HELLENIC GENOCIDE COMMEMORATION OUTSIDE THE UN
Greek News
April 13 2009
NY
New York.- 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. 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). 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).
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."
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.