Dear Governor Pataki,
As an American of Hellenic descent, I would like to thank you
for the Proclamation that recognized the Genocide of the Hellenic
populatons in Asia minor. Recognition of the horrors endured by
Greek Orthodox Christians has been slow in coming, but your proclamation
has ensured that America cares for justice, and universal recognition
of the Hellenic Genocide will eventually come about throughout
the free world. It is appropriate that this Proclamation recognized
the extermination of the Greek Orthodox population at a time when
America is fighting its own war against terrorism, fanaticism,
and mass murder.
During the First World War, the leaders of the crumbling Ottoman
Empire (known as Young Turks) proceeded to systematically massacre,
deport, and ethnically cleanse the Hellenic populaitons of Asia
Minor. In 1919, there was hope that Hellenism in its
ancient homelands would be revived. Tragically, an ultranationalist
movement under the auspices of Mustapha Kemal, incited by racial
and religious fanaticism, proceeded to destroy Hellenic civilization
in Asia Minor by the end of 1922.
One of Mustapha Kemal's Generals, the notorious Noureddin Pasha
wrote that Turks should kill, "four or five Greeks"
each. The beloved Archbishop Chrysostomos of Smyrna who fought
for the rights of his flock was slaughtered by a fanatical mob
after having been released by Noureddin Pasha. The Archbishop
was canonized as a Saint in 1992 by the Orthodox Church of Greece.
Those of us who are of Greek ancestry and Orthodox faith commemorate
numerous Saints on our Church Calendar who met martyrdom at the
hands of fanatical men who were the ideological forerunners of
Osama Bin Laden. That fanaticism and hatred has produced further
crimes against humanity on American soil pains us immensely. It
is my belief that this daring Proclamation which has extended
recognition to the death and suffering of so many innocent lives
is an appropriate response to the enemies of freedom- those who
endorse terrorism, censorship, and historical revisionism.
The extermination of the Hellenic populations of Asia Minor
have been documented by prominent American officials. American
Consul General to Smyrna George Horton wrote a pair of letters
to the State Department detailing the atrocities of Kemal and
his cohorts. Furthermore, his book "The Blight of Asia"
(1926) leaves no doubt as to what happened to the Greek and Armenian
populations of Asia Minor.
The American Ambassador to Constantinople during the First World
War, Henry Morgenthau documented the facts about the Armenian
Genocide. In his book, "I Was Sent to Athens" (1929)
Ambassador Morgenthau affirms that Turkish war crimes were carried
out against the Hellenic population. Ambassador Morgenthau subsequently
was involved in helping to resettle and provide shelter for over
1,000,000 Greeks from Asia Minor who were ethnically cleansed
upon the orders of Turkish leader Mustapha Kemal.
In our own day, remnants of the ferocious hatred of eighty years
ago survive in Turkey. The Greek Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarchate
under his holiness Patriarch Bartholomeos I has been bombed or
attacked by arsonists four times over the last several years.
There have been individual murders of Greeks in present day Turkey,
and the Patriarchal school of Theology known as "Halki",
has been ordered closed by Turkish authorities.
As an American of Hellenic descent and Greek Orthodox faith,
these events affirm the necessity of opposing all forms of terrorism
and censorship that tries to undermine historical truth. During
the 1950's, Hellenism was again ferociously subjected to ethnic
cleaning by Turkish leaders when anti-Greek pogroms were instigated
against Greek Orthodox Christians.
These events have been affirmed by Helsinki Watch in its 1992
publication, "Denying Human Rights and Ethnic Identity: the
Greek of Turkey". Further documentation of how Greeks have
been terrorized in Turkey have been published and recounted by
Leonidas Koumakis in his firsthand account, "The Miracle",
and by Greek Journalist Dimitrios Kaloumenos in his, "The
Crucifixion of Christianity".
Most recently, Thea Halo's, "Not Even My Name" has
brought attention to the Hellenic Genocide of Asia Minor. Detailed
historical accounts regarding the dreadful slaughter of the Greeks
include Edward Hale Bierstadt's, "The Great Betrayal",
and Marjorie Housepian's, "Smyrna 1922: the Destruction of
a City".
Governor, your gesture is appreciated for its great significence,
and because of your appreciation for historical truth. I am very
much encouraged by this Proclamation which is so clear and unconditional
in its support for human rights. Thank You.
Sincerely,
Theodore G. Karakostas
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