[ALBSA-Info] "Linguistic Genocide" - Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

[Agron Alibali]

RFE/RL: Greece: Minority Languages, Plea For More Recognition


Greece: Minority Languages, Plea For More Recognition


By Breffni O'Rourke

Greece is being urged to grant more recognition to its
minority languages -- Vlach, Macedonian, Albanian,
Turkish, and a version of Bulgarian called Pomak. At
present, only Turkish is recognized. Now the European
Bureau for Lesser-Used Languages (EBLUL) has undertaken
an initiative designed to highlight the plight of these
neglected minorities. In this first of a two-part series
on language issues in the Balkans and East Europe, RFE/RL
reports on the situation in Greece. 

Prague, 26 November 2002 (RFE/RL) -- Greece, the cradle
of European culture, appears less than sympathetic to its
own minority languages. Among the country's minority
cultures with their tongues and dialects other than
Greek, only one -- Turkish -- is fully recognized by the
Athens government, and then only because the Turks are
categorized as a religious minority.

The other languages, although largely ignored by Athens,
reflect the rich history of the region through the
millennia. For instance Vlach, or Aromanian, spoken by
several tens of thousands of people, is an echo of
Imperial Rome. It is found in northern Greece, along what
used to be in ancient times the road linking Rome and
Constantinople. The marching legions, as they disappeared
into history, left behind them settlers and the language
now known as Vlach, a Latin tongue similar to Romanian.

The other minority languages in Greece are Macedonian, an
Albanian Tosk dialect called Arvanitika, and what's
called Pomak, a version of Bulgarian used by a Muslim
minority.

Johan Haeggman is an official with EBLUL, the
Brussels-based European Bureau for Lesser-Used Languages,
a nongovernment organization working on behalf of the
European Union's minority-language speakers. He explained
the difficulties faced by those in Greece who use
unrecognized languages like Vlach. "They have no rights
whatsoever. They have no education in their language, no
schools, no media in their language, they can't use it in
administration."

According to EBLUL, the Greek authorities are apparently
unaware of the number of citizens who speak minority
languages. The last census in which minority-language
speakers were counted separately was in 1951.

Looking to focus attention on the plight of these
neglected languages, EBLUL recently held its first
conference in Greece. The gathering, held in the northern
city of Thessaloniki, was organized by EBLUL's recently
formed Greek chapter. A score of journalists were among
those attending, and it's hoped they will help inform the
Greek public about a subject rarely dealt with in the
national media. "We hope, of course, that this will give
a more positive picture of minority languages and
lesser-used languages, and that they will not be seen a
threat. Our message is that lesser-used languages are a
richness; and we are not going against any language. We
think that these languages should be taught alongside
Greek," Haeggman said. 

EBLUL President Bojan Brezigar said that, "putting it
politely," Greece has not reached the level of its
European Union partners in recognizing linguistic
diversity. He said that the situation regarding the
Macedonian minority, for instance, is "terrible." "The
situation we found was worse than we were expecting,
because specifically in some areas where the Macedonian
language is spoken, that language is not allowed at all
in public. I'm not talking about only the official use of
the language in public -- also the public use of the
language by private individuals."

Brezigar said in one area he visited, even the singing of
Macedonian songs is prohibited -- a severe restriction he
calls a kind of "linguistic genocide." He said he
understands that for historical reasons linked to chronic
instability in the Balkans, Greece has not been willing
to see the fragmentation of its national fabric. But now,
he said, it is time to move forward. "We [at EBLUL] would
like to start [talks] with the Greek government, to start
a discussion on specific topics. For example, we would
like the Greek government to sign the European Charter
for Regional and Minority Languages." 

In Athens, Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman Nicholas
Giotopoulos declined to acknowledge the existence of
minorities in the country, with the sole exception of the
Turks. "We understand that there are certain people who
see the existence of other minorities in Greece. But the
reality is that there are, in certain parts of the
country, bilingual Greeks, who may also have adopted an
oral tradition, but [who] do not consider themselves to
be minorities." 

He said he cannot comment on EBLUL's desire for talks
with Greek officials on the minority-language issue. In
view of Athens' unyielding stance on the issue, it would
seem that EBLUL is going to have an uphill struggle. 

1995-2001 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.,
All Rights Reserved.http://www.rferl.org




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