Greece is 98% Orthodox Christian.
By Sparta
I just received the following email:
Subject: War over Orthodox symbols
WOW! It’s surprising to see this happening in Greece. Involvement in the European Union does require a certain amount of conformity. Greece is becoming more cosmopolitan and diverse in its population, so I guess this is inevitable. I hope the cross on the flag doesn’t get eliminated. Scroll down and click on the link below…
Here is the article referenced in the email:
BBC: Greek battle over religious symbols
The head of the Greek Orthodox Church has warned the country’s new socialist government that it faces a major battle over removing religious symbols from schools.
The European Court in Strasbourg has ordered Italy to take down crucifixes from its classrooms, and Greece’s justice minister has acknowledged that it may have to follow suit. From Lamia in Central Greece, Malcolm Brabant reports.
Now, read a letter I wrote in 2002:
Dear all, in 2002 I sent a letter to ODYSSEY, but to my knowledge, it was never published. I feel that the letter is relevant today in view of the devastating fires in Greece. I bring to your attention the following points made in my letter. Stella
If Greece isn’t more careful, she will soon be confronted with an ever-growing Islamic population that will demand Greece remove the Cross from her flag because it offends them.
In my estimation, for all of her compassion and kindness, Greek authorities are making a terrible mistake that may some day cost Greece her very existence or national identity.
ODYSSEY
Letters to the Editor
20 January 2002THIS LETTER IS IN DEFENSE OF GREECE
Dear Editor,
I believe that the letter written by Sophia Emmanuel-Katarias, of Naxos, Greece (Sept/Oct/02) is totally unfair regarding her accusations of Greece’s intolerance towards foreign immigrants.
It should be pointed out that Afghan refugees made their arduous journey to Greece, an Orthodox Christian country, while Iran and Turkey, both Muslim countries refused to take them.
There are several reasons why Muslims prefer immigrating to Greece. First, in Christian Greece, Muslim refugees are treated better than in either Turkey or Iran. Secondly, Muslim migration into Christian countries increases their numbers (such as in Greece). History has proven that as their numbers swell, such immigration eventually leads first to recognition as an ethnic minority followed by demands for “autonomy,” and then finally for “independence” as happened in the Balkans when Muslim Albanians swarmed illegally into Kosovo and turned Kosovo into a pure Muslim state.
The letter writer specifically mentions Greece as having “Albanophobia,” as well Greece should considering Albania’s threatening communist past and Albania’s extreme Muslim state of today. In the early 1900s, Serbs held ceremonies for Serbian priests whose heads had been cut off by the Albanian “Head-Hunters of the Balkans.” However, “Albanophobia” came into full swing when Communist dictator Tito, in his hatred of the Orthodox Christian Serbs, encouraged Muslim Albanians to cross illegally into Christian Kosovo and today we see the tragic result of “Albanophobia” in the confiscation of Serbia’s Jerusalem and putting Osama bin Laden’s Kosovo Liberation Army in control of that province. Furthermore, during NATO’s bombing of Kosovo, ethnic Albanians fled to Belgrade and surrounding Orthodox Christian countries such as Montenegro, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). FYROM is now seeing the fruits of its compassion. One third of its land, with help from the United States, is now in the process of being wrested from it as demands for “autonomy” by many of the same Muslim ethnic Albanians who now refuse to go back to Kosovo. Instead, these “refugees” took up arms against the government that generously (and foolishly) offered them sanctuary. Their goal, as in Kosovo, is the establishment of yet another independent Muslim nation in the heart of Europe.
As a small nation, Greece is poor in resources in comparison to France, Italy and in particular, Germany which is now having problems with its own Turkish minority who were invited in as “Gastarbeiters,” (guest workers). If Greece isn’t more careful, she will soon be confronted with an ever growing Islamic population that will demand Greece remove the Cross from her flag because it offends them.
In my estimation, for all of her compassion and kindness, Greek authorities are making a terrible mistake that may some day cost Greece her very existence or national identity.
The letter writer should be careful for what she wishes. She just may get it.
Stella L. Jatras
Sterling, Virginia
