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| PARAKATH radio Monday's at 9pm |
Welcome - Καλωσόρισμα - Hoş Geldiniz - оказать прием - willkommen - Bienvenue
| ©2009 Pontian Association of Montreal, "Efxinos Pontos" - Σύλλογος Ποντίων Μοντρεάλ, "Έυξεινος Πόντος". ©1999-2009 Lefter. All Rights Reserved. |
Hellenic Genocide Commemoration outside the UN on April 6, 2009
Contact: Nikolaos Taneris, Tel. 1-(917)-699-9935
New York, NY- On April 6, 2009 The Pan-Thracian Union of America “ORPHEUS” and the Hellenic League of America (HLA)
remembered the Hellenic Genocide in Thrace and all victims of the Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic Genocide perpetrated
by Turkey. Torrential rain, strong winds and brisk temperatures did not keep community activists from gathering at Ralph J
Bunche Park outside the United Nations in New York for the first ever commemoration of Hellenic Genocide in Thrace , Asia
Minor and Pontos.
Organizers of the event Ioannis Fidanakis, Fotis Makritoxonis (CHEUNG), Georgia Maratheftis , Paschalis Fidanakis and
Giovanni di Napoli provided placards with reproductions of American newspaper accounts of the Hellenic Genocide,
poster boards of Genocide perpetrators “ENVER” PASHA and Mustafa Kemal , books such as “The Pontian Question in the
United Nations” by Michalis Charalambidis , and the educational pamphlet “The Genocide of Greeks: A Case Study of the
Region of Thrace” by Theofanis Malkidis.
Master of ceremonies and Pan Thracian Union of America “ORPHEUS” President , Ioannis Fidanakis addressed the crowd
in attendance and urged for decisive action and repeated a call for US President Obama (who was visiting Turkey on that
very day) to recognize the Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic Genocide.
“President Obama you have come to your first test of character, will you prove worthy of being mentioned in the same
sentence as Alexander the Great or will you be more the beautiful siren lurking our community towards death? We gather
here today to remind President Obama, that while he may be visiting the perpetrators of our Genocide, He must not forget
the promises he made to both the Greek and Armenian communities here at home. We urge President Obama to stand
firm and not to waiver on his commitment to justice and human rights in the face geopolitics.” Said Fidanakis, in his
opening address . A brief video of this historic call outside the UN has been uploaded to You Tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvK4Sf813IY
Statements from those who could not attend were also read aloud at the Genocide Commemoration, including a letter from
William H. Samonides, Ph.D., President, Asia Minor Hellenic American Society (AMHAS). (Read the letter here:
http://thraciangenocide.org/letter_from_asia_minor_hellenic_american_society_amhas )
Also present at the event include the president and members of the Hellenic Organization of University Graduates HOUGA,
the presidents and members of the two local Pontian associations "Komninoi" of New York and "Pontos" of Norwalk
Connecticut and from the "Holy Institution Panagia Soumela."
Speakers included Reverend Father Mesrob Lakissian, pastor of St. Illuminator's Armenian Apostolic Cathedral in New
York City, Mr. Dimitris Molohides General Secretary – Pan Pontian Federation of USA and CANADA, Mr. Elias Tsekerides,
Past President of Pan-Pontian Federation USA & Canada, Mr. Theoharis Kekis, member of Hellenic Pontian Society
Panagia Soumela of Boston, and Mr. Giovanni di Napoli of Nuovo Patria Meridionale (New Southern Homeland)—the
transcript of Mr . Napoli’s emotional speech “Thrace is Not Alone” is available here:
http://magnagrece.blogspot.com/2009/04/thrace-is-not-alone.html
Dr. Theofanis Malkidis brought the commemoration to a close with a speech in his native Greek. Professor Malkidis is a
member of the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) and International League for Rights and freedom of
Peoples. He is also the author of many scholarly books and articles, including “The Genocide of the Greeks: A Case Study
of the Region of Thrace.” ( Available for download at www.ThracianGenocide.org )
Ioannis Fidanakis publicly stated the promise of the organizers to join the April 24th Armenian Genocide Remembrance
commemorations and to again organize for next year’s April 6th Hellenic Genocide commemoration, and to pass this
tradition on to our children and our children’s children, until justice is served for all victims of the Turkish Crimes of
Genocide.
Contact: Nikolaos Taneris, Tel. 1-(917)-699-9935
New York, NY- On April 6, 2009 The Pan-Thracian Union of America “ORPHEUS” and the Hellenic League of America (HLA)
remembered the Hellenic Genocide in Thrace and all victims of the Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic Genocide perpetrated
by Turkey. Torrential rain, strong winds and brisk temperatures did not keep community activists from gathering at Ralph J
Bunche Park outside the United Nations in New York for the first ever commemoration of Hellenic Genocide in Thrace , Asia
Minor and Pontos.
Organizers of the event Ioannis Fidanakis, Fotis Makritoxonis (CHEUNG), Georgia Maratheftis , Paschalis Fidanakis and
Giovanni di Napoli provided placards with reproductions of American newspaper accounts of the Hellenic Genocide,
poster boards of Genocide perpetrators “ENVER” PASHA and Mustafa Kemal , books such as “The Pontian Question in the
United Nations” by Michalis Charalambidis , and the educational pamphlet “The Genocide of Greeks: A Case Study of the
Region of Thrace” by Theofanis Malkidis.
Master of ceremonies and Pan Thracian Union of America “ORPHEUS” President , Ioannis Fidanakis addressed the crowd
in attendance and urged for decisive action and repeated a call for US President Obama (who was visiting Turkey on that
very day) to recognize the Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic Genocide.
“President Obama you have come to your first test of character, will you prove worthy of being mentioned in the same
sentence as Alexander the Great or will you be more the beautiful siren lurking our community towards death? We gather
here today to remind President Obama, that while he may be visiting the perpetrators of our Genocide, He must not forget
the promises he made to both the Greek and Armenian communities here at home. We urge President Obama to stand
firm and not to waiver on his commitment to justice and human rights in the face geopolitics.” Said Fidanakis, in his
opening address . A brief video of this historic call outside the UN has been uploaded to You Tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvK4Sf813IY
Statements from those who could not attend were also read aloud at the Genocide Commemoration, including a letter from
William H. Samonides, Ph.D., President, Asia Minor Hellenic American Society (AMHAS). (Read the letter here:
http://thraciangenocide.org/letter_from_asia_minor_hellenic_american_society_amhas )
Also present at the event include the president and members of the Hellenic Organization of University Graduates HOUGA,
the presidents and members of the two local Pontian associations "Komninoi" of New York and "Pontos" of Norwalk
Connecticut and from the "Holy Institution Panagia Soumela."
Speakers included Reverend Father Mesrob Lakissian, pastor of St. Illuminator's Armenian Apostolic Cathedral in New
York City, Mr. Dimitris Molohides General Secretary – Pan Pontian Federation of USA and CANADA, Mr. Elias Tsekerides,
Past President of Pan-Pontian Federation USA & Canada, Mr. Theoharis Kekis, member of Hellenic Pontian Society
Panagia Soumela of Boston, and Mr. Giovanni di Napoli of Nuovo Patria Meridionale (New Southern Homeland)—the
transcript of Mr . Napoli’s emotional speech “Thrace is Not Alone” is available here:
http://magnagrece.blogspot.com/2009/04/thrace-is-not-alone.html
Dr. Theofanis Malkidis brought the commemoration to a close with a speech in his native Greek. Professor Malkidis is a
member of the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) and International League for Rights and freedom of
Peoples. He is also the author of many scholarly books and articles, including “The Genocide of the Greeks: A Case Study
of the Region of Thrace.” ( Available for download at www.ThracianGenocide.org )
Ioannis Fidanakis publicly stated the promise of the organizers to join the April 24th Armenian Genocide Remembrance
commemorations and to again organize for next year’s April 6th Hellenic Genocide commemoration, and to pass this
tradition on to our children and our children’s children, until justice is served for all victims of the Turkish Crimes of
Genocide.