by Ioannis Abatzoglou*
I am of the opinion that we Macedonian Greeks stand for something noble and universally human. In this sense we cannot, by affirming our own national affair, cause harm to another people, because then the universal character of Hellenism would be lost. Every people has its name, its character, which is not steamrolled by the other. Moreover, the figure of Alexander the Great is such that even the peoples he conquered are proud that they were conquered by him, they do not hold their conquest by Alexander to have been a curse but a blessing, because the Greek conqueror respected every civilization.
By holding demonstrations on behalf of Macedonia we do not belittle any nation. When we affirm the Hellenicity of Macedonia we respect the whole world, and we respect and defend the Skopjans and their particular identity. As Slavs, the Skopjans have their own language, their tradition, their ethos, their philosophy. Furthermore, they have Orthodoxy. They also have great personalities. Even mentioning just Dostoyevsky, who was of Slavic descent, who is an atomic bomb of the spirit, so that everything else is superfluous. The Albanians too have their history, their ancient language and their civilization. When we show respect for the traditions of nations and in particular of the Slavs and the Albanians, who have deep traditions, then we show respect for ourselves and we give nations the ability to move forward, and thus we are able to live side by side. Every people, with its history founded on its roots, is then able to advance toward the future, and every difficulty is transformed into a blessing.
In contrast, if it is at the beck and call of foreign powers and of lies it torments itself. So by trying to convince the Skopjans that they are something other than they are in reality, certain people scorn them, they manipulate them, they corrupt them. Those who attempt to convince the Skopjans that they are Macedonians are fools, false leaders, big men who mislead the little folk and befuddle them for their own profit. When we stand on foreign legs, anyone can cut us down, whereas when we are based on our roots they cannot be easily cut. Only when people and nations accept what they are in reality are they able to advance, to do great things, to enjoy life and to succeed in history. The Greek, the Slavic, and the Albanian civilizations have deep roots of their own and they do not need foreign, phony crutches in order to advance into the future.
Whoever participates in these demonstrations as a Greek Orthodox Christian does not act in a partisan manner but is kindly disposed toward ever single person and every single nation; he or she is not an opportunist, does not wish anyone harm but desires the good of everyone. Hence these demonstrations respect the people of Skopje and every people. In this way the conscience of every person and every nation is clear. It is in this spirit that we participate in the demonstrations, with the aim of moving from “me” to “we”, from deception to truth.
P.S. This text springs from the Greek Orthodox tradition and belongs to everyone who has a share in that tradition. The author has simply put in some order the things that in any case already exist in our life, history, and tradition, as Macedonians, as Greeks, as human beings.
*Ioannis Abatzoglou has PhD in Medical Physics and he is the Head of the Medical Physics Department in the University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis in Greece. He participated in the protests at village Pisoderi in Greece on June 17, 2018 that occurred while the name “Macedonia” was being granted to the Skopjans country at the Greek village Psarades near to the lake Big Prespa, 30km away from Pisoderi. It was he who with his cell phone recorded the bloodied protester wrapped in the bloody flag of the Macedonian regiments of Alexander the Great, a recording that went viral and sensitized Greek and international public opinion to the subject. He has created a Facebook group with the name “PISODERI 2018 Epitropi Agona” (Pisoderi 2018 Committee for the Struggle).
original posted 3 August 2018 in greek