I feel so
ashamed that the Greek nation became synonymous with xenophobia, neo-Nazism and
far-right nationalism. In a country that suffered so much by the Nazi
occupation and that had experienced mass emigration to Europe, the Americas and
Australia, to have now groups of skin-heads beating up any immigrant they find
is disappointing.
How can they
ever call upon the ancient Greek ancestors of theirs, to justify their
brutality and ignorance? If they had ever read the speech of Alexander the
Great at Opis, where he famously claimed that he does not classify people
according their descendance or race but their virtue, I wonder why then they
think they honor his memory by beating immigrants.
Have they ever
understood the teachings of many ancient Greek philosophers, especially of the
Stoic movement and those of Zeno of Citium? They promoted cosmopolitanism and
believed that all people are manifestations of the one universal
spirit and should live in brotherly love and readily help one another.
So if the Greek mind has in the past given birth to
those ideas, how on Earth their descendants believe that with their actions are
protecting and promoting Hellenism and “Greekness?”
Yes, Greece has an immigration problem that must be
solved soon. And indeed people are angry and rightly so, because they were let
down by their politicians. But why is that the immigrant communities are used
as scapegoats for all the country’s difficulties?
I am also a proud Greek and a bit of a nationalist.
I love my country and I want it to shine, to be prosperous and its people to
have the same living standards as any other country in Europe. I also want to
promote and preserve our culture and heritage, while making Greece an example
for other countries to aspire and follow.
Now how can we achieve all the above if we want to
close the borders, deport all immigrants and allow such groups like the Golden
Dawn to exist? What is the example we give to the rest of the world? Where is
the preservation of the Greek culture that these brutes are claiming they are
promoting?
Yes Greece right now has too many immigrants and can
not cope with the crisis, the unemployment, the economic collapse and the
immigration issue. But that is not a reason for violence or hatred; it is a
reason for better and more functioning immigration and integration policies.
Why hasn’t the Greek state promoted those, while it relies on those bullies to
offer a solution to the problem by promoting a fizzling of the public’s anger?
This can have disastrous consequences for the social
order in the future, as well for the country’s reputation in the world; funny
how the supporters of the Golden Dawn think that this is what the country needs
right now.
When trying to compare Greece with the country I
live Ireland, one can draw interesting conclusions. Not that there are not any
racism incidents here. But Ireland has managed to attract a right mix of immigrants
that come both from poorer developing countries and richer, developed ones. In
that way Ireland has managed to benefit more than Greece from its immigrant
population.
Socially Ireland changed drastically and it all
comes down to one factor: the Irish came in contact with other cultures, either
by traveling or by interacting with them at home. When the Irish became
wealthier, they started traveling a lot and that was a positive factor. At
home too, many students or immigrants from the rest of Europe, USA, Japan,
Australia, Canada and many other developed countries arrived, bringing new
ideas and way of thinking with them.
In that aspect Greece is lacking behind. My wish is
to create an open country, modern, cosmopolitan and wealthier, both in an economic
level but also in a cultural. If we manage to attract the right workers with
the right skills and do not use them only as workers and exploit them, but also
integrate them totally in our society, the ones who will be benefiting in the
long term will be ourselves.
If we become a cosmopolitan society, groups like the
Golden Dawn won’t be able to thrive. The old established elites, either the
religious or political ones, won’t be able to manipulate or blind us with their
outdated ideologies, holding us ransom to achieve their goals and promote their
interests. We won’t fall as easily for their propaganda.
And there will be economic benefits as well. When a
lot of these immigrants eventually return home, provided of course they have a
positive experience in our country, they will form strong links with Greece
that will ease trade and cultural exchanges. They will become what most of the
Greek Diaspora have become: ambassadors of Greece in far and away places. If we
beat them up and abuse them of course, that will never happen.
Yes there are challenges to face with immigration
and we should learn some lessons of the failures of many other European
countries like Britain, France and Germany in integrating their immigrant
population. Most of them still have problems. But we should normally have the
advantage to learn from their mistakes and don't repeat them. Do we have this ability; are we mature
enough or we get what we deserve in the end?
Greece is lacking behind for the exact reasons that
we have made no effort in benefiting whatsoever from the presence of foreign
nationals in our country, apart from exploiting them. And we have made no
effort in attracting the right skilful workers, or students from other
countries and enrich our culture with theirs and through their active participation
in Greek social and political happenings.
And the more we become xenophobic, the more we ruin
any chance of ever achieving change and progress in our country. Now I love
Greece and I want change and progress. I do not think that these “nationalists”
have Greece’s best interests in mind. If fact I am more of a patriot than they
are, and I want quite the opposite of what they do. Time to rethink I guess our priorities as a nation!
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