[MGSA-L] May 10, 1956: The anniversary of the execution of two Greek freedom fighters
Loring Danforth
ldanfort at bates.edu
Mon May 12 08:05:20 PDT 2014
I am happy to join the present discussion of identity and add another
academic perspective. I suggest that the use of the term “Greek
Cypriot” (without placing “Greek” in quotations marks) and the use of
the term “ “Turkish” Cypriot” (placing “Turkish” in quotation marks)
is inappropriate, unscholarly, and offensive. That is equivalent to
placing the term “ ”Greek” ” in quotation marks without putting the
term “Turkish” in quotation marks. The use of quotation marks to
delegitimize the identity of some “other” group has no place in
scholarly writing. Attempts to defend this nationalistic language with
references to centuries old histories of population movements and
religious conversions are futile. Finally, the suggestion that
scholars involved in the MGSA should study human rights violations
committed by the Turkish government rather than human rights
violations committed by the Greek government is a political plea to
adopt one side in nationalist conflict, rather than serious advice
about how to chose a subject for scholarly research.
Loring M. Danforth
On 5/12/14, Aristide Caratzas <acaratzas at gmail.com> wrote:
> Indeed Michalakis Karaolis and Andreas Demetriou were Greek Cypriots — they
> both were members of EOKA and fought specifically to rid the island of
> British colonialism and unite it with Greece ('Enosis' was the explicit
> goal of the liberation struggle); in this they were supported by the vast
> majority of the Greek Cypriots, indeed even many "Turkish" (Muslim)
> Cypriots (cf. the referendum of 1950).
> I used the designation Greek for Karaolis and Demetriou because that is how
> they designated themselves — there is plenty of evidence.
>
> There is no conflict between the designations "Greek" and "Greek Cypriot,"
> as the latter refers to origins and local traditions, as in Pontic ,
> Epirotan (or North Epirotan), Macedonian, Thessalian etc.
>
> Over the last decades, after the Turkish invasion of the island in 1974 and
> subsequent occupation, the term "Greek Cypriot" has assumed an additional
> meaning with political overtones, to designate one ethnic group (with the
> overwhelming majority) and juxtapose it to the "Turkish" Cypriot. This is
> basically a screen to legitimate the creation of an entity that ignores
> basic democratic precepts such as majority rule.
>
> Finally, I put "Turkish" in quotes because in their overwhelming majority
> they are native Cypriots who were Islamized over the last two-three
> centuries — thus they are to be distinguished for the Turkish settlers from
> Anatolia that Turkish governments have been moving into the illegally
> occupied territory of the Republic of Cyprus.
>
> It would be interesting if some scholar-members of the MGSA would focus on
> the efforts of Ankara and the occupation regimes to alter the cultural
> foundations of the occupied areas, not only by the settlement of
> Anatolians, but also by the physical destruction of the evidence of the
> presence of the Greek Christian culture.
>
> Aristide Caratzas
>
> Aristide Caratzas
>
>
>
> On Mon, May 12, 2014 at 4:27 PM, Allen, Peter S. <PAllen at ric.edu> wrote:
>
>> In his post, Mr. Caratzas refers to the two young men as “Greeks”. Were
>> they not in fact Greek Cypriots?
>>
>>
>>
>> PSA
>>
>>
>>
>> Peter S. Allen
>>
>> Department of Anthropology
>>
>> Rhode Island College
>>
>> Providence, RI 0290
>>
>> 401-456-9639
>>
>> Fax: 401-456-9736
>>
>>
>>
>> *From:* Christos D. Katsetos [mailto:cd_katsetos at yahoo.com]
>> *Sent:* Saturday, May 10, 2014 5:45 PM
>> *To:* Aristide Caratzas; MGSA-L LIST
>> *Subject:* Re: [MGSA-L] May 10, 1956: The anniversary of the execution of
>> two Greek freedom fighters
>>
>>
>>
>> Echoing Aristide Caratzas' post in memory of the two young freedom
>> fighters,
>>
>> Mihalakis Karaolis and Andreas Dimitriou, who on May 10, 1956 were sent
>>
>> mercilessly to the gallows in a Nicosia prison, I should like to add the
>>
>> following thoughts.
>>
>>
>>
>> In 1956 Mainland Greeks from all walks of life and political persuasion
>>
>> voiced their strong solidarity with their Greek Cypriot brethren in their
>>
>> struggle against British colonial rule and for self-determination. The
>> historical
>>
>> memory of the 1955-59 Greek Cypriot uprising and the people's yearning
>>
>> for ΕΝΩΣΙΣ (unification) with Greece, during that time, ought to be part
>> of our
>>
>> γνώθι σαυτόν and not be misconstrued as a "nationalist" manifestation in
>>
>> the name of *realpolitik*. Importantly, Greeks across the democratic
>> political
>>
>> spectrum nowadays should stand united and not allow this sacred memory
>>
>> to become contaminated --or worse, be held hostage-- by the purveyors of
>>
>> perverted patriotism, hate mongering, and national socialist
>> totalitarianism.
>>
>>
>>
>> RELATED LINKS
>>
>>
>>
>> E.O.K.A. RIK - CYBC Documentary
>>
>> EOKA Documentary broadcasted from Cybc (RIK) Cyprus featuring footage
>>
>> from newsreels of the period.
>>
>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loVBPDQ0VNk
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> "Θα πάρω μιαν ανηφοριά"
>>
>> Στίχοι: Ευαγόρας Παλληκαρίδης
>>
>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kDjQwgmENE
>>
>>
>>
>> Colonial administration records -- Death sentences
>>
>>
>> http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/migrated-archives-6-tranche-guide.pdf
>>
>>
>>
>> =======
>>
>> CDK
>>
>> 5/10/2014
>>
>> On Saturday, May 10, 2014 1:21 PM, Aristide Caratzas
>> <acaratzas at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> On this day fifty-eight years ago (May 10, 1956) the British colonial
>> administration in Cyprus hanged two young Greeks, Michalakis Karaolis and
>> Andreas Demetriou (aged 23 and 22, respectively). Both men, who fought
>> for
>> the liberation of their land, went to their death with dignity and
>> without
>> fear.
>>
>> We live at a time during which the notion of self-respect is devalued for
>> many and the idea of freedom limited to those that happen to agree with
>> them. Furthermore the evocation of the Greek identity, is denied by
>> effete
>> internationalists, perverted by Nazi sociopaths, and deranged
>> Anarcho-Communist fanatics.
>>
>> Karaolis and Demetriou, and the others murdered by the British occupation
>> forces in that corner of Hellenism, died so that the rest of us maintain
>> our self-respect, to live and produce in the context of an identity in
>> which the human being is at the center, and the roots of which stretch
>> back
>> at least three millennia.
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Aristide D.Caratzas
>> acaratzas at gmail.com
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> List-Info: https://maillists.uci.edu/mailman/listinfo/mgsa-l
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> Aristide D.Caratzas
> acaratzas at gmail.com
>
--
Loring M. Danforth
Telephone: 207-786-6081
Fax: 207-786-8333
4 Andrews Rd.
Bates College
Lewiston, ME 04240
More information about the MGSA-L
mailing list