Shame and disgrace to all those who look the other way to the crimes being committed to the Pomak people in Thrace. Hellasfrappe urges all its readers to carefully listen to this video. It features a Pomak girl, who is addressing the founding of the Panhellenic Association Pomaks at an event which was held in Komotini on 23.05.2009. Her name is Molly Noursel and she is originally from the Cardamom village, or from the Pomakohoria, in Rodopi Thrace. She asks why her minority group is being forced to learn the Turkish language when her people know that they live in Greece. At the same time she also asks why her people are being forced to abandon their ethnic backgrounds, give up their identities and adopt the Turkish one. What is even more frightening is that she also reveals that after her speech she, as well as her family, will probably be threatened for having the courage to speak out about what is really going on in in this area of Thrace, Here are a few segments of her hair raising speech, that literally brought tears to our eyes.
"(Through this new association our people) will no longer be afraid, nor hide and not even feel shame to proclaim that they are Pomaks. To all of those who tell us that we should not speak Pomak because it is a useless language we say that our language is our soul, it is our identity, how can we not love and respect our identities? Who are they (Turkish consulate in Komotini) who are playing with our identity and take away our right to learn the language that we hear once we are born? Who are they who do not teach us to speak Greek correctly? Why are they forcing us to learn Turkish?"(If you want to learn more about the Pomak people then simply google them on wikipedia)
Editor's Note - Ta sevi mas Molly Noursel. You brought tears to our eyes, and you are indeed an inspiration. Bravo kopela mou!
Posts
