Greece: Muslims Protest Against Non Inclusion of Muslims in Euro-Ballot

Athens Proto Thema tis Kiriakis 07 Jun 09 p 62

Report by Khristos Bokas: "Black to 'Giaouridhes' the Pseudo Mufti Shouts in Mosques"

Those appointed by Ankara declared "holy war" because the Greek political parties "dared" not to include a representative of the minority in the ballot lists.

Pseudo Mufti of the town of Xanthi [in Thrace] Ahmet Mete declared "holy war" against the Greek political parties that "dared" not to include Muslim candidates in the ballot lists for the European elections.

Mete, who as he revealed in Thema, refers to the Greeks as "giaouridhes" and Greece as "small and irritating as a fly", from the Mosques of the area, calls the Muslims to "punish" the parties of the Greek Parliament and cast a blank vote, sending in this way a "strong message to Athens".

At the same time, Turkish consul in the town of Komotini [in Thrace] Mustafa Sarnic, while speaking at an event in the town of Komotini in the presence of Greek Transport Minister Evripidhis Stilianidhis, did not hesitate to call the minority "Turkish"!

At the same time, at a religious event that took place last May in the village of Kentavros in the highlands of the prefecture of Xanthi, in the presence of PASOK [Panhellenic Socialist Movement, main opposition party] MP Cetin Mantatzi, who was accompanied by Mete, a group of youths raised the Turkish flag.

The appointees of the Turkish consul of Komotini attempt to blackmail the Greek political parties. The self-declared "Advisory Committee of the Turkish Minority of western Thrace", the pro-Turkish body that attempts to lead the Muslims of the Greek part of Thrace by the hand, in a statement called on the minority to cast a blank vote in the European elections, punishing in this way the political parties that "dared" not to include Muslims in the ballot lists.

Indeed, speaking in Thema, Mete, who is the president of the "Advisory Committee", said that "ND [New Democracy, ruling party] as well as PASOK should include the candidates in the fifth and sixth position on the ballot lists, so that we can send one of our own people to Europe. They did not do so, hence, from the Mosques, we called on the faithful to punish the parties by casting a blank vote. Athens will receive the strong message of the minority and I want to believe that no such mistake will take place in the next elections". Indeed, Mete admitted that both PASOK MPs in the prefectures of Xanthi and Rodhopi Mantatzi and Ahmet Khatziosman respectively agreed with the announcement: "I gathered all of them, both the present MPs as well as the ones who were MPs in the past. I briefed them on the content of the announcement and they all agreed". At the same time, the pseudo Mufti implied that there was communication with the Turkish consulate also, characteristically noting: "The consulate agrees with our action, as is the case with all the requests of the minority".

Indeed, now that the hard nucleus of Ankara attempts to lead the Muslims through the Mosques, indicating to them what to vote, the Turkish consul attempts to escalate the provocations even more.

In his speech at an event that was organized by the Alumni Society of the Teachers of the Special Pedagogical Academy of Thessaloniki, he repeatedly spoke of a "Turkish minority in Western Thrace". What is impressive is not the fact that the Turkish consul once again ignores the rule of consultative hospitality, but the fact that his provocative statements were made in the presence of the Greek Transport Minister, who is also the MP in the Rhodhopi constituency [Stilianidhis]! [Βεβαίως ο Τούρκος πρόξενος παραμένει στην Ελλάδα ελέω Ντόρας. Εαν Καραμανλής θἐλει να σοβαρευθή και να κερδίση τις ερχόμενες εκλογές να στείλει την Ντόρα και τον Σαρνίτς στην Τουρκία όπου ανήκουν!]

The provocative statements of the people who attempt to become the leaders of the minority lead certain Muslims to extreme and dangerous acts. Therefore, according to a publication in the Xanthi paper Embros, a group of youths raised the Turkish flag during a religious celebration in the village of Kentavros. This was confirmed in Thema by president of the self declared "Turkish Union of Xanthi" Mehmet Khatzihalil, rushing at the same time to condemn the act in question.

"If The former Yugoslav Republic of 'Macedonia' needs a lie in order to exist,

its existence is redundant." Marcus A. Templar (March 23, 2007)