First published on hellenismos.org on November 25, 2021.
The cultural
appropriation* and commercialization** of Hellenismos by the West, in
particular by paganism and nationalism, takes on increasingly imperialistic and
pathological features. They deny our right to self-determination, deny our
right to be ourselves. And now they also deny the Greek genocide.
My mother’s
grandmother lost five children to the genocide of the pontic Greeks in the
Ottoman empire. Not one. Not two. Five. But she survived. Survived the loss,
the abuses, the hunger, the persecution. But according to pagan colonialist
«Aliakai» «there’s never been a full-blown Greek genocide.» Even though various
people, including the person she talks to in the video, corrected her and sent
her educational information about the Greek genocide via Twitter, she continues
on her «ignorance as usual» path. So on top of the disinformation of the
public, the attacks on the Hellenic community, the ethnocentrism, colonialism
and cultural appropriation she also adds Genocide denial to her growing list of
disgraceful behaviours. And «Aliakai» is no exception, but rather an excellent
example of pagan anti-Hellenism. This is what pagan anti-Hellenism looks
like. This is how pagan colonialists treat other people’s culture, history and
ethnic identity.
However, the
minimization of atrocities is not a new phenomenon, nor is it limited to
anti-Hellenism. For example, the deniers of the Holocaust «either deny that
such a genocide took place or minimize its extent» (SPL
Center). The Jews know from bitter experience, that the «denial of the
Holocaust and genocide take many forms, from simply ignoring obvious facts by
manipulating the sources, through minimizing the dimensions of genocide, to
trivializing and rationalizing genocide by analogy and claiming that it is an
acceptable example of the kinds of things that happen in wartime» (Memorial
and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau). Of particular interest in this context
is the fact that an American pagan adopts the same rhetoric as of those Turkish
nationalists who deny or downplay the Greek genocide. Calling other people
«folkists» while using and spreading Turkish nationalist propaganda in order to
justify the exploitation, cultural appropriation and commercialization of a
foreign culture, is the epitome of hypocrisy, but I guess this kind of irony is
lost on pagan colonialists, most of whom seem to show a disconcerting affinity
to bully and abuse (or at least slander) those who stand between them and the
object of their craving.
As
understandable as the need or hunger for attention and social feedback may be,
there are some red lines that should not be crossed. Genocide denial is one of
them. The cultural appropriation of Hellenism, the commercialization of our
ethnic religion, the exploitation of our ethnonym and the Genocide denial are
hostile acts against the Hellenic people, against the remembrance culture of
the Hellenic community. It should be obvious by now why we keep such people out
of our community, culture and our lives. The Hellenic communities of the
Diaspora are not just religious communities but rather safe havens where our
people especially our children can safely express their ethno-cultural
identity, their Hellenicity, without having to worry about discrimination or
others misunderstanding them. They provide places to gather, socialize, play,
celebrate, learn, teach, exchange advice, meet members of different tribes, and
feel safe and secure in a friendly environment. Therefore colonialists and
anti-Hellenes have no business being there.
Over and over again we find ourselves in a position where we
have to explain ourselves or justify our ways to outsiders who know nothing
about us, where we have to defend our everyday ethos against Western fantasies,
the narrative of «Western civilization,» and more fundamentally, the fetishised
notions of an undefined «ancient Greece,» that leave out some «smaller» details
such as the middle ages, early modern period and the present needs of the
Hellenic people. They don’t fit the picture.
It’s ignorance, resilient to facts and logic.
The various ideological and pagan hate groups sometimes remind
me of a wild predator which preys on the weakened, ready to tear them into
pieces. People have reasons to deny a genocide. People have reasons to
deny hostile appropriation. Denying is the road to expropriation.
Thus in order to defend our collective dignity, Hellenes must
fight back and put the various types of political, religious, cultural and
financial colonial-savages and imposters in their place. One way of achieving
this is to respond directly to the «narratives» they spin*** and counter
disinformation with fact-checking.****
But how can we distinguish between friend and foe, the
well-intended one from the adventurer? The first group respects our boundaries,
the second not.
Time is
really running out: either Hellenism will have the strength to set boundaries
and to defend them, or there will be no such thing as Hellenic sovereignty.
Some Hellenes say about these colonialists that they are just a bunch of
crazies with lots of spare time; let them have their role-play, they say, at
some point it will become boring for them and they will move on to play ancient
Egyptians or Romans. Maybe they will, but what if they won’t? Based on the
above discussion, «nip it in the bud» is the only appropriate approach here.
Consequently, we must defend Hellenism in the Here and Now. Anything else would
be negligent. Undutiful towards our ancestors and unconscionable to future
generations.
«Cultural appropriation … is not new to us Hellenes … The
Christians used the same method to destroy and misuse Hellenismos or parts of
the Hellenic tradition for their own needs (for example Platonism) … This
ethnocentrism generated by ignorance and their colonialist attitude toward
foreign cultures, especially the indigenous ones, is unacceptable since it
endangers the revitalization of indigenous cultures. The Hellenes know what
cultural expropriation and genocide look like. Therefore, we recognize the
signs and know where this can lead.»
Brief extract from an article dated 15 November 2019
_______
* Definition of cultural appropriation:
«the act of taking or using things from a culture that is not your own,
especially without showing that you understand or respect this culture.»
(Cambridge Dictionary: cultural appropriation)
** The Indigenous peoples of America face the same threat,
see: «Declaration of War Against Exploiters of Lakota Spirituality,»
link: http://www.thepeoplespaths.net/articles/ladecwar.htm
*** Greek Cultural Appropriation – Molon Labe & Xenia
Declaration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-Fnihzi3wY
**** Response to what is the Difference Between Hellenism,
Hellenist, Hellenic, Hellene, and Hellenistic?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWTfUcB9gRY
