[MGSA-L] Disruption of Presentation of Greek-Macedonian

[cd_katsetos at yahoo.com]

Appended below are the comments by Dr. Christos Karatzios,
an academic physician with family roots in Greek Macedonia.  

The views expressed in the posting below are solely those of
the author.

Christos D. Katsetos
 
********************************

The critical input by Professor Brian Joseph, a respected
linguist and an authority on South Slavic Linguistics 
is greatly appreciated.

Let me state from the outset that I recognize the hard
work behind the late Vasko Karadza’s dictionary. Obviously,
this was a labour of love. It should be noted though 
that this dictionary which is promoted by Vinozhito, 
the self-described party of the “Macedonian minority” in 
Greece, compares the Greek language to the Slavonic 
language spoken in the Former Yugoslav Republic of 
Macedonia (FYROM) in its standard form, and not to the 
local Slavonic dialects used by bilingual inhabitants
in Greek Macedonia. 
     
More to the point: It is indisputable that the Slavonic
dialects, which are akin to (and are largely based upon)
Slavonic Bulgarian, spoken by an unspecified number 
of bilingual indigenous inhabitants in Greece's northern
hinterland, are different from the language codified
in Skopje in November, 1944 by the linguist Blago Konev
(later known as Blaze Koneski) under orders from Josip
Broz Tito. I link this here: http://www.panmacedonian.info/NY_times_1965.htm. 
If this language was codified for political reasons in
the 1940's (as one of the instruments of Yugoslav communist
propaganda exploiting the bane of the Greek Civil War) 
why should we, the bilingual Hellenes of Greek Macedonia,
accept this as a "Macedonian" language?      

On the matter of identity, the people of FYROM have
every right to a distinctive national identity and 
separate language distinct from their historically 
connected Bulgarian and/or Southern Slavic roots. 
No reasonable person will deny them their right to 
self-determination. What Greece (as a State) and 
most Greeks object to is the self-determination of
citizens of FYROM and their Diaspora as being the 
bona fide "Macedonians." The monopoly of the terms 
'Macedonians' and 'Macedonian' by Skopje underlies 
major political stakes. Despite nuanced claims to 
the contrary, this negates the collective memory and
identity of Macedonian Hellenism, its history, its culture,
its folklore and its symbols, all the way to its
local/regional products and commodities.

Self-determination is defined as the free choice of a
person's own acts and desires without external compulsion.
This is the real reason why Greeks object to what Macedonism
is attempting to accomplish in Greek Macedonia. Macedonism
is acting as a pounding external agitator driven by 
a State-sponsored ethnocentric nationalist creed 
with 21st century irredentist visions. The Greek people
see a spade and call the spade.

Let me make this clear: There is no pervasive support
coming from Slavophone bilingual Greeks for self-determination
as "Macedonians" with the connotation of the word that
Skopje wants to give. Nor is there an overt expression
of yearning by the local inhabitants to learn the Slavonic
language of FYROM (in its standard form) – contrary to
what Skopje and its Diaspora activists would like
the international community to believe. "Macedonian"
is not a language that we want to call our dialects,
which we have been calling "Bulgarian (Voulgarika)" 
for generations. I am of the view that one can’t impose
on a population something that the people don’t want. 
Along these lines, may I also submit that the dictionary
promoted by Professor Friedman and Vinozhito does not 
represent our local oral dialects. What Skopje, Vinozhito,
and by virtue of association Professor Friedman, 
are engaged in is tantamount to sheer political activism.  

It is worth mentioning here that Vinozhito received a 
total of 4524 votes in all of Greece during last week's 
European Parliamentary elections. Only 2594 votes came from
Greek Macedonia itself. That Vinozhito is free to hold 
associations, and promote their agenda throughout Greece
is evident. However, their website is run by ultranationalist
Macedonist circles from overseas (the people behind Maknews.com)
who repeatedly engage in malicious expressions of rampant
hatred and racist slurs  while demonstrating virulent
hostility against the modern Greek state. 

If Professor Joseph so chooses to "distance [himself] 
from extreme nationalistic views on all sides, the debate,
governmental and nongovernmental, Macedonian and Greek 
[because] they have no foundation in linguistic science 
and serve no useful purpose," then he should also choose
to distance himself from the political operation of 
Macedonist propaganda with which some of his colleagues 
maintain strong ties. 

It is high time for respected scholars to desist from
speaking pedantically on politically sensitive issues, 
and to be aware of those hiding behind a veil of political
expediency. Bilingual Macedonian Greeks have been able
to preserve, cherish and celebrate their heritage and
their oral local Slavonic, Vlach or Arvanite dialects,
throughout the centuries. More importantly, they do not
seek the intervention of outside patrons and saviours 
with political agendas. Yes, historically there were 
some isolated low moments of linguistic persecution but
the people’s collective memories are a testament of 
endurance of their deeply entrenched Greek identity.

Let it be known in no uncertain terms that the vast
majority of bilingual Macedonian Greeks have no interest
whatsoever of accepting the codified standardized language
of Skopje as their mother tongue let alone as the language
of a purported "Macedonian minority” in Greece’s northern
prefectures. Historically, the complete failure of Roumanian
schools in Grecovlach communities in Thessaly, Epirus 
and Macedonia during the interwar years of the last 
century should be a vivid reminder to the patrons and 
champions of “ethnolinguistic minorities” in modern Greece.

Condemning the unacceptable behaviour of extremist thugs
of Chrysi Avghi, I would like to point out that the people
who reacted inappropriately to the presentation of the
late Vasko Karadza’s dictionary in Athens were individuals
from the fringes of Greek society. Suffice it to say that
it is grossly unfair for the entire Greek nation to be 
vilified in this regard by the Friedmans of academia. 
Greeks of the Metropolis and the Diaspora have shown that
they have more mature ways of dealing with staged 
political provocations.

Christos Karatzios MD


--- On Mon, 6/15/09, bjoseph at ling.ohio-state.edu <bjoseph at ling.ohio-state.edu> wrote:

http://maillists.uci.edu/mailman/public/mgsa-l/2009-June/010963.html
 
> Finally, since Mr. Caratzas seems to want "meta-data" about
> those posting
> to the list, as well as various sorts of declarations, let
> me say for the
> record that Victor Friedman is a dear friend of mine of
> long standing and
> that he and I have been collaborating for several years on
> a book on the
> Balkan languages
> to be published in the next year or two (2010 or 2011) by
> Cambridge
> University Press.  With regard  to the Macedonian
> language and the
> Macedonians, I endorse the rights of the Macedonians to
> linguistic
> self-determination (as I do for all peoples and especially
> for all
> minorities).   I do recognize that the names
> used for languages constitute
> a politically charged issue but would urge parties to loook
> beyond the
> name and embrace self-determination, difficult though that
> may be. 
> Professor Friedman's point about the pressing need to
> document
> under-described language varieties in Greece (including
> Macedonian,
> Arvanitika, Aromanian (Vlaxika), Romani, Pomak, Judezmo,
> and Turkish)
> cannot be overemphasized, and the same holds for
> under-described dialects
> of Greek itself (including Pontic, Tsakonian, and all
> regional varieties).
> 
> And, for the record, I distance myself from extreme
> nationalistic views on
> all sides , the debate, governmental and nongovernmental,
> Macedonian and
> Greek; they have no foundation in linguistic science and
> serve no useful
> purpose, in my estimation.