ethnic team. The mother is a Macedonian journalist and editor and the cleansing ‘Greek style’ really is. Since child refugee from our village who publisher of 13 books on the human 1913, the Greek government has done was a contemporary of my parents. rights situation of Macedonians in everything it could to depopulate the northern Greece. See Macedonians and repopulate the As I was born in Australia I did not www.pollitecon.com. ■ region with Greeks. But forcing or want to return permanently to Greece. encouraging the local population to My simple desire was to visit my emigrate is only the first stage of parents' village for a few days. If I ethnic cleansing. The next stage is to cannot have that, if I cannot do such a stop them from returning. And, if simple, normal everyday human thing, then I am more determined than 25

While the vast majority of Albanians in Macedonia RADICAL ISLAMISM follow traditional Sunni teachings, radical Islamists from Salafi and Wahhabi movements are making slow, but steady inroads into both the Albanian and the AND Macedonian Muslim communities. To begin with, it is important to point out a few common misconceptions, ALBANIAN JIHADISTS including the tendency to conflate Islam (the religion) with Islamism (a radical modern political ideology based IN SYRIA on Islam). Islamism has also often been falsely equated with Muslim fundamentalism, Muslim traditionalism and political Islam, all of which refer to very different things. By Tom Vangelovski As background, Islam has two major sects: Sunni Islam and Shia Islam. Within Sunni Islam, there is a subsect Bilal Bosnic known as Salafism. Salafism seeks to follow a literalist, strict and puritanical interpretation of Islam in the tradition of Ibn Taymiyyah (1263-1328). The vast majority of radical Islamists stem from Salafism, though one should note that not all Salafis are militant extremists. However, Salafists generally condone violent jihad as a legitimate Islamic effort to build an ideal society free from western influence and control. As a consequence, many Salafists have become a part of radical Islamist movements. Wahhabism grew out of Salafism, based on the interpretations of Muhammad Ibn Abd al-Wahhab (1703- 1791), an Islamic scholar based in the Arabian Peninsula, who was influenced by Ibn Taymiyyah. Wahhabism sees the majority of Muslim sects as heretical and advocates for the purging of impurities, innovations and practices Albanian Jihadists in Syria - Source - Serbianna considered idolatrous. It also advocates violent jihad as a legitimate means of spreading both the Islamic faith and Islamist rule.

Radical Islamists began targeting Muslims in Macedonia during the Bosnian war with the influx of mujahedeen fighters into the Balkans; however, this has accelerated since 2001. Wahhabis from Saudi Arabia have infiltrated the Albanian community both at the grassroots level and within the official hierarchy of the Islamic Religious Community (IRC), headed by Sulejman Rexhepi. Wahhabis have set up a small but committed network of followers, particularly among younger Albanians and Macedonian Muslims across Western Macedonia and the capital Skopje. They have also taken control of up to five Islamist Protests in Skopje key Mosques in Skopje and possibly control others in rural areas of the country, particularly those built with Saudi funds.1

While Sulejman Rexhepi and his followers have resisted what they see as illegitimate foreign influence in the past (becoming victims of physical attacks and anonymous death threats), reports indicate that Rexhepi has made peace with them and allowed them to maintain their positions within the official hierarchy of the IRC.2 Nevertheless, tensions continue and have erupted into violent confrontations between Sunnis on the one hand and Salafis and Wahhabis on the other. Many of the IRC’s Imams continue to call on him to confront key Wahhabi leaders such as Zenun Berisha and Ramadan

Ramadani, and their followers, and the Oktisi confrontations from last having been killed.11 Of the most remove them from the Mosques they year, were organised by Islamist worrying is perhaps the case of Sami have taken. Rexhepi, seemingly groups. Protests organised in Skopje Abdulahu, who died in the summer of powerless, has at various stages have urged people to gather at the 2013 participating in an attempt to appealed to the Macedonian Yaya Pasha Mosque in Čair,6 one of seize the prison in Aleppo, Syria.12 Government, the Albanian political the Mosques in the hands of Wahhabi Abdulahu was an Imam who received parties and foreign diplomats to assist groups, from where the protesters are his degree from the madrassa in the IRC against the Islamists; organised and undoubtedly potential Kondovo, near Skopje. There have however, none have provided any converts are enticed through the use of long being suspicions that the assistance. seemingly nationalist causes. Kondovo madrassa has been linked to radical Islamists. This raises questions Macedonian Muslims have also been More concerning is the frequent in relation to his training at the targeted by extremist groups, reports of Islamist cells in Macedonia, Kondovo madrassa and whether it particularly by Wahhabis and the though many of them are difficult to influenced his radicalisation. Pakistani branches of Tablighi corroborate. For example, in 2005 a Jamaat.3 There are increasing reports PROXIMA (an EU police mission to Reported motives for entering the of young Macedonian Muslims from Macedonia) officer revealed that a Syrian conflict vary, and again it is the Struga region receiving sleeper cell with approximately 100 difficult to determine their accuracy. scholarships to study in madrassas in foreigners was taking refuge in the According to Serbian police sources, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and Jablanica mountain range on the not all fighters are motived by jihadist identify new recruits from among their Macedonian-Albanian border, near beliefs. Some also appear to be communities. Locals report that these the mainly Macedonian Muslim- motived to fight in Syria through men are then funded to act and dress populated villages of Oktisi and simple adventurism and purely in accordance with Wahhabi tradition Labuništa.7 The officer noted that they financial purposes.13 Albanians that and to ensure their wives do the were being assisted by the local have been arrested and questioned by same.4 Indeed, long beards and Macedonian Muslim population. Kosovo police claimed their agreed Wahhabi-style dress were unknown in Macedonian security officials have salaries were $65 per day, while others Macedonia prior to 2001, but are also claimed that jihadist training have suggested that the jihadists becoming increasingly visible not only camps once operated near the villages receive up to €5,000 per month.14 among the Macedonian Muslim of Lešnica (Kičevo), Šipkovica Many of these jihadists have also been community in Struga, but among (Tetovo) and surprisingly Tri Vodi connected to the Balkan wars, Albanians in Gostivar, Tetovo and (Stumica).8 The same sources claim particularly the KLA in Kosovo and Skopje. Reports claim that these men that there is an existing camp that acts the NLA in Macedonia. Ivan receive between €200 and €500 per as a stagging post for recruits off to Babamovski, former chief of the month, with those involved in Syria located between Jažnice (on the Macedonian State Security Service distributing Islamist literature, DVD’s border with Kosovo) and Kačanik in and retired professor from the Security and other promotional material Kosovo. Faculty in Skopje, claims that “foreign receiving up to three times that militants who join the rebel fighters [in amount.5 It is quite common to find Islamists have also recruited a Syria] are Wahhabis, veterans and Islamist material promoting violent significant number of fighters among members of paramilitary jihad, suicide bombings and the killing the Albanian and Macedonian organisations”.15 According to media of ‘non-believers’ openly sold at Muslim communities for foreign reports, at least some of those that market stalls in the streets of Struga, conflicts. In 2010, Macedonian have gone to Syria have been Gostivar, Tetovo and Skopje. Much of security officials claimed that up to 50 identified as former members of the the material appears to have been volunteers had been recruited to fight NLA who participated in the 2001 translated and published into in Afghanistan over the previous war,16 and some analysts concur, Albanian, with some literature on offer decade.9 This trend appears to be pointing out that the NLA Imre Elezi in Arabic and Macedonian. increasing substantially, considering Brigade consisted of foreign and local the size of the Muslim population of Islamists.17 Ethno-religious conflict and violence Macedonia. While it is difficult to have been very prominent since the acertain accurate numbers and Certainly, many Albanians in Wahhabi infiltration of the IRC diverging estimates have been floated, Macedonia see the presence of foreign leadership in 2010. It is suspected that reports suggest that up to 300 Islamic influences as a threat to their many of the violent protests over the Albanians and Macedonian Muslims own traditional version of Balkan or past few years, and particularly those from Macedonia have joined Ottoman Sunni Islam. For their part, relating to the Vevčani carnival in opposition groups in Syria, mainly the the IRC and its leader, Sulejman 2012, the Lake Smilkovo executions Islamist groups Islamic State and the Rexhepi, have strongly and publicly in both 2012 and earlier this year, and al-Nusra Front,10 with up to nine denounced the idea of Muslims from

Macedonia fighting in foreign wars. radikalniot Islam”, Nova Makedonija, 6 July 2010, 8 SETimes, Experts on guard against Islamic www.novamakedonija.com.mk [accessed 15 April extremism in Macedonia, 17 August 2013, They have called on their followers to 2013] and S. Javanovska & B. Gjorgeski, “Radical www.setimes.com [accessed 15 September 2014]. support the IRC, its traditional form of Islam in Macedonia Worries Western Observers”, 9 Balkan Sunni Islam and interfaith Free Republic, 9 July 2010, http:// B. Pancevski, “Saudis fund Balkan Muslims www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2549441/ spreading hate in the West”, Sunday Times, 28 tolerance. Arben Xhaferi, former posts (accessed 13 April 2012). The five Mosques March 2010. leader of the DPA, considers the include Isa Bey Mosque, Yaya Pasha Mosque, 10 influence of foreign Islamists as an Sultan Murat Mosque, Hudaverdi Mosque and S. Marusic, “Another Macedonian Albanian Kjosekadi Mosque, see S. Marusic, “Radical Islam Reported Killed in Syria”, Balkan Insight, 14 May attempt to ‘Arabise’ the faith of the Threatens Macedonia”, Balkan Insight, 2 July 2014, www.balkaninsight.com [accessed 11 Albanians: 2010, www.balkaninsight.com [accessed 15 September 2014]. February 2013]. 11 Macedonia Online, Albanians fighting for ISIS It is absurd that Wahhabis should 2 Vecer, Pagaat li poglavarite na muslimanite od earn $65/day, come from middle class families, come here and demand, in the name Makedonija I Albanija vo nemilost kaj stancite, 10 September 2014, www.macedoniaonline.eu of Islam, that we live and dress like http://www.vecer.com.mk/print.asp? [accessed 11 September 2014]. itemid=2ca5f947804cf4419f0e5ac8275598bc 12 Ibid. them…Albanians will not allow (accessed 1 February 2012). 13 foreigners of any kind to tell us our 3 InSerbia, Number of Kosovo Albanians who go See C. Deliso, “In Macedonia, New Concerns to war in Syria increases, 26 January 2014, customs must be abandoned and about Rural Fundamentalism”, Balkan Analysis, 2 www.inserbia.info [accessed 12 September 2014]. our behaviour determined by October 2006, http://www.balkanalysis.com/ Islamic totalitarians. We have our blog/2006/10/02/in-macedonia-new-concerns-over 14 Macedonia Online, Albanians Fighting for ISIS own history, our own culture, and -rural-fundamentalism/ (accessed 20 March 2012) Earn $65/day, Come From Middle Class Families. and C. Deliso, “After Macedonia’s Islamist Other reports have cited figures of between €3,000 our own Albanian model of Protests, Investigators Search for Significance and €5,000 per month, see MKD, Se zgolemuva 18 Islam”. amidst Confusing Array of Motives and Clues”, brojot na Makedonski državjani koi odat na Balkan Analysis, 13 February 2012, http:// pečalba vo Sirija, 30 May 2013, www.mkd.mk www.balkanalysis.com/macedonia/2012/02/13/ [accessed 30 May 2013). Islamism is not widespread across after-macedonias-islamist-protest-investigators- Macedonia, but its adherents have search-for-significance-amidst-confusing-array-of- 15 SETimes, Identification, regional co-operation demonstrated that they are persistent motives-and-clues/ (accessed 15 February 2012). will stem threat of extremists, 28 October 2013, www.setimes.com [accessed 25 August 2014]. and that they are advancing their 4 A. Panovski, 2011, The Spread of Islamic objectives and increasing their Extremism in the Republic of Macedonia, Thesis, 16 S. Marusic, “Another Macedonian Albanian numbers. It remains to be seen how Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California. Reported Killed in Syria”. influential they will ultimately become 5 V. Todorovska, “I Albanci od Makedonija 17 S. Shaul, 2007, Islamic Terror and the Balkans, within the Muslim community, but Financirale Jihadisti”, Dnevnik, 2 September 2014, Transaction Publisher, New Brunswick, p. 114. www.dnevnik.mk [accessed 12 September 2014]. even as it stands, their presence is 18 S. Schwartz, “Wahhabis at the Gate”, The dangerous and has already caused 6 S. Marusič, “Unrest Erupts at Macedonia Weekly Standard, 15 December 2003, Albanians’ Terror Trial Protest”, Balkan www.islamicpluralism.org [accessed 13 April violent confrontations within the Transitional Justice, 4 July 2014, 2012]. Muslim community and between the www.balkaninsight.com [accessed 8 July 2014]. Christian and Muslim communities. 7 C. Deliso, “Europe’s New Terror Profile and the State of Play in the Balkans”, Balkan Analysis, ENDNOTES 8 August 2005, www.balkananalysis.com [accessed 17 April 2012]. 1 See R. Zarevska, “Milijarda evra investirani vo

Militant Training Camps Macedonia

Museum on Lake Ohrid

HOW DISAPPEARING VILLAGES AND URBANIZATION ARE CONTRIBUTING TO SOCIAL PROBLEMS IN MACEDONIA By Victor Sinadinoski

Introduction This trend is not unique to Macedonia. Most villagers in Macedonia have The village lifestyle in Macedonia is In Serbia, one-fourth of its villages are moved to cities and larger towns in extinct and another third are predicted Macedonia. Between 1994 and 2006, disappearing. As of eight years ago, 8 over 450 villages had less than 50 to vanish in less than fifteen years. Skopje grew by 200,000 residents. In residents, of which 100 of those had Bosnia and Herzegovina’s villages the past 60 years, Bitola more than only house one-fifth of its population.3 doubled in size9 while Tetovo tripled less than 10 residents and another 150 10 1 In Bulgaria, 650 villages have less its population. Others have moved to were empty. To put these numbers in than 50 inhabitants, with 100 villages cities abroad. They depart for many perspective, Macedonia has about 4 2 having become extinct in two years. reasons: economic opportunities; poor 1700 villages. Considering that most The United States has over 4,000 water, sewage and waste collection low-populated villages are inhabited ghost towns5, Spain has nearly 3,000 facilities; crumbling roads; poor public by the elderly, we can assume that one 6 -fourth of Macedonia’s villages will empty villages , and China lost 1.1 transport; absence of modern stores million villages between 2000 and and schools; and limited access to soon be extinct. 2010.7 Villages are dying. communications technology.11

Stereotypes of villagers and beliefs that land. Removing most aspects of a agricultural lifestyles inhibit one from culture render the parts of culture one achieving significant success, along purports to practice difficult to with perceptions that urban areas offer understand because one is doing so happiness through material without the context of other cultural possessions, also play a substantial role aspects. Valuable life knowledge is in village depletion. lost. Instead, urbanites are fed tidbits from a Consequences variety of cultures that are Empty villages and enlarged cities go incomprehensible when merged. hand-in-hand12 and have serious Urban areas offer samplings of consequences for Macedonia. The different cultures and ideas, not an main consequences include cultural immersion in any particular culture. In extinction and environmental Skopje, you can dress in Asian-made degradation. These two cannot be clothes and drive a German car to separated from one another. listen to English music while eating Museum in Podmocani Anthropologists emphasize that a American-styled pizza next to an fundamental aspect of culture revolves Italian café.15 In which European city around the way human societies can you not do this, and in which interact with their environment.13 major European cities are people Disrespecting nature will undermine behaving much differently? The our culture, and abandoning our land- culture of materialism and dabbling based culture will lead to more with the elements of other cultures has destructive tendencies towards nature. become a homogenized culture. The state of music in Macedonia also First, dead villages will wipe out demonstrates cultural erosion. traditional Macedonian culture and Macedonia’s traditional music urbanization will mold us into a coincided with daily life. For example, homogenous world culture. Aspects of Rodna Velichkovska published a work traditional Macedonian culture containing over 100 harvest songs and include, but are not limited to: folk wrote that these songs were “closely music, dances and myths; ceremonial related to everyday work of the traditions; cuisine; clothing; dialects; humans…[and] satisf[ied] the spiritual and our land-based living methods. and aesthetic needs of the community This culture is an essential aspect of as a whole.”16 The city does not Macedonian identity. produce music that coincides with Proponents of urbanization argue that daily life because no one wants to (or cities provide people with unfettered can) make songs about lawyering or access to ideas, cultures and economic accounting or engineering with much opportunities. However, this is emotional appeal. Macedonian dubiously associated with a more traditional music has emotional appeal fulfilling life and it disassociates because nearly everyone within the Macedonians from pivotal sources of community could relate to it. Today, in Macedonian culture. Americans, who Skopje, one can hear anything but exemplify urbanization and Macedonian folk. And while one hears modernization, are “anxious, stressed, Macedonian folk in Ohrid, it is usually depressed, and fat.”14 No one can to appease and please tourists.17 seriously argue that those qualities are Furthermore, much of today’s fulfilling. Furthermore, city life does traditional music is being played with an injustice to the knowledge non-traditional instruments, like generations of our village ancestors’ synthesizers, keyboards and electric passed down. Macedonian customs guitars.18 and traditions evolved with other elements of Macedonian culture and Abandoned villages and urbanization

30 also destroy linguistic diversity. Each To meet energy demands, Macedonia characteristics. Cities in Macedonia village speaks differently from the has been on a damming conquest. and abroad crave Macedonia’s next. Local dialects become extinct There are at least 24 large dams in abundance of minerals. “In the period when villagers move to the city. Macedonia.20 Recently, plans existed from 1999 [until] 2009, more than When I visited my father’s village, a to build two hydropower plants in 300 concessions were issued for villager told me that most Mavrovo National Park, and 100,000 initiating detail geological researches Macedonians in the Diaspora usually people signed a petition against such a either for already active mines or speak the dialect better than remaining decision;21 and there are also protests mines in the phase of final researches villagers. Villagers hardly use their to stop dam construction in Vratnica or reactivation.”26 In eastern dialect because while they might live because it would destroy the river and Macedonia, Russia is investing 150 in the village, many work in larger surrounding environment.22 The million Euros in copper mining,27 and towns and cities where standard many impacts of damming include the hills of northeastern Macedonian Macedonian or the city dialect is used. blocking fish migration, changes in are home to fights for its 1.86 million 28 This article cannot cover all the water temperature, dissolved oxygen ounces of gold. levels, altering habitats, depleting customs and traditions that will be altered or lost. However, Skopje sediment in rivers (which leads to Moreover, factories manufacturing

Church in Mavrovo Lake

erosion) and limiting ground water goods primarily for cities create weddings have become Westernized; 23 Macedonian folk tales and myths are accessible to plants. intolerable air pollution for both replaced with Turkish soap operas; villagers and urbanites. Also, the and meals are increasingly bought and Other alterations to the land are waste created by city-initiated not homemade. These are the direct mounting. Although the government overconsumption finds itself ravaging results of urbanization and the dying is giving larger subsidies to hillsides, where 210,000 tons of waste village lifestyle, and they suggest that Macedonian farmers, which has (30% of Macedonia’s total waste) is resulted in a 30% increase in arable illegally dumped.29 One report Goce Delcev’s view of the world as 24 being a cultural battleground between land in Pelagonia, Macedonia lost indicates that “all air, water and soil 35,000 family farms between 1994 are severely contaminated, [and] even the peoples are just as relevant today, 25 and possibly more so, than during the and 2007. Large businesses are now protected Lake Ohrid suffers from converting more natural land into eutrophication, due to waste water Ottoman times. farms while many family farms inflow.”30 These environmental Second, cities are unsustainable and cannot compete with their presence. pitfalls are partly why Macedonia is lead to unprecedented environmental Additionally, more land is used to witnessing increases in cancer and has destruction. A city needs to pool raise animals and food for animals the 36th highest cancer rate in the resources from outside its boundaries because urbanites are eating meat world.31 in order to sustain its energy, food, and more often than their village 19 materialistic demands. The effects ancestors. Macedonia’s mountains are Abandoned villages and urbanization on rural populations are devastating. also being stripped of their beauty and have also distanced humans from

31 nature. When one is removed from the but these benefits are temporary and regions to determine their wealth and land, one loses an understanding of the apply to few villages. Fourth, worth through a broad and relevant importance and workings of the museums educate us about our perspective, not through a narrowly natural world. Thus, one is less likely cultural history, but they do not tailored definition. As an anti-coal to respect nature and therefore more actively promote the daily practice of mining activist once said about rural likely to not be concerned about our culture. Fifth, villages becoming life: “It was a hard life, but here I was environmental pollution and specialized in a particular occupation equal to everybody. I didn’t know I destruction. The further people stray or crop is ineffective and dangerous. was poor until I went to the city and from nature, the more likely they are Our village ancestors were self- people told me I was. Here I was to ignore environmental sufficient. A specialized economy will rich.”33 consequences. primarily serve the cities’ interests. Macedonia has three national parks: Villagers will lose critical self- Second, an education campaign about Pelister, Mavrovo, and Galicica. Their sufficiency skills and become the importance of sustainable living creation may seem like a good idea for dependent on a city-centered and self-sufficiency will create a those who want to protect nature. But economic system. positive perception of agricultural and village lifestyles. It will also help they are not. They signal that nature is Solutions a temporary playground – it is a place create sustainable cities. In addition, A first real solution is to redefine children should not be required to for 'non-natural' humans to enjoy wealth. Instead of defining wealth recreation and peaceful getaways. The attend school beyond the elementary only by money and production of level; rather, such institutional idea of national parks suggest that goods, other factors, such as the health Macedonians are not a part of nature education should be discouraged and of individuals, communities and education through living sustainably and only occasionally should immerse nature, equality, freedom, and the themselves in it. Contrarily, villagers and becoming self-sufficient, strength of personal and community apprenticeships, and adolescents do not need national parks – they 32 relationships, should be included. pursuing their own interests should be interact with nature daily, whether This would allow individuals and they are planting seeds, fishing, encouraged. collecting blueberries, chopping Village with Many Houses and Few People wood, swimming in rivers or hunting in forests. Villages respect the land because the land is their life; cities destroy villagers’ lands and set aside some land that only can be used for play. False Solutions On the surface, it seems that some simple and obvious solutions may work. However, I would like to place caution on a few of these. First, pumping money into villages to make them mini-cities will not reintroduce traditional Macedonian lifestyle into the villages. Second, some infrastructure is necessary, but excess infrastructure threatens village lifestyle because what makes villages unique and preserves their existence is a lack of easy connectivity and accessibility to large urban areas. It is one fight to keep the villages populated and another to keep them diverse. Third, tourism will not effectively sustain villages. It may work for regions that urbanites find appealing,

Third, Macedonia should decentralize Factory Pollution in the Background governmental powers. A village should control issues that solely or primarily affect it. This will allow the culture of a village to evolve in its own direction and at its own pace. A regional government will exist to regulate issues between villages, and a national government will exist to regulate issues between regions, if those entities cannot resolve or manage certain issues themselves. Fourth, the Diaspora could lead in one of two ways. First, we could move back to a more traditional village lifestyle in Macedonia. Second, we could incorporate sustainable living and self-sufficiency in our lives here while immersing ourselves in the daily practice of our traditional culture. Macedonia does have a say in the how this new culture is havocking matter. Macedonia's population is Both options allow us to lead by nature and biodiversity. hardly growing, with a growth rate of example. 0.16% per year,34 and plenty of If the Macedonian village lifestyle in The above are not methods to uphold resources in rural Macedonia can particular disappears, and if our modern and accepted sustain Macedonia’s needs and Macedonia is so polluted and stripped interpretations of wealth, education, splurges. Materialism and of its resources that it becomes governance, and self-sufficiency. consumerism are not as rampant as in indistinguishable from other natural They are initiatives that will allow other countries, and villages still have areas, then distinctly Macedonian Macedonian culture and nature to the basic infrastructure necessary to characteristics will also vanish. At that survive and thrive. maintain them. point, the only difference between Macedonia and other countries is a Conclusion It is true that cultures can and do name. But what is the point in fighting evolve. Survival, in many cases, is Successfully curing Macedonia’s ills 35 for a name if everything that name depends on how Macedonians answer dependent upon the ability to adapt. once represented no longer exists? If two questions: a) do we want to Sometimes cultures willfully change Macedonia’s culture and landscape preserve our culture or do we want to in order to survive, and they usually become virtually indistinguishable only shed themselves of that which is practice our culture; and b) do we from that of Greece, America, China want to preserve nature or do we want hindering survival while maintaining and Nigeria – if Macedonia resembles to live in nature? Only when our everything else that works. Other all other countries, what is the point of times, however, cultures change not values are in line with both practicing struggling for Macedonia? our culture and living within nature based on any perceived need for survival, but because they perceive Victor Sinadinoski can we begin to implement the above 36 solutions. Only then can we rebuild that the change will make life easier. Editor's Note: This article has put our villages as communities that These changes are based on short- forward some very challenging exemplify Macedonian culture and sightedness and a misperception of viewpoints, in relation to various protect the natural environment. what a new lifestyle can offer. taken for granted assumptions in the Promises of a better and easier life mainstream of modern Western Perhaps urbanization cannot be accompany a money-oriented and culture. countered. A sky-rocketing world consumeristic society, and the vast population and corporate materialism majority of cultures are opting for this We hope it will inspire some controlling and manipulating our homogenized culture. Yet, individuals responses. Anybody who is interested perceptions seem to give us little are becoming increasingly depressed, in responding, whether positively or choice. Yet, never in history have stressed and incapable of self- negatively, may write to the editor of cities existed without strong villages. sufficiency beyond earning a this Review by emailing to Is that a risk Macedonians are willing paycheck. Further, people are ignoring [email protected] ■ to take? More than many countries,

16 ENDNOTES Velichkovska, Rodna, Harvest singing in stgeorgemrf.secure.mycms.com.au/ Macedonia, Pg. 111. http://pelister.org/ macedonian-community-cancer-research- 1 Karajkov, Risto, The Death of Macedonian index.php/macedonian-resources/folklore . award.aspx . Village, 2006. http:// 17 32 www.balcanicaucaso.org/eng/Regions-and- See footnote 15. See The bridge at the end of the world: countries/Macedonia/The-Death-of- capitalism, the environment, and crossing 18 See this webpage for a list of traditional Macedonian-Village-33132 from crisis to sustainability by James and unique Macedonian instruments. http:// Gustave Speth. 2 Panov, Mitko, Enciklopedija Na Selata Vo www.sunray.mk/instruments.html . 33 Reece, Erik, Moving mountains: the Republika Makedonija, 1998, Pg. 7. 19 See Endgame by Derrick Jensen, struggle for justice in the coalfield of 3 Lutovska, Klaudija, Demographers sound specifically with regards to how civilization Appalachia, quote by, Larry Gibson of West the alarm on dying village, 2012. http:// and cities are unsustainable. Virginia, in The Future of Nature, edited by www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/ Barry Lopez. Pg. 98. 20 Petkovski, L. and Tanchev, L., New large en_GB/features/setimes/ dams are necessary in Macedonia, from 34 features/2012/07/31/feature-02 Wikipedia Article on the Demographics of Dams and Reservoirs, Societies and the Republic of Macedonia. http:// st 4 Bakalov, Ivan and Borisova, Nevena, Environment in the 21 century. Pg. 365. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Ghost villages and the slow death of rural Demographics_of_the_Republic_of_Macedo 21 River Watch, Growing protest: nearly nia . Bulgaria, 2013. http://www.equaltimes.org/ 100,000 against dams in Mavrovo National ghost-villages-and-the-slow-death? Park / Macedonia, http://riverwatch.eu/en/ 35 lang=en#.VB2SY-ktDct Stock, Jay T., Are humans still evolving? balkan-rivers-en/growing-protest-nearly- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ 5 http://www.ghosttowns.com/ 100000-against-dams-in-mavrovo-national- PMC3327538/ . ghosttownsusa.html park-macedonia . 36 See My Ishmael by Daniel Quinn, 22 6 The Local, Spain gives away empty Petition by Goran Stojcevski at specifically in regards to the agricultural villages for free, 2014. http:// change.org, Да се спречи изградба на две revolution. www.thelocal.es/20140309/abandoned- мини хидроцентрали на река Раќита во spanish-villages-given-away-for-free село Вратница, општина Јегуновце and a separate petition by the Macedonian 7 Johnson, Ian, Chinese culture fades away Diaspora in the United States. with empty villages, 2014. http:// 23 www.cnbc.com/id/101382610#. International Rivers, Environmental impacts of dams, http:// 8 Wikipedia on Skopje. http:// www.internationalrivers.org/environmental- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skopje#cite_note- impacts-of-dams . autogenerated78-88 24 Taleski, Misko, Subsidies spark 9 Wikipedia on Bitola. http:// Macedonian agriculture, http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitola#Demography www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/ en_GB/features/setimes/ 10 Wikipedia on Tetovo. http:// features/2013/02/02/feature-02 . en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ 25 Tetovo#Demographics Slide-show presentation on “Family farms in Macedonia” by the Ministry of 11 Green Pack, Village life in Macedonia, Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Economy, http://www.greenpackonline.org/english/ October 2011. threats-and-pressures.php?id=05-03-10-03- 05 26 Dambov, Risto et al., Economic development of mining in Macedonia, http:// 12 See Endpoint: a world without villages? eprints.ugd.edu.mk/3947/ . by Colin Harrison and how urbanization and empty villages are one in the same 27 Marusic, Sinisa, Russia to invest 150 phenomena. http:// million in Macedonian mines, http:// urbansystemscollaborative.org/endpoint-a- www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/major- world-without-villages/ . russian-investment-in-macedonia . 13 See Ishmael and My Ishmael by Daniel 28 McIlwraith, Ian, Steep battle for Quinn as an in-depth explanation on the Macedonian gold asset, http:// relationship between culture and nature, www.smh.com.au/business/steep-battle-for- especially with reference to the two different macedonian-gold-asset-20120528- cultures of the Takers and the Leavers. 1zdpz.html . 14 Fischer, Mary, Manic nation: why 29 Lutovska, Klaudija, Macedonia, region Americans are anxious, stressed, depressed aims to meet EU waste management and fat (and what we can do about it), http:// standards, http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/ www.alternet.org/story/156008/ setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/ manic_nation% articles/2012/07/23/reportage-01 .

3A_why_americans_are_anxious,_stressed,_ 30 depressed_and_fat_ Environmental issues in Macedonia, (and_what_we_can_do_about_it) . http://naturvernforbundet.no/international/ environmental-issues-in-macedonia/ 15 My experience in Macedonia in August category939.html . 2014. 31 The 2014 Macedonian community cancer research award, https://

Macedonian folk poetry has ancient roots and is represented in hundreds of beautiful, moving folk songs. Their themes span history from ancient times to recent times. They include the lyric and the epic, the ode to joy and the tragic lament. They contain almost all of the elements we associate with fine poetry, the epithet, the rhyme, the repetition, the metaphor, the simile, and more. And fortunately, we have a substantial body of such folk songs preserved from past generations due to the diligent collecting of foreign scholars such as Vuk Karadzic, Stefan Verkovic and native born collectors such as Kuzman Shapkarev, Marko MACEDONIAN FOLK POETRY Cepenkov and Konstantin Miladinov, and others in more recent times. By Dr. Michael Seraphinoff Konstantin Miladinov, in his remarkable collection of Macedonian folk songs, published in Zagreb in 1861, (a collection with the inappropriate title, due to the times and a portion of the contents, Bulgarian Folk Songs) summed up the essence of what makes these songs meaningful in his introduction to that collection:

"Folk songs portray the intellectual development of a people and reflect its life. In songs a people shows its feelings, in them it immortalizes itself and its feats of old, in them it finds its spiritual food and sustenance; thus, in happiness and sadness, at weddings and dances, at harvest and grape gathering, at embroidering and spinning, in fields and forests, it pours forth songs as from a rich spring. Therefore we can say that a people is always a great poet."

This rich tradition in Macedonia cannot be divorced from the daily life of the Macedonian people. It developed out of the age old agrarian village life of the people. Songs about work, love, marriage, birth, death, nature and the supernatural, and foreign servitude and resistance to foreign oppression, almost always in the context of village life, abound.

The beauty and imagination of so many of these works of the anonymous folk creator over the ages is readily apparent. Take, for example, this excerpt from the Miladinov collection, translated into English by Macedonian scholar, Tome Sazdov: Kuzman Shapkarev 36

The young fairy was out dancing, frequently used in Slavic folk songs, spring of 1975, to accompany my was out dancing on the mountain. when the folk singer asks himself: uncle and cousins when they moved Her mother-in-law called to her: their sheep from a winter pasture in “Oh dear fairy, daughter-in-law, "What is so white atop the Šar Lower Polog, in the Vardar River leave your dancing, come home Mountain? valley in the Tetovo region, to the quickly Is it snow, or a white flock? mountain meadows of the Shar for your baby boy is crying.” Neither snow, nor a white flock, Planina. Uncle Stole, at that time, in “Mother-in-law, Oh dear mother! If it were snow, it would melt, cooperation with an Albanian partner I will send a ewe for milking, If if it were a flock it would flow and his family, maintained a flock of to suckle my dear baby boy; around. some hundred sheep. I will send a gentle shower, That is Milka's tent to bathe my darling baby boy; in which Milka is grieving and We stayed in a bachilo, a shepherd's I will send a gentle zephyr, mourning for her brother, hut, with walls of field stone and a to sing a lullaby to my baby boy.” whom the Turks captured, corrugated metal roof. We slept on Captured and hung." heavy woollen blankets on beds of Although it is true that we cannot woven tree branches and maintained a experience everything we desire in No doubt, one can take some pleasure wood fire in the center of the hut with life, and I am a great believer in the in this song if one has at least seen a cauldron of boiling water for value of fine literature to provide a pictures of snow and of white flocks milking purposes. We ate tender window into a wondrous world of sheep grazing on a picturesque young onion greens with bread, and beyond our direct knowing, there is no Macedonian mountain, or better yet, salted mutton, and the milk of the substitute for direct experience, stood somewhere in the shadow of sheep in a variety of forms, as yogurt, whenever possible. It may be possible such a mountain and gazed up at the as fresh cheese curds and as soft and to enjoy a folk song, for instance, that sight of it in wonder. Better yet, after a hard cheeses. lets us imagine the white slopes of a delicious meal with some of majestic Macedonian mountain range Macedonia's delicious sheep milk Various family members would come and tragic history that once unfolded cheese, work some of that off on a and go on horseback, leading donkeys there, but without direct experience of good walk on some village or that brought in supplies and such places, our imagined experience mountain trail. Nowadays, even in transported wooden barrels of cheese of what the song describes is Macedonia, Eco-tourism is growing in down to the valley below to sell at the impoverished. popularity. It involves opportunities to pazar. Besides uncle Stole and cousin engage in activities that put the tourist Zhivko I remember a somewhat slow There is a beautiful Macedonian folk in close connection to wild nature and witted man named Manol, who was song (I encourage you to look up the the rural countryside. often the butt of jokes. And I version sung on internet youtube by remember Refik, a rather proud young the group Belo Platno) with the Worldwide, humanity is becoming man who wore traditional woollen following words: ever more divorced from the natural shepherd's pants and carried a world, the one that village folk often traditional wooden staff and a simple Што се бели, горе Шар планина? know so intimately. Today some 90% shepherd's flute with him when he Да л' је снегче, ил' је бело стадо? of us live in urban centers. Access to went off to tend the flock of sheep. He Нит' је снегче, нит' је бело стадо. the countryside is far more limited was friendly enough with Uncle Stole, Да је снегче, би се растопило, than it once was, and with modern but he viewed me, the Amerikanets, Да је стадо, би се растурило. transport most of us don't even have to with a bit of suspicion. Веч тој беше Милкино чадорче, walk much further than to and from Под чадорче болна Милка лега. our car each day. In such a world, Uncle Stole and his son, my cousin Брата и гу Турци заробили, organized efforts to reconnect to rural Zhivko, seemed to have very good Заробили, пај га обесили. life and the natural world make perfect relations with their Albanian family sense. Check the possibilities in partners. Most of my cousins were The presenters tell us that this is a Macedonia at some of the following wary and distant with Albanian song from the village of Štrpce on the ecotourism websites: gomacedonia, neighbors. Uncle Stole did not share Šar Mountain that forms the border travel2macedonia and their frequently negative view of between Kosovo and Macedonia. The whereismacedonia. Albanians. He remarked to me one song begins with the use of Slavic day, that they were more trustworthy antithesis, a figure of speech I was privileged even before the than many of our own as partners, and advent of ecotourism, back in the

37 that their sober, industrious ways had also earned his respect.

When I wasn't asked to help with chores, I was free to roam the mountain. With a sturdy staff in my hands to ward off wild creatures or more likely the big, strong Shar Planinets guard dogs that every shepherd on the mountain had by his side, I set off on long hikes on the mountain trails. From the top of the mountain I could see the city of Tetovo, and from other vantage points I could see the distant town of Prizren, over in Kosovo.

So much on the mountain agreed with me, the fresh mountain air, the clean cold water from little springs and brooks, the picturesque mountain meadows and forests and the grand vistas that afforded long distant views of the countryside. And the ancient ways still practiced by the shepherds- that included long distance calling to fellow shepherds far off on the mountain at sunset- I can still hear my uncle calling a long, drawn out: "Eeeeeeh, morriiii Muraaaat!" That would then be answered by a far off echoing call from a distant, lonely shepherd in some other hut with an accompanying flock of sheep and dogs.

Should we lament the passing of these old ways, practiced for some ten thousand years or more by our Neolithic farmer ancestors in the Balkan lands? Nowadays, even in Macedonia, and even in the villages, I Marko Cepenkov am more liable to encounter young people dressed in jeans and colorful shirts sporting company logos, armed with cell phones and never too far from their electronic devices. It is the way of the world. I certainly can't turn back the clock, nor, if I thought about it very much, should I want to.

Yet, there are certain things that I would urge the young to hang on to from our cultural past, that are not meaningless relics or quaint artefacts, but timeless, meaningful pleasures and occupations. These would include a walk in the mountains, the taste of nature's bounty in a handful of fresh wild blackberries, the call of the mourning doves at dawn and dusk, and so many other eternally satisfying connections to the natural world. And some old ways of human devising: the oro, the sound of the traditional kaval flute, and Macedonian folk poetry in lovely old songs such as the one I have quoted above. Even far from the source, we are all nowadays just a mouse click away on the Internet with YouTube access to some of the most beautiful works of our folk heritage. If you haven't listened to the song I cited, try it now: https://m.youtube.com/watch?sns=fb&v=mLNpe4jYzxs. Then shut down all of your electronic devices and take that walk in the wild. ■

Dr. Michael Seraphinoff

Germanos Karavangelis Supporting the Ottomans against Macedonians

GREEK PROPAGANDA TRIANGLE: ATHENS—BITOLA—KOSTUR (1900-1903) By Dr. Dimitar Ljorovski Vamvakovski

The government in Athens finding itself under pressure amongst themselves, began devising ways to draw up from the heightened activities of Greek nationalist plans for organized action against the Macedonian elements in Ottoman Macedonia and the Kingdom of revolutionary movement. Greece, as well as the "surprisingly" rapid development of the Macedonian revolutionary movement, felt In Bitola Ion Dragoumis, in particular, was engaged in compelled to adopt a more forceful approach to the working towards the achievement of Greece's "national Macedonian Question. The Kostur Metropolitan, goals". He, in November 1902, was appointed secretary Germanos Karavangelis, in his memoirs, observed that of the Greek consulate in Bitola, a position which as a result of Greek propaganda activities in Macedonia allowed him great freedom of action. Alongside his and the alleged "mass killings of Greeks ... the interest of everyday duties, Dragoumis researched the reports of public opinion in Greece began to awaken".1 Greek consul, Kjuze Pezas, which were sent to the Greek propaganda circles in Ottoman Macedonia, backed by Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Through them he arrived at nationalist circles2 in Greece, on their own initiative, a realistic assessment of the factual situation in the Bitola began to organize the struggle against the Macedonian Vilayet and, as he himself wrote, "the rapid loss of 3 Revolutionary Organization (MRO). A national control" of the Greek propaganda effort over events propaganda triangle was created: namely, Athens-Bitola- there. Heightened activities on his part were recorded 4 Kostur, which by taking the initiative to coordinate from March 1903 , a period when he began to

39 intensively "mobilize" on behalf of they were “defending Hellenism in Metropolitan Germanos the Greek secret services, "priests, Macedonia”. The group was Karavangelis. He, according to teachers, doctors,"5 that is, anyone composed of the following officers: Greek historiography, "was pivotal whom he considered suitable for George Tsontos-Vardas, to the organization of the armed waging the struggle for "the Konstantinos Mazarakis Alexandros rebel (chetnik) movement", while salvation of Hellenism" in Ottoman Kondoulis, Georgios Katehakis- Ion Dragoumis and Pavlos Melas Macedonia.6 Soon he formed the Rouvas and others. According to the were “the first to give life [in organization "Amina" (Defence), Greek historian, Georgios Modis, Greece] to the decision ... to help which operated exclusively in the Pavlos Melas was especially tormented Hellenism in areas inhabited by Greek, Vlach or committed to the “cause” and was its Macedonia”.13 Dragoumis, after Greckified populations in southern “greatest pillar".10 At the same time, arriving in Bitola, represented the Macedonia. individuals from this group of link which connected up with the officers were also part of the idea of organizing of a Greek armed It was intended that the city of Bitola "Committee for Assistance to the struggle against the Macedonian would be the centre of the Macedonians", which was based in revolutionary movement. He carried Organization. In fact, Dragoumis’s Athens, and whose most prominent out the correspondence with and intentions were as follows: the focus members were Ioannis Valaoritis coordination between nationalist of the Greek struggle would be in Marko Dragoumis (brother of groups in Ottoman Macedonia and Macedonia and by virtue of that very Stefanos Dragoumis)11 Konstantinos the Kingdom of Greece. Dragoumis fact the government in Athens Raktivan and others. Pavlos Melas’s and Melas, in the person of the would skilfully avoid the pressure of marriage to Natalia Mela, the Kostur Metropolitan, found the Ottoman authorities; that is, it daughter of Stephanos Dragoumis someone through whom they hoped would enable it to refute accusations and sister of Ion Dragumis, was of they would more easily implement of direct Greek government great significance for his later their plans for the creation of local involvement in events in Ottoman activities. mercenary armed bands and for the Macedonia. The organization sending of such groups from Greece created by Dragoumis resembled According to the memoirs of into Macedonia. more an association of mutually Natalia Mela, the only conversations unrelated groups, isolated in certain held in her father’s ( Stefanos In addition, Karavangelis, after populated places without any mutual Dragoumis’s) house were about the having failed to attract the attention coordination. These groups often situation of "Hellenism in of Athens, finally discovered consisted of only a few members Macedonia" and that from morning "national activists", with whose recruited personally by Dragoumis. to night their house was filled with support he considered it would be Under the constitution, the purpose masses of people.12 In addition, easier to implement his plans and at of "Amina" was not to fight against Melas, in his youth, actively the same time obtained financial, Ottoman rule, but for the "national participated in the work of the moral and technical support for the protection" and alliance of Greek “Etniki Eterija”. He attained the rank activities he had already embarked municipalities.7 Furthermore, it was of sublieutenant and performed his upon. In this manner, the activists envisaged that Greek elements in military service in the cryptographic forming the Greek propaganda Macedonia would be armed, that services in the northern border triangle began to function and realize information would be collected regions of the Kingdom of Greece. their intentions. about the activity of the MRO and In the initial period of this group’s that Greek armed detachments activities, the main goal was After examining the factual situation would begin their operations.8 obtaining funds for the purposes of in Ottoman Macedonia, Ion disseminating Greek propaganda in Dragoumis noted that the larger part The next element of the Greek Ottoman Macedonia. Melas at this of the population was "Slavic", but propaganda triangle for the conduct time, but also later on, took that, according to him, it did not 14 of operations in Ottoman Macedonia advantage of the authority and possess “any national feelings”. He was located in Athens. After the end acquaintances of his wife’s father- also concluded that conditions on the of the Greco-Turkish War (1897) Stefanos Dragoumis. ground were favourable for Greek and the failure of "Etniki Eterija"9, a propaganda activity as the group of young Greek officers The next activist in the Greek Macedonian-speaking population continued to operate on the basis that propaganda triangle was the Kostur had "rather than a religious and

40 national consciousness or solidarity, about the idea regarding the need an attachment to the cult of their for weapons, as if it was yours. For ancestors, which through their now, first of all, attend to the need to language influences their identity."15 organize a journalistic campaign for He considered that it was necessary the promotion of Greek interests in to act immediately, however not in Europe, which means that you must order to "retain loyalties”16, but have enough money to buy foreign rather that it was necessary to for us papers and people…. And I am [i.e. the Greek state] to conquer prepared [to write] and Nata Macedonia.17 In order to realize this [Natalia Mela] can write something idea action was required in two as well, I will also send directions. Firstly, it was deemed information ... Secondly, you need necessary to keep land in Greek to have enough money so that it can hands by which he meant the be at our disposal any time it is buying of Ottoman or Jewish needed”.20 In this manner Ion estates by Greeks and prohibiting Dragoumis laid out the basic the sale of estates to foreigners contours of the tasks to be carried (especially to Bulgarians). out by Greek propaganda against Secondly, there would have to be a the Macedonian Revolutionary ban on farmers of non-Greek ethnic Organization within the Ottoman background working on the estates Empire, as well as in the Kingdom and if such persons were already of Greece. At the same time he Ion Dragoumis working on the estates, they were to advocated that a journalistic be Hellenized or removed.18 campaign be launched through which Greek interests and goals in Pavlos Melas Portrait In a letter to Melas of January 23, Ottoman Macedonia would be 1903 (old calendar) Dragoumis presented to the European public. stressed that if they wanted their struggle to succeed, it was necessary The campaign for the collection of that "work" be done in Macedonia, funds in support of Greek and that he and Karavangelis had propaganda efforts in Ottoman done "what they could", but what Macedonia was gradually begun. was also needed was “that actions Initially, it encountered certain be taken in Greece”.19 He also difficulties due to the lack of observed that “money was required preparedness on the part of Greek for both matters”. Further on in the financial supporters, but also due to letter Dragoumis expressed his the suspicion with which national interest about the situation in Athens elements viewed the earlier regarding the "Macedonian activities of the “Etniki Eterija”. The Question", but did not omit to also rich French princess, Luisa de advise Melas about the course that Rainkur, who lived in Athens, was their activities should take. the largest financier of the Greek propaganda effort in Macedonia. It was in that context that the She was recruited to help finance following questions and suggestions the Greek cause by Maria, the aunt from him to Melas were posed: of Ion Dragoumis.21 In Greece, the "What is happening with the financial assistance needed for association, will it be formed? Is it propaganda activities was obtained being formed? Is there money from relatives, friends and rich available? If there is, keep a certain donors, while Stefanos Dragoumis, amount for buying weapons, there on the other hand, sought funds may be a need later on …. if an from his rich friends living in association exists, you can talk Egypt.22

Ion Dragoumis, in his subsequent letters to Melas, drew him, these bands would be very familiar with the terrain his attention to the organization of the armed struggle on which they would operate, would be able to easily against the MRO, the activities of Karavangelis in the find shelter and supply themselves with food, while at the Kostur Diocese and the preparation of analyses of the same time being able to form or disband according to goals and activities of the Macedonian revolutionary need. Precisely in the period when the Macedonian movement. He considered that it was necessary to take ethnic group was united around the program of the MRO action against the internal organization by the use of which propagated the autonomy of Macedonia, armed bands made up of corrupted sectors of the local Dragoumis wanted to create discord and disunity among population in Ottoman Macedonia. In the letter to Melas the population. He tried to show that ethnic of 6 February 1903 (old calendar), he wrote as follows: differentiation existed among the Macedonian-speaking "We should not send armed bands from Greece, but population on the basis of church affiliation. Therefore, rather we should create them here [meaning Macedonia]. he declared that Macedonian Patriarchists were Fortunately we started several months ago (with almost “Greeks”, while Macedonian-Exarchists were no money) ... the money you sent to me is needed to “Bulgarians”, including in this regard the MRO which he continue the temporary defence of the villages in the regarded as agents of the Bulgarian government. On the Kostur district. The Kostur Metropolitan is the only other hand, he also underestimated the strength of the patriot out of all the remaining metropolitans and carries Macedonian revolutionary movement in the pre-Ilinden out his work enthusiastically”. 23 period. In particular, the well organised armed bands of the MRO in the Kostur district. Namely, because these In contrast to the efforts made by Karavangelis for the MRO armed bands mercilessly pursued and destroyed sending of armed bands from Greece into Macedonia, those armed groups which did not accept the Ion Dragoumis had a different view. He considered that Constitution and Program of the MRO, especially those 24 local bands were sufficient , such as those that had paramilitary formations which had been formed by the already been formed by the Kostur Metropolitan. From propaganda structures of the neighbouring states. Greek the letter it can be clearly seen that his goal was the propaganda structures could only rely on those bandit creation of new or the maintenance of the existing local elements among the local Macedonian population or on armed bands with funds from Greece. However, it was former members of armed bands-cum-renegades from unclear from whom those bands would be “defending” the ranks of the Internal Organization. The latter were the "Macedonian population" in the Kostur region?! often isolated in a few villages, as was the case with the Namely, Karavangelis’s goal and that of his collaborators renegade Kote, cowing the population into obedience was not “the struggle against the Ottoman authorities”, as through terror and violence. had been also indicated in the Constitution of “Amina”, but “the national defence”25 of the “Patriarchist Ion Dragoumis, in his letter of 27 February 1903, (old communities” in Ottoman Macedonia which they calendar) informed Melas of the MRO’s goals. He, being considered to be their own Greek communities. consciously aware of the situation, observed as follows: Therefore, the main task of Karavangelis and his "The armed bands of the Committee [MRO] are present associates was to prevent the Patriarchist Macedonian everywhere and have no intention of obeying the population’s participation in the Macedonian Russians and the Great Powers that advise them to seek revolutionary struggle and to retain its loyalty to Greek/ peace. They are working even harder than ever ….. they Patriarchist propaganda. do not seek to make Macedonia Bulgarian, but want an autonomous state (Macedonia for the Macedonians).” 26 From here on it was clear what the intentions of Ion Dragoumis, further on in the letter concluded "that it is Dragoumis were as presented in the report cited above. necessary to defend the Orthodox villages27 and to work His idea was that the main struggle would be waged on their education, as many of them are being against the operations of the MRO which was the main attracted”28 to the revolutionary movement. While in his rival to the “Greek struggle” in Ottoman Macedonia. He, previous letter of 6 February, he had not clarified from according to the information he was receiving from the whom the villages in the Kostur region should be Kostur Metropolitan on the activities of the renegade defended, in this letter he very clearly pointed to the Kote Hristov from the village of Rula, was convinced “villain”. In addition, his frank statements allude to his that only with the support of the armed bands formed by concern at the loss of Patriarchist adherents. That is the the local corrupted Macedonian population, would Greek reason why he once again stressed that one of the ways propaganda be able to successfully oppose the to defend the self-proclaimed Greek elements was Macedonian revolutionary movement. According to through the formation of armed bands from the local

42 population. In relation to that he and the partial change in the policy revolutionary movement. Funds informed Melas that “around Kostur of the government in Athens were were also set aside for the murder of there is an armed band [referring to expected. It was decided that more senior leaders of the MRO in the Kote’s group] which defends our radical measures needed to be taken, Kostur region.36 people”.29 He finally emphasized on the one hand because of the that insofar as they failed to form pressure exerted by nationalist In any case, Karavangelis, such armed bands, they would not circles in the Kingdom of Greece Dragoumis and Melas in the months succeed in realizing their intentions, and Ottoman Macedonia, and on the leading up to the Ilinden Uprising nor would Kote’s existing armed other hand, due to the way events (1903) were busy with the initial group be able to survive as it was were developing and the continuing organized arrival of armed surrounded on all sides by MRO pronounced decline of the strategic individuals and groups from Greece bands. position suffered by the Greek whose aim was to fight against the 37 propaganda effort in Ottoman MRO. The different views and One of the activities of the Macedonia. approaches of this "troika" regarding propaganda triangle was the the way in which to organize the procuring of weapons for the needs Dragoumis, in one of his subsequent struggle against the Macedonian of the Greek propaganda effort in letters sent to Melas, informed him revolutionary movement was not a Ottoman Macedonia.30 In the initial that "our work so far mainly consists great obstacle to the realization of period (1900-1903), with funds from of creating bands in the Kostur their nationalist plans.38 The actions Greece, the weapons were most region, maintaining Kote and taken by the "troika" had a often bought in Macedonia, winning over the Greeks [he means significant impact on the future specifically from the Muslim the Patriarchist population] who are organized intervention of the Greek population and through certain here [referring to Bitola] and in the state in Ottoman Macedonia. smuggling channels. The sending of villages".34 He also looked after the Therefore, Ion Dragoumis, weapons from Greece, according to allocation of funds that came from Germanos Karavangelis and Pavlos Melas, was "impossible ... as Greece and were intended for the Melas can be said to be the momentarily the government has needs of the Greek propaganda forerunners of the [Greek] strictly forbidden it".31 Melas effort in south-western Macedonia. "Macedonian Struggle".39 proposed to Dragoumis that he also At the beginning funds were sent to inform Karavangelis about the Bitola through the Ministry of Dr Dimitar Ljorovski situation in Greece. However, a Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Vamvakovski. Translated from month later, Dragoumis expressed Greece, but due to frequent delays, Macedonian by Dr Chris Popov of "surprise" at the decision of the Dragoumis suggested to Melas that the AMHRC. government in Athens to "send 200 he send them himself via rifles to Kostur [Metropolitan recommended mail. The funds were 32 Karavangelis]". In contrast to the provided monthly and the amounts ENDNOTES data contained in Dragoumis’s sent depended on the needs of the report, the Metropolitan in his Greek propaganda effort in Ottoman 1 Germanos Karavangelis, Macedonian memoirs pointed out that 100 rifles Macedonia, but also on the capacity Struggle (memoirs), (Skopje, 2000), p.25. had been sent, with sufficient of Greek nationalist circles in the 2 These included the families Dragoumis, ammunition, as well as an equal Greek state to collect money from Melas, Politou, Raktivan, Lambros, 35 number of fur coats (cloaks). In rich "donors". Once the money Lammbris, Delios, Mavros, Varatasis and Greece, the whole operation arrived in Bitola, Dragoumis would others. regarding the supply of weapons for retain a certain amount for his own 3 Ιωνος Δραγουμης, Τα Τετραδια του Ιλιντεν, the needs of the Greek armed needs, while he sent the larger part (Αθηνα: Γιωργος Πετσιβας 2000),p. 44. propaganda effort was coordinated on to the Kostur Metropolitan. The by Melas. He informed Metropolitan used these funds for 4 On March 18, 1903 (old calendar) Kjuze Karavangelis by letter that the purchasing arms, for monthly Pezas left for medical treatment because of bad health and left Ion Dragoumis in charge weapons had been sent to payments to Kote’s band, for the of the consulate in Bitola. Δραγουμης, Τα Kalambaka and that the bribing of various bandits and other Τετραδια, p.44. consignment would be received by activities which were directed 5 the Metropolitan through his trusted against the Macedonian-speaking Ι. Δραγουμης, Τα Τετραδια, p.44. 33 people. Such a course of events population and Macedonian 6 Idem, p.17 43

7 Юра Константинова, Балканската 17 Δραγουμης, Τα Τετραδια, p.52. 34 The letter is dated May 12, 1903 (old политика на Грция в края на XIX и calendar. Δραγουμης, Τα Τετραδια, p.27. началото на ХХ век, (София: 2008), 295. 18 Δραγουμης, Τα Τετραδια, p. 49. 35 From the letter of Pavlos Melas sent to Ion 8 Весела Трайкова, „Наченки на 19 Δραγουμης, Τα Τετραδια, p.11. Dragoumis of April 26, 1903 (old calendar) андарското дело в Македония – one learns that in the month of April, the Каравангелис, Јон Драгумис и десетината 20 Δραγουμης, Τα Τετραδια, 11-13. monthly amount came to 60 pounds. There Критяни“, Македонски научен институт; was a possibility for that amount to increase in Преглед, г.XXIV, бр.1, (София: 2001), p.50. 21 Δραγουμης, Τα Τετραδια, 44. the coming months. Δραγουμης, Τα Τετραδια, p.87 9 “Etniki Eterija" (National Society) was 22 Трайкова, Наченки на андарското дело в created in the spring of 1894 by a group of Македония,p.51. In a letter of May 24, 1903 36 In a letter to Germanos Karavangelis of Greek officers. In two years the organisation (old calendar), Pavlos Melas informed Ion May 8, 1903 (old calendar), Ion Dragumis developed into a serious political and military Dragoumis that his father Stefanos "has the asked the Kostur Metropolitan, to give 50 force in Greece. Under the pretext of the intention of asking for a report from you about pounds to certain people in Bilishta who were unrest in Crete, "Etniki Eterija" decided in the everything that is happening in Macedonia supposed to assassinate Vasil Chakalarov. In spring of 1896 to send armed bands to and then asking his friends in Egypt to give the event that the assassination of Chakalarov Ottoman Macedonia. The armed action ended money for you. Δραγουμης, Τα Τετραδια,p. did not succeed, the money was to be returned ingloriously for the aspirations of Greek 119. to Karavangelis. Δραγουμης, Τα propaganda in Macedonia. The capabilities Τετραδια,p.103. and objectives of the armed groups sent from 23 Δραγουμης, Τα Τετραδια, 17. the Kingdom of Greece were in no way and 37 This refers to the arrival of the first could not be aimed at destabilizing Ottoman 24 The Greek Consul in Thessaloniki, N. organized paramilitary formation from the rule in Macedonia. On the contrary, their goal Evgenijadis had the same view "Therefore, Kingdom of Greece in Ottoman Macedonia, was to indicate their territorial aspirations to merely by forming armed bands from the immediately before the Ilinden Uprising (June Europe and oppose Bulgarian propaganda in population from the Orthodox Macedonian -July 1903) which operated in parts of Lerin Ottoman Macedonia. "Etniki Eterija” also villages [Macedonian Patriarchist villages, our and Kostur county. sent armed bands to Macedonia in 1897. note], we will succeed in opposing the These Greek paramilitary detachments Bulgarian armed bands [referring to the 38 In his diary on 12 August 1903 ( old experienced the same fate as the previous armed bands of the MRO, our note]. Report calendar) Ion Dragoumis noted: “ The Bishop ones; i.e they were quickly liquidated or of the Royal Greek Consulate in Salonika wants an operation which will bring about a driven out. No.3, 4 January 1904 (old calendar). Copy of result straight away in relation to the the document in the possession of the author. Macedonian question. I am in favour of 10 Γ. Χ. Μοδη, Μακεδονικος αγων και something which will prepare the people and μακεδονικες αρχηγοι, (Θεσσαλονικη: 1950), 25 Юра Константинова, Бьгари и Гьрци в make them better and an undertaking which p.223. борба за османското наследство, (София: will have some type of influence on the 2014), p.108. Macedonian Question. Δραγουμης, Τα 11 Stefanos Dragoumis (1842-1923) was a Τετραδια,p.53 Greek social activist, politician and national 26 Δραγουμης, Τα Τετραδια, p.27 ideologue of the Greek armed propaganda 39 Αποστολου Ε. Βακαλοπουλου, Ο effort in Ottoman Macedonia. He was also a 27 Villages inhabited by Macedonians- μακεδονικος αγωνας (1904-1908) ως member of the Greek Parliament, and Patriarchists which I. Dragoumis and the κορυφαια φαση των αγωνων των Ελληνων alternatively was Minister for Justice, and for Greek propaganda machinery presented as για τη Μακεδονια, (Θεσσαλονικη: 1985), Interior and Foreign Affairs during the period Greek. p,29. 1886-1893 year. He was Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Greece for a short period. (18 28 Δραγουμης, Τα Τετραδια,p. 27. January - 6 October 1910) 29 Referring to Macedonians-Patriarchists. 12 Ναταλια Μελα, Παυλος Μελας, (Αθηνα: 1926), p.166. 30 Ion Dragoumis informed Pavlos Melas on

13 April 30, 1903 (old calendar) that he was Κωνσταντίνος Σβολοπούλος, „Η αποφαση buying guns in Macedonia. Δραγουμης, Τα για την οργανωση του ενοπλου αγωνα“, Ο Τετραδια,p.91 Μακεδονικος αγωνας; Συμποσιο, Θεσσαλονικη-Φλωρινα-Καστορια-Εδεσσα, 31 Letter from Pavlos Melas to Ion (Θεσσαλονικη: 1987), p.59. Dragoumis, March 29, 1903 (old calendar). Δραγουμης, Τα Τετραδια, p.67 14 Δραγουμης, Τα Τετραδια, p.48. 32 Letter from Ion Dragumis to Pavlos Melas, 15 Δραγουμης, Τα Τετραδια, p.49. April 30, 1903 (old calendar). Δραγουμης, Τα Τετραδια, p.91 16 He refers here to keeping Macedonian Patriarchists under their influence and above 33 Каравангелис, Македонската борба,p. all keeping them within the confines of the 25. Constantinople Patriarchate.

MACEDONIAN GATHERINGS IN MELNIK AND MUSOMISHTE On April 27 2014, the traditional all Macedonian gathering The traditional gathering in memory of the Ilinden Uprising in memory of Jane Sandanski was held in the town of (1903) against Ottoman was held in the village of Melnik. The main organiser of the event was OMO Musomishte in the region of Goce Delchev in Pirin Mace- "Ilinden" PIRIN. Around 1,000 people attended, they came donia on July 27. Again the main organiser was OMO from various parts of Pirin Macedonia and Bulgaria in gen- "Ilinden" PIRIN. Attendees came from all over Pirin Mace- eral. Some special guests from the towns of Bitola and No- donia and also from the cities of Sofia and Shumen. Also in vo Selo in the Republic of Macedonia, also attended. Pro- a attendance was a delegation from the Association of ceedings began with a speech given by OMO co-President, Macedonians from Aegean Macedonia in Bitola. Macedo- Dr. Stojko Stojkov. That was followed by performances nian singers from various parts of Pirin Macedonia provid- from an array of singers and musicians hailing from vari- ed entertainment until late in the afternoon. ous parts of Pirin Macedonia and the event went on for more than five hours.

45 45

“NON-EXISTENT” MACEDONIANS CELEBRATE By Dimitri Ioannou (Jovanov)

Citizens of a country which does not This year, during the month of July, and Tiolishta (Kostur). recognise their existence, the some of the most notable festivals Macedonians in Greece, demonstrated were staged in Krushare (near the However, the largest gatherings took that they are an embodied reality and town of Enidzhe), Tudortsi (Voden), place in the villages of Tsrmorinovo flaunted their difference via a variety Patele (Sorovich), Embore (Kajlar), (Negush) and Ovchareni (Lerin). of cultural festivals held in a myriad of Setoma (Kostur), Gornichevo (Lerin), Thousands of Macedonians attended villages across the part of Macedonia Mokreni (Kajlar) and Blatsa (Kostur). the festivals held in those two villages which falls within the boundaries of In August other notable for two days of singing and dancing. It Greece. Many of the Macedonians manifestations took place in the was particularly heartening to view who attend these festivals travel long villages of Teovo (Voden), the youngest of children sing in distances to meet their fellows at these Krontselovo (Voden), Krushoradi Macedonian and the dancing of the annual events and to partake of songs (Lerin), Banitsa (Lerin), Pozhar "Tanets" ensemble from the Republic and speeches in the Macedonian (Meglen), Zabrdeni (Lerin), Neret of Macedonia, was amazing. It is language. Though it needs to be (Lerin), Krpeshina (Lerin), difficult to find the words to explain remembered that some of the groups Peshoshnitsa (Lerin), Kladorabi the enchanting nature of the performing at these festivals, are still (Lerin), Ekshi Su (Sorovich), Rakita atmosphere.... governed by fears of the past and play (Kajlar), Ajtos (Sorovich), Ljubetino Macedonian melodies, without a (Sorovich), Kopanovo (Negush), singer.... Armenoro (Lerin), Lichishte (Kostur)

4935

RELATED ORGANIZATIONS ABOUT The AMHRC and MHRMI are part of an international Macedonian network that spans Australia, North America and Europe, including: AUSTRALIAN MACEDONIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE

Address Suite 106, Level 1 MHRMI & 55 Flemington Rd North Melbourne, 3051 Telephone +61 3 9329 8960 Email [email protected] AMHRC Website www.macedonianhr.org.au

MACEDONIAN HUMAN RIGHTS MOVEMENT INTERNATIONAL

Address 157 Adelaide St. West, Suite 434 Toronto, Canada M5H 4E7 Telephone 1 416 850 7125 Email [email protected] Macedonian Website www.mhrmi.org

Human Rights MACEDONIAN ALLIANCE FOR EUROPEAN INTEGRATION The political party of the Macedonians in Albania

Movement Website www.macedoniansinalbania.org

International EUROPEAN FREE ALLIANCE—RAINBOW

(MHRMI) has been Address Stephanou Dragoumi 11 PO Box 51, 53100 Florina/Lerin, active since 1986. Greece Telephone +30 23850 46548 Email [email protected] or The Australian [email protected] Website www.vinozito.gr

Macedonian OMO ILINDEN PIRIN

Human Rights Address Bulgaria, Blagoevgrad 2700 Zk ‘Elenovo’ bl 6 v. Bar. 6 p.k. Mechkaroovi Committee Email [email protected] (AMHRC) has been Website www.omoilindenpirin.org MACEDONIAN SOCIETY “ILINDEN” TIRANA A Macedonian cultural association in Tirana, Albania active since 1984. Website www.ilinden-tirana.com

NOVA ZORA Both MHRMI and A pro-Macedoniannewspaper based in Aegean Macedonia, Greece, edited by Dimitri Jovanov and with a printed circulation of 20,000 copies per month AMHRC are non- Website novazora.gr

governmental NARODNA VOLJA A Pro-Macedonian newspaper based in Pirin Macedonia, Bulgaria, edited organisations that by Jan Pirinski and Stojko Stojkov. The first edition was published in 1980

inform and Website www.narodnavolja.com advocate about TEAM MEMBERS combating racism and promoting MHRMI AMHRC Jovan Drenoski Treasurer Chris Angelkov Perth Representative Michael Georgiev Marketing human rights. Our Gligor Apoleski Sydney Representative Donna Gulcev Mitch Belichovski Online Management joint aspiration is to Tomislav Jakovleski Ljubica Durlovska Review Production Designer/Assistant Editor ensure that Velibor Jakovleski Tase Filipov Treasurer Slavko Mangovski International Coordinator Ivan Hristovski New York Correspondent/Representative Macedonian Jimmy Mihajlov Jason Kambovski Communications Advisor/Executive Member Tonia Miovska International Coordinator Diane Kitanoski MHR Review Photographer communities and Bill Nicholov President Sasha Nackovski Political Liaison Officer Lazo Ognenov Dr. Vasko Nastevski Secretary/Executive Member other excluded Andy Plukov Daniel Nikoloski Adelaide Representative/Online Management Mark Opashinov Secretary Lisa Penova Adelaide Representative/Online Management groups throughout Bill Pavlovski Public Relations Steven Petkovski Canberra Representative the world, are Liljana Ristova Dr Chris Popov Media Liaison/Executive Member Silvana Talevska Michael Radin Adelaide Representative recognised, Luby Vidinovski Vice President Peter Sarbinov Deputy Secretary Ljupco Stefanovski Wollongong Representative respected and Vasko Tanevski Adelaide Representative Chris Terpos Marketing Manager afforded equitable Jim Thomev Columnist for MHR Review Johnny Tsiglev Members’ Representative treatment. David Vitkov International Co-Ordinator/Executive Member George Vlahov Editor MHR Review/Executive Member