Drafting of Pan-Macedonian Resolution
- LSR 1169
by Metodija Koloski
February, 2003
The Honourable Senator Theodore Gatsas,
As an American citizen of Macedonian origin I am
writing to convey my disappointment over the language of this
resolution,
which states that the "Ancient Macedonians are Greeks."
The
Modern Greek claim -- that the ancient Macedonians were Greek
-- is politically motivated and is not supported by historical
evidence. This political mythology was created in the late
19th century to advance territorial claims against Ottoman Macedonia.
In its current incarnation it is used by Greece as an excuse
to discriminate against its Macedonian minority.
Ancient Macedonians were among the peoples that
lived between northern Greece (Thessaly) and Thrace in the Balkans
and were
considered by classical Greeks, such as Demosthenes, to be "barbarians." Herodotus
wrote that "Macedonians" were "Dorians" and
were never admitted to the Greek community. Scholars inform us
that the ancient Macedonians did not speak Greek but another
language presently unknown of which only proper names remain.
More recently, Macedonia was partitioned in 1913
with Greece annexing the southern part of the territory. The
so-called
Greek
province
of Macedonia has
only been “Greek” for 90 years -- 90 years cannot
account for the inaccurate presumption of
3000
years
of continuous racial homogeneity -- in the Balkans, no less.
Consider also that the modern Greek State was
formed ca. 1829 under a Bavarian monarchy.
It was around this
time, via Droysen, that the propaganda of “Hellenism” was
adopted to “greekocize” the
population and fabricate for it a common language and history.
This is the official mythology you now have before you.
Has the legislature tested the blood of today's
Greeks and compared it with the bones of the ancient Macedonians?
You must have or else how could you reasonably presume to support
these claims.
Recent genetic studies have established that modern-day Greeks exhibit a sub-Saharan
origin whereas Macedonians
are related to the “older” Mediterranean sub-group,
which pre-dates the Greek entry into mainland Europe.
Allow me also to mention the difficulties presently
facing the Macedonian minority in Greece. Following the Balkan
Wars
of 1912-13, Greece
annexed half the territory of Ottoman Macedonia and instigated
a policy of denationalization (ethnic cleansing) and the forced
assimilation of the indigenous Macedonian population.
It is widely known that Greece refuses to acknowledge the existence
of any national minorities or even minority languages. These
difficulties still persist in Greece as highlighted by the US
Helsinki Commission hearing of June 2002.
The Greek government will ultimately have to recognize
the distinct Macedonian ethnic minority within its jurisdiction
and stop sending
its surrogates, hands extended, to American state legislatures
in an effort to cover its dismal human rights record.
It is official United States policy to distance
itself from these vulgar machinations and remain neutral on this
matter. In
adopting this resolution your legislature will contradict official
US policy.
In March 2002, Mr. Richard Holbrooke, former U.S.
Ambassador to the United Nations, delivered a lecture at Johns
Hopkins University regarding the situation in the Balkans. Below
is an excerpt from that lecture:
Question: How should Macedonians call themselves?
Answer: "Macedonians"
Question: Their country?
Answer: "Macedonia"
Question: Their language?
Answer: "Macedonian"
Question: How to solve the problem with the Greeks?
Answer: "the Greeks must learn to adjust"
Frankly, the drafting of this resolution
is nothing short of a hate crime targeting a specific ethnic
group. Do you really want to impose Greece's abysmal human rights
practices on the United States?
I
have faith in you Senator Gatsas and I believe that decency
and common sense will prevail in the great state of New Hampshire
and that you will not allow racist resolutions like this one
to see the light of day.
With all due respect,
Metodija A. Koloski
American of Macedonian descent
E-mail: mkoloski@hotmail.com
