National questions on the rise

The N. Epirus Question

Hellas, as a State as well as Hellenism as Nation, besides national questions vis-a-vis its neighbors, has been confronting internal issues such as that of an inveterate discord and the recent most serious financial crisis.

Taking special consideration of such a crisis in Hellas it’s worth noting that its neighbors, having imperialistic aspirations, seem to be taking advantage of such adverse situation by directly challenging our sovereignty. In any case that should definitely be awakening us, moreover when those neighboring countries suffer internal upheavals and nationalistic rise. (Albania, Kosovo, FYROM, even Turkey that, oddly enough, recalled its “Ambassador” to the occupied part of Cyprus upon the local political unrest).

We should point out relevant cases starting from N. Epirus. So an anti-hellenic tendency against the N. Epirotans has been noticed related to the issue of their properties as well as of the their own lives culminated into the savage assassination of Aristotelis Goumas, on the ground that he insisted in speaking Greek. Such tendency is also obvious in the revilement at the Greek  Orthodox Archbishop Anastasios himself for condemning the above mentioned as any other assassination and the habitual burning of the Hellenic Flag, He was also bitterly criticized for showing his indignation at the appearance of a new armed gang, “Albania occupied territories’ Liberation Army” (ACTOSH) propagated even by National Albanian News Agency while this “Liberation Army”, according to the Turkish Foreign Minister’s book is operating as “Turkey’s instrument”. Another blatant violation of human rights constitute the grime falsification in the History school books in Albania taught also to N. Epirotan  students in which explicit references are made that supposedly “in 1913 the Hellenes rushed into Chameria where they forced thousands Chams out of their patrimonial homes” , that King Pyrros was “Albanian”  etc.

We are at least in anticipation of the promised objective census on Albanian population with reference to registering both nationality and religious faith.

However success on such matters will depend on the N. Epirotans’ proper will, wherever they may be residing, to go back home at any cost in order to duly participate in the census process. This way they would secure the dual nationality status that, as in other cases was mentioned, is tricky in regard with any dilemma possibly set forth by the Albanian side so that the N. Epirotans would choose either one of the nationalities!

However by al means should our N. Epirotans brethren stand firm, with crashing unanimity and far from any temptation, especially in each voting in Albania without unexcused abstention during the census process that would constitute a foundation on which official recording N. Epirotan population will be based.  Such a solid registered amount of population would be a buffet at the Albanian allegation that there exist only 60.000 N. Epirotans in Albania.

The latest 8^th Conference of the Democratic Union of Greek National Minority or better said “OMONOIA”, taken place on Jan. 29, 2011 including a large number of representatives of N. Epirotans throughout the world as well as of the Hellenic State indicated very good signs of unity among even formerly independent Vlachophone Hellenes of Korytsa, the unanimous reelection of Vasil Bolanou, Mayor of Chimara, to the office of Chairman to OMONOIA etc.