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WHY DO PONTIC GREEKS SEEK SEPARATE RECOGNITION?
Written by Pontos World
http://pontosworld.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1905&Ite mid=1
May 24, 2011 at 12:16 PM
They say that genocide is "the deliberate and systematic destruction,
in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national
group". So why is it then that Pontic Greeks continue to seek in some
cases a separate recognition for the genocide that occurred in the
historic region of Pontus? They were not a separate ethnic group -
they were Greek. They were not a separate racial group either - they
were of the same race as the Greeks. Or so they tell us. They were
not a separate religious group - they were Greek Orthodox. And they
were not a national goup since Pontus was merely a region of the then
Ottoman Empire - it was not a nation.
Most would be aware of the resolutions passed in US parliaments
acknowledging or at least commemorating the day of May 19 as a day
that genocide occurred in the Pontus region. Most of these resolutions
would have come about as a result of efforts of Pontic associations
which are mostly run by ordinary citizens. As a result of the lack of
well informed personell, most if not all of the resolutions contain
factual irregularites. For instance most of them differ in the naming
of the genocide, the number of victims, the inclusion or ommission
of other Greeks which also were victims of the same genocide (Greeks
of other parts of the Ottoman Empire) and a general lack of uniformity.
Mistakes have continued in other parts of the world namely in Australia
where Pontic Greeks sought a separate recognition and placed the
other Greek victims (which by the way outnumbered the Pontic Greeks)
into a category of 'other minorites'. It must be stressed that more
Greeks perished during the Greek Genocide of 1914-1923 outside of
Pontus than within it. So why do Pontic Greeks do it?
In Sweden last year a resolution was passed which only recognized the
genocide of Pontic Greeks. The resolution was adopted after additional
information (which pointed to the genocide in regions outside of
Pontus) was used. It was a result of efforts by a politician of Pontic
descent who resides in Sweden. So we can see a clear pattern here.
Pontic Greeks are only concerned about their own people. They have
little or no concern for the other Greeks that lived outside of
Pontus and who also died in the same circumstances as their own
people. In other words, the Greeks who were sent on death marches,
massacred, raped, and left to die in regions such as Smyrna, Nicomedia,
Constantinople, Eastern Thrace etc are not worthy of recognition. This
behaviour is certainly worrying. A genocide is certainly a dreadful
act. But recognition should encompass all the victims and not just
those from one region. Afterall, if we look at the definition of
the term genocide as mentioned above, the Pontic Greeks are acting
outside of the defintion of the term. They are not a distinct race,
ethnic group, religion or national grouip.
Aside from pride in their own separate culture (they danced and spoke
Greek differently) there is another reason why they seek separate
recogntion. And that is, because they can do it and get away with it.
In much the same way as the Turks committed genocide and thought they
could get away with it, the Pontic Greeks too are behaving in much
the same way. If a Pontic Greek was to read for instance The Blight
of Asia by George Horton or an article in the New York Times which
talks of massacres of Greeks in the former Ottoman Empire, he or she
immediately uses that information to say that a genocide occurred
just in Pontus. Which is not true. Pontic Greeks have filtered out
information detailing the genocide of all Greeks of the former Ottoman
Empire to support their own case. And this must stop.
If Pontic Greeks are in fact Greek as they insist they are, then they
must behave so. Seeking recognition for a genocide based on just
one region is immoral. My efforts to highlight this injustice has
got me into alot of trouble. I have tried to bring this injustice to
the attention of Pontic Greek organizations in Australia and around
the world and I have been treated with utmost disrepect. I have been
verbally abused by Pontic Greeks who consider me a trouble maker. But
how so? Are these the actions of a civilised race? Why can't Pontic
Greeks accept someone else's opinion? Why must they resort to violent
means to silence me? How can I be a trouble maker when I am seeking
the recognition of all the Greeks who perished due to genocide? Is
this such a bad thing? In effect, according to Pontic Greeks, people
who seek recognition based on the true meaning and definition of
genocide, are simply getting in their way.
Pontic Greeks will continue to get in the way of the international
recognition of the Greek Genocide if they continue this path. Their
continual insistence in using the fallacious term 'Pontian Genocide'
will only delay worldwide recognition. The term 'Pontian Genocide'
means nothing to a non-Greek. Most people would have no idea what a
Pontian actually is. In fact a Pontian is simply someone from Pontus,
in much the same way as an Indian is someone from India. The term
doesn't define if that person is Greek, Turkic, Armenian or a Laz.
Which brings another issue to light. Many Pontic Greeks insist that
Pontus was a Greek state and it should be returned to its rightful
owners meaning the Greeks. This is nonsense. Pontus was a region
in which many races of people lived. When Greeks first set foot in
Pontus, they found other races already living there. And throughout
history the region was always inhabited by other races. Pontus was
always a region where people of many races resided.
As Greeks we can only hope that the efforts of Pontic Greeks
in seeking separate recognition stops. Exclusivity of sufferring
should have no place in genocide recognition or even memorial. Which
brings in the issue of the separate dates of commemoration. There
are currently 2 official days approved by the Greek state, and
one unofficial commemoration date for the genocide. For the Pontus
region it is May 19, for the genocide of all Ottoman Greeks Sep 14
and for the Thrace region Apr 6 (this date is unofficial meaning it
is not recognized by the Greek state). The Greek state should be held
accountable somewhat for assigning May 19 as a day of commemoration
for the Pontic Greeks. This occurred in 1994. In doing so, albeit
under pressure by Pontic Greek politician Michalis Charalambidis,
they have given Pontic Greeks belief that the genocide in Pontus was
a separate event. Which it wasn't.
The existence of so many dates of commemoration only adds to the
confusion. However September 14 should be adopted by all Greeks as
being the date of commemoration for the Greek Genocide as attested by
Greek Law 2645/98. It was on this day that Smyrna was set afire by the
Turks, a vital date for all Ottoman Greeks. And the fact that Greece
officially made this day a day of commemoration in 1998, 4 years after
assigning May 19 as a day of commemoration for the Pontus region,
only serves to highlight that the Greek state believes recognition
of the genocide should be more inclusive than exclusive.
We can only hope that common sense will prevail and that Pontic Greeks
will put aside their ego and join with all Greeks in commemorating the
Greek Genocide on the one day. Having said that, there is nothing wrong
with Pontic Greeks or other Greeks mourning on a separate date and
in private if they so wish. But if we are to take the Greek Genocide
seriously, a single day of mourning must be put aside for all Greeks
to mourn together.
There is currently no country in the world that has officlaly
recognized the Greek Genocide. The Armenian Genocide however has been
recognized by over 20 countries worldwide.
Written by Pontos World
http://pontosworld.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1905&Ite mid=1
May 24, 2011 at 12:16 PM
They say that genocide is "the deliberate and systematic destruction,
in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national
group". So why is it then that Pontic Greeks continue to seek in some
cases a separate recognition for the genocide that occurred in the
historic region of Pontus? They were not a separate ethnic group -
they were Greek. They were not a separate racial group either - they
were of the same race as the Greeks. Or so they tell us. They were
not a separate religious group - they were Greek Orthodox. And they
were not a national goup since Pontus was merely a region of the then
Ottoman Empire - it was not a nation.
Most would be aware of the resolutions passed in US parliaments
acknowledging or at least commemorating the day of May 19 as a day
that genocide occurred in the Pontus region. Most of these resolutions
would have come about as a result of efforts of Pontic associations
which are mostly run by ordinary citizens. As a result of the lack of
well informed personell, most if not all of the resolutions contain
factual irregularites. For instance most of them differ in the naming
of the genocide, the number of victims, the inclusion or ommission
of other Greeks which also were victims of the same genocide (Greeks
of other parts of the Ottoman Empire) and a general lack of uniformity.
Mistakes have continued in other parts of the world namely in Australia
where Pontic Greeks sought a separate recognition and placed the
other Greek victims (which by the way outnumbered the Pontic Greeks)
into a category of 'other minorites'. It must be stressed that more
Greeks perished during the Greek Genocide of 1914-1923 outside of
Pontus than within it. So why do Pontic Greeks do it?
In Sweden last year a resolution was passed which only recognized the
genocide of Pontic Greeks. The resolution was adopted after additional
information (which pointed to the genocide in regions outside of
Pontus) was used. It was a result of efforts by a politician of Pontic
descent who resides in Sweden. So we can see a clear pattern here.
Pontic Greeks are only concerned about their own people. They have
little or no concern for the other Greeks that lived outside of
Pontus and who also died in the same circumstances as their own
people. In other words, the Greeks who were sent on death marches,
massacred, raped, and left to die in regions such as Smyrna, Nicomedia,
Constantinople, Eastern Thrace etc are not worthy of recognition. This
behaviour is certainly worrying. A genocide is certainly a dreadful
act. But recognition should encompass all the victims and not just
those from one region. Afterall, if we look at the definition of
the term genocide as mentioned above, the Pontic Greeks are acting
outside of the defintion of the term. They are not a distinct race,
ethnic group, religion or national grouip.
Aside from pride in their own separate culture (they danced and spoke
Greek differently) there is another reason why they seek separate
recogntion. And that is, because they can do it and get away with it.
In much the same way as the Turks committed genocide and thought they
could get away with it, the Pontic Greeks too are behaving in much
the same way. If a Pontic Greek was to read for instance The Blight
of Asia by George Horton or an article in the New York Times which
talks of massacres of Greeks in the former Ottoman Empire, he or she
immediately uses that information to say that a genocide occurred
just in Pontus. Which is not true. Pontic Greeks have filtered out
information detailing the genocide of all Greeks of the former Ottoman
Empire to support their own case. And this must stop.
If Pontic Greeks are in fact Greek as they insist they are, then they
must behave so. Seeking recognition for a genocide based on just
one region is immoral. My efforts to highlight this injustice has
got me into alot of trouble. I have tried to bring this injustice to
the attention of Pontic Greek organizations in Australia and around
the world and I have been treated with utmost disrepect. I have been
verbally abused by Pontic Greeks who consider me a trouble maker. But
how so? Are these the actions of a civilised race? Why can't Pontic
Greeks accept someone else's opinion? Why must they resort to violent
means to silence me? How can I be a trouble maker when I am seeking
the recognition of all the Greeks who perished due to genocide? Is
this such a bad thing? In effect, according to Pontic Greeks, people
who seek recognition based on the true meaning and definition of
genocide, are simply getting in their way.
Pontic Greeks will continue to get in the way of the international
recognition of the Greek Genocide if they continue this path. Their
continual insistence in using the fallacious term 'Pontian Genocide'
will only delay worldwide recognition. The term 'Pontian Genocide'
means nothing to a non-Greek. Most people would have no idea what a
Pontian actually is. In fact a Pontian is simply someone from Pontus,
in much the same way as an Indian is someone from India. The term
doesn't define if that person is Greek, Turkic, Armenian or a Laz.
Which brings another issue to light. Many Pontic Greeks insist that
Pontus was a Greek state and it should be returned to its rightful
owners meaning the Greeks. This is nonsense. Pontus was a region
in which many races of people lived. When Greeks first set foot in
Pontus, they found other races already living there. And throughout
history the region was always inhabited by other races. Pontus was
always a region where people of many races resided.
As Greeks we can only hope that the efforts of Pontic Greeks
in seeking separate recognition stops. Exclusivity of sufferring
should have no place in genocide recognition or even memorial. Which
brings in the issue of the separate dates of commemoration. There
are currently 2 official days approved by the Greek state, and
one unofficial commemoration date for the genocide. For the Pontus
region it is May 19, for the genocide of all Ottoman Greeks Sep 14
and for the Thrace region Apr 6 (this date is unofficial meaning it
is not recognized by the Greek state). The Greek state should be held
accountable somewhat for assigning May 19 as a day of commemoration
for the Pontic Greeks. This occurred in 1994. In doing so, albeit
under pressure by Pontic Greek politician Michalis Charalambidis,
they have given Pontic Greeks belief that the genocide in Pontus was
a separate event. Which it wasn't.
The existence of so many dates of commemoration only adds to the
confusion. However September 14 should be adopted by all Greeks as
being the date of commemoration for the Greek Genocide as attested by
Greek Law 2645/98. It was on this day that Smyrna was set afire by the
Turks, a vital date for all Ottoman Greeks. And the fact that Greece
officially made this day a day of commemoration in 1998, 4 years after
assigning May 19 as a day of commemoration for the Pontus region,
only serves to highlight that the Greek state believes recognition
of the genocide should be more inclusive than exclusive.
We can only hope that common sense will prevail and that Pontic Greeks
will put aside their ego and join with all Greeks in commemorating the
Greek Genocide on the one day. Having said that, there is nothing wrong
with Pontic Greeks or other Greeks mourning on a separate date and
in private if they so wish. But if we are to take the Greek Genocide
seriously, a single day of mourning must be put aside for all Greeks
to mourn together.
There is currently no country in the world that has officlaly
recognized the Greek Genocide. The Armenian Genocide however has been
recognized by over 20 countries worldwide.