[MGSA-L] May 10, 1956: The anniversary of the execution of two Greek freedom fighters

Mon May 12 14:41:20 PDT 2014

Doubtless, the question of identity is a formidable one, necessitating
a critical appraisal of divergent social and cultural contexts.

Prof Allen's perspective on what constitutes Greekness seems to derive
from an all-encompassing and narrowly circumscribed definition of 
ethnic/national identity, which is based on citizenship effectively 
underestimating the nuances underpinning Greek identity in time and space.  

Apropos his argument of regional identity, purportedly exemplified in 
the case of Maniot identity, I should like to point out that an individual 
may have different layers of identity, which are --by no means conflicting-- 
but on the contrary, be unifying and galvanizing in many instances. Hence, 
the existence of regional identity does not negate a broader ethnic or national
identity and this is certainly drawn from the Greek experience.

In my view, Greek identity is traceable to the centuries-enduring inclusive 
tradition of Romiosyni, membership to which was neither tribal nor parochial. 
Romiosyni was not driven by regional identity and stands as the antithesis of
tribal mentality. Also, the entrenched notion that the Rum millet was a solely
religious body warrants critical scholarly reappraisal.  Belonging to Romiosyni 
(and thence Modern Hellenism) is tantamount to embracing and sharing an
enduring cultural tradition, nurtured for centuries from generation to generation, 
which goes beyond the confines of the Eastern Orthodox Faith. It includes an
amalgam of ancient myths and legends, virtues, vices and superstitions, literary
works and storytelling, musical motifs and lamentations, and other cultural 
attributes, which transcend geographical boundaries or state borders, and 
defy tribal or linguistic barriers. 

The sense of identity shared by most Greek Cypriots (or Cypriot Greeks) in the
era of Mihalakis Karaolis and Andreas Demetriou (and arguably to this day) is 
embodied in the epic poem of Vassilis Michaelidis (written between 1888-1895).

"Η Ρωμιοσύνη εν' φυλή συνότζιαιρη του κόσμου"
"Romiosyni" by Vassilis Michaelidis

THEPAK, Full performance at the University of Cyprus, Nicosia 2001
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhq5vCq4kQg

Last but not least, it should be emphasized in no uncertain terms that
the dignity, identity, and human rights of Turkish Cypriots (whether they 
are the descendants of Islamized Romioi, or otherwise, has no bearing 
to the problem at hand, in my view) ought to be fully respected and duly
protected, albeit not under the sword of Attila.  

Respectfully submitted,

Christos D. Katsetos, MD, PhD, FRCPath
http://www.drexelmed.edu/Home/AboutOurFaculty/ChristosKatsetos.aspx
http://www.stchristophershospital.com/find-a-physician/120
On Monday, May 12, 2014 1:42 PM, "Allen, Peter S." <PAllen at ric.edu> wrote:

As I said, I have no desire to prolong this discussion, but I feel obliged to comment on Mr. C.’s commentary.;
I find it more than ironic that Mr. Caratzas calls for a “diminished use of charged adjectives” yet calls into question the quality of my scholarship and then suggest that I am somehow “anti-intellectual.” I resent these remarks. Identity is a VERY tricky issue. There is  nothing “arbitrary” about the citizenship of the residents of Cyprus during the period of British colonialism there. They were living on the island of Cyprus and were thus citizens thereof, albeit constrained by the terms of British colonial rule – they were subjects of the British, but not with the privileges enjoyed by citizens of England. Anyone who desired to be fully Greek could have emigrated to Greece. Britain imposed no restrictions on such moves. During that time they may have called themselves “Greeks” or “Turks” or even ”Armenians” but that does not make these designations accurate. Mr. Caratzas brings up the Greek revolution, suggesting that Greek
 identity played a major role in that event. Undoubtedly it did, but there were many regional identities that were much stronger.  Many of the war lords who played an important part in the Greek revolution of 1821, such as Petrobey Mavromichalis, were surprised to find out that liberation from the Ottomans did not mean that they and their ilk could go about their business and rule their little fiefdoms, but rather they would be paying taxes to an entity called Greece and their sons would be subject to conscription by its armies, etc.  When Mavromichalis objected, he was imprisoned and we all know the rest of that story. It reminds me of the case of Italy.  When its various principalities were finally unified in the 1860s one of the architects of that union announced to the assembled unifiers, “Gentlemen, we have created Italy, now we have to create Italians.” It took several decades for a true Greek identity to manifest itself after the
 revolution. My own research on Cyprus (see “Bicommunal Separatism in Cyprus” in Saud Joseph and Barbara Pillsbury, eds, Muslim-Christian Conflicts; Economic, Political, and Social Origins. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1978, pp.208-233) reveals that, although there were Greek-speakers on Cyprus from as early as 1400 B.C.E., during Ottoman times the island’s populations defined themselves according to their religious affiliation not ethnicity or language. This was a fundamental feature of the millet system practiced by the Ottomans. Greek speakers were generally defined as “Orthodox Christian” and the Turkish speakers “Muslims.”  Some Christians (the so-called lino-vamvaki) converted to Islam nominally (mainly to be spared the inequalities heaped on the Christian population) but continued to practice Christianity clandestinely.
  As to Mr. Danforth’s point, it seems clear (see my article cited above) that the terms “Greek Cypriot” and “Turkish Cypriot” emerged about the same time (probably during the period of British rule and probably compounded by their use of the terms) since under the Ottomans they had been “Christian” and “Muslim”; therefore, there is really no reason to privilege one over the other.
And, yes, Cyprus was invaded by the Turks in 1974. I  know this well as I was on the island before, during and after the invasion and managed to travel around the island rather freely during this time (I drove as far as Cape Andreas just a week after the invasion, e.g.).  Lert me remind Mr. Caratzas that te invasion by the Turks was precipitated by a coup conceived of and engineered by the Greek Junta government during which Turkish Cypriots were targeted and slaughtered (I witnessed the aftermath of this personally). This does not justify in any way the atrocities that were clearly committed by the Turkish troops who invaded (I lost several close Greek Cypriot friends in that conflict), but it was the crass attempt by the Greek junta to annex Cyprus by force along with a failure of the guaranteeing powers, in particular Great Britain, that led to Turkey’s military action.

Peter Allen

Peter S. Allen
Department of Anthropology
Rhode Island College
Providence, RI 0290
401-456-9639
Fax: 401-456-9736

From:Aristide Caratzas [mailto:acaratzas at gmail.com] 
Sent: Monday, May 12, 2014 12:15 PM
To: MGSA-L LIST; Allen, Peter S.; Christos D. Katsetos
Subject: Re: [MGSA-L] May 10, 1956: The anniversary of the execution of two Greek freedom fighters

In answer to, 

Mr. Allen: Whatever Karaolis & Demetriou were "technically" (basically unwilling colonial subjects of the British Crown), they considered themselves Greek, and were willing to die for this designation. 
It is not particularly good scholarship to establish arbitrarily fixed definitions — while all of the above applied, i.e. they were subjects in a British colony called Cyprus, the vast majority of its population (80-85% is an overwhelming majority by any count) had a Greek identity. 

The set of interesting questions from a scholarly point of view have to do with the evolution of this identity over time, not its denial — the fact is that the Greeks of Cyprus took part in general rising that resulted in the Greek revolution of 1821 and were suppressed, as many other parts of the Greek world were; indeed parallel to the massacres of Chios in 1822, there were massacres in Cyprus during the same year. (With all due respect the "call myself Chinese" argument simply is anti-intellectual)
Mr. Danforth: I am sorry to offend you but there is a reason for the quotation marks on the term "Turkish," when referring to the Muslims of Cyprus. There is a valid historical set of questions as to when a "Turkish" (vs. Ottoman, Muslim etc) identity developed, and that in turn is related to all kinds of issues relating to identity in the entities that succeeded the Ottoman state, the advent of nationalism, its impact (or lack thereof), the role of religion, languages, etc. It is not clear what you mean by "delegitimize the identity" of another group — the issues I raise certainly are scholarly, even though they may have a political edge.
As to your other comments, you may not have noted the fact that Cyprus was invaded by the Turkish armed forces in July 1974 — theirs was a successful campaign to ethnically cleanse and occupy some 40% of the territory of the Cyprus Republic, in process committing all manner war crimes on a major scale. And yes, the Turkish invasion and occupation of Cyprus is a legitimate subject of study — neither censorship sits well with scholarship, even if it hides behind expressions such as "serious advice about how to chose..." etc., nor attempts at intimidation with "[a]ttempts to defend this nationalistic language" and such. 
One little piece of editorial, and as it turns out substantive advice: diminish the use of charged adjectives and give more facts, and the sources on which these rest — this kind of presentation is much more interesting than polemical spats . . .
ADC

On Mon, May 12, 2014 at 5:22 PM, Allen, Peter S. <PAllen at ric.edu> wrote:
I have no desire to prolong this discussion, but I do want to point out that in fact the two young men were technically Cypriots or Greek Cypriots, not Greeks or something else. It is irrelevant what they called themselves (I can call myself Chinese, but that does not make me Chinese). They did not have Greek citizenship nor did they have Greek passports.  They were citizens of a British colony named Cyprus and thus Cypriots. The island at that time had a majority of Greek speakers, but a large Turkish-speaking population and some Armenians and probably other ethnic groups. It  was customary then, as it is now, to refer to Cypriots as Greek Cypriots or Turkish Cypriots, designations that reflect religion and language (the Armenians and other seems to have been left out of this).

PSA

Peter S. Allen
Department of Anthropology
Rhode Island College
Providence, RI 0290
401-456-9639
Fax: 401-456-9736

From:Aristide Caratzas [mailto:acaratzas at gmail.com] 
Sent: Monday, May 12, 2014 10:09 AM
To: Allen, Peter S.
Cc: Christos D. Katsetos; MGSA-L LIST

Subject: Re: [MGSA-L] May 10, 1956: The anniversary of the execution of two Greek freedom fighters

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

_______________________________________________
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-- 
Aristide D.Caratzas
acaratzas at gmail.com

-- 
Aristide D.Caratzas
acaratzas at gmail.com
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