Addressed to all countries that celebrated the Greek War of Independence on 25th March 1821.
France, U.S.A, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Australia, Ireland, Norway, Russia, Slovenia, India, Australia, Bulgaria, Serbia, Belgium, Canada, Lithuania, Cyprus, Netherlands, Ukraine.
I wish to send this letter of protest to express my disappointment. On the anniversary of the Greek Independence War, you were kind enough to celebrate and congratulate the Greek Government about Greece’s independence by illuminating many of your buildings with the colors of the Greek flag and sent your wishes to the Greek state showing your respect and recognition of the Greek revolution. However, how is it possible to honor the 200 years of Greece’s independence, in such a grand way, while being absent from any meaningful attempt to save the Greek people from the situation they are facing now, a situation similar to genocide within their own country. I wish for everyone to help Greece in any way possible. I wish for everyone to unite and make Greece great again.
The Greek Revolution of 1821, the glorious rebellion of our ancestors against the Ottoman Empire achieved its purpose. Freeing Greeks from slavery and led Greece to its independence. Those who sacrificed themselves so that we can live as a free nation managed to awaken in Greek patriots the love they had for their country and bring together all enslaved Greeks setting for future generations a great example. They showed us that freedom is a gift for which Greeks will always fight for and that Greece belongs to its people, no one can take our country away from Greeks.
Greeks should always be taught and teach this valuable lesson with the help of all governments. Instead, unfortunately, some governments help the Greek people to forget their history and where they come from. Today, we are free and proud to be Greeks because Greek blood was shed for this land to be ours. Would those Greek heroes be proud of us today, if they knew what has become of our country and its people, a country they fought for at the cost of their lives, suffering a brutal death at the hands of Ottomans? Sure, they’d be proud of dying to offer Greeks their freedom since they suffered four hundred years enslaved by the Ottoman Empire. However, they would be ashamed of today’s Greece and its people.
Could you imagine how they’d feel if they saw Greece remain idle while Turkey roams free on Greek sovereign waters? If they saw those who govern Greece letting Turks act as if they own Greece? Of course, our heroes wouldn’t recognize those who govern Greece as Greeks. Our national heroes, to those we own our freedom, knew that Greeks are proud of their country and wouldn’t let anyone breach its national security. Our national heroes taught us that even when Greeks are less in numbers, they can bring down vast empires.
What are Greeks forced to do today? They watch from inside a “box” as Turks challenge, insult, and do whatever they want to Greeks with the world being only a spectator. Not to mention that the scared Greek government is forced by some to do nothing about Turkey. At the best case scenario Greeks, push the “box’s” “button” to watch Big Brother or the “battle” of the couples and every other silly “battle” but not the Battle of all Battles that freed this small county of the Mediterranean and gained its independence and its dignity.
On the other hand, most of today’s Greeks and those who govern it, remain hidden in their homes and follow like ships all the misleading announcements of the government telling us that Turkey is not a threat to us. As a result, Turks, after two hundred years since we got rid of them, are already inside Greece.
You allowed for Turkey to send thousands of “migrants” inside Greece so that they can destroy slowly from the inside this country that paved the way for civilization as we know it today. You allowed its enemies to start its destruction and erase it from the map. You sent those supposedly “innocent” “migrants” to Greece and let them burn it, rape Greek women, destroy our country’s monuments, and defile our temples as well as our history. And on top of that, our traitorous “Greek” governments, supported by some of you, pay those migrants every month. It’s not like we want them to leave.
When Greeks are starving and a great portion of our people depend on free meals to survive, some of you still allow for our traitorous “Greek” government to sell Greek land and sell for its own benefit the legacy of Greeks to foreign “investors”.
How would our heroes feel, if they witnessed that Greeks only care about their social media accounts and partying instead of taking the necessary measures to save themselves? How would they feel if they saw Greeks starving while migrants live, eat, and remain in Greece without having to pay taxes? Instead, they get paid to do nothing for society.
How would those true heroes feel if they witnessed that the most important thing they fought for, freedom, has been breached due to a virus. A virus that has not only appeared out of the blue, but its death toll is also the same with the death toll of the flu?
Measures are taken, all over the world, for people to stay inside their homes to the extent that we have to report our every movement. We live in an empty world since everything is closed by the government, killing every small business and employee. Where are our rights in freedom and work? The traitors that govern us have relinquished our right to work while maintained our obligation in paying taxes and utilities. How could people pay when they are not working?
Because of a virus, families stay apart. I don’t think all these happen due to the virus since it is obvious that something else, much darker, is happening. How can migrants roam free while Greeks have to ask permission to go outside? How is it possible for the Greek government to pay migrants and Romani while forbids the right of the Greeks to work?
If our national heroes witnessed all that, what would they think? How would they confront the Greeks of 2021? This is a question we must all consider. The answer to that question will bring about many changes because we need to aspire to become like the heroes that gave their lives for our country. Greece belongs to Greeks.
As I see most countries celebrate our freedom from slavery, I was moved. Then, I thought of something. The world may be celebrating our freedom that happened two hundred years ago, but now what? What does the world do to help Greece with the problem it faces now? How can the world help my country with the problem it faces right now? Problems that threaten its independence. So, I’d like to ask for a more immediate help by all countries to Greece. I’d like to ask for the world to show its support, not only by organizing events. I would like to see a universal cooperation which will show to Greece’s enemies that my country is not alone.
With great appreciation, a Greek Patriot, in the steps taken by the great Patriot and Heroine Bouboulina of 1821, hoping to become the Bouboulina of 2021.
Ioanna Lazarou-Hellenic Diaspora Group