Lunch for Two (talk | contribs) I will return it so people can read what it has changed to so it can be discussed on the talk page, as for the youtube video (I was not able to find a written source in greek about the news program). |
Reverted nationalistic POV. Tabloids from R. Macedonia are not reliable sources. |
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The [[Cham Albanians|Chams]] were an ethnic Albanian community that formerly inhabited the area of [[Thesprotia]], part of the Greek province of [[Epirus (periphery)|Epirus]]. Most of them fled to Albania at the end of [[World War II]] after a large part of them collaborated with the Nazi occupation forces.<ref>M. Mazower (ed.), After The War Was Over: Reconstructing the Family, Nation and State in Greece, 1943-1960, p. 25</ref><ref>Miranda Vickers, The Cham Issue - Albanian National & Property Claims in Greece, paper prepared for the British MoD, Defence Academy, 2002</ref><ref>Russell King, Nicola Mai, Stephanie Schwandner-Sievers,The New Albanian Migration, p.67, and 87</ref><ref>M. Mazower, Inside Hitler's Greece</ref> |
The [[Cham Albanians|Chams]] were an ethnic Albanian community that formerly inhabited the area of [[Thesprotia]], part of the Greek province of [[Epirus (periphery)|Epirus]]. Most of them fled to Albania at the end of [[World War II]] after a large part of them collaborated with the Nazi occupation forces.<ref>M. Mazower (ed.), After The War Was Over: Reconstructing the Family, Nation and State in Greece, 1943-1960, p. 25</ref><ref>Miranda Vickers, The Cham Issue - Albanian National & Property Claims in Greece, paper prepared for the British MoD, Defence Academy, 2002</ref><ref>Russell King, Nicola Mai, Stephanie Schwandner-Sievers,The New Albanian Migration, p.67, and 87</ref><ref>M. Mazower, Inside Hitler's Greece</ref> |
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There are further Albanian speaking communities located in Greek Macedonia. The villages of [[Flampouro, Florina|Flampouro]] and [[Drosopigi, Florina|Drosopigi]] are just a few places in [[Florina prefecture]] inhabited by [[Arvanite]] populations. Interestingly, the village of [[Plikati]] is the only place in the [[Ioannina (peripheral unit)|Ioannina peripheral unit]] traditionally inhabited by Albanian speakers. |
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===Aromanian-speaking=== |
===Aromanian-speaking=== |
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{{main|Aromanians in Greece}} |
{{main|Aromanians in Greece}} |
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In Greece, the [[Aromanians]] are called ''[[Vlachs]]'' ({{lang-el|Βλάχοι}}). There are numerous festivals celebrating Aromanian culture all over Greece. Their language, Aromanian, is in danger of extinction and mostly spoken by the elderly. There are, however, small numbers of Aromanians in Greece who call for greater recognition of the Aromanian language, such as [[Sotiris Bletsas]]. It is hypothesized that these Vlachs originated from the Roman colonisation of the Balkans and are the descendants of Latinised native peoples and Roman legionaries who had settled in the Balkans.<ref name="KahlArom"/><ref name="PeyfussArom">Max D. Peyfuss - "Die Aromunische Frage. Ihre Entwicklung von der Ursprüngen bis zum Frieden von Bukarest (1913) und die Haltung Österreich-Ungarns. Wiener Archiv für Geschichte des Slawentums und Osteuropas, Wien 1974</ref><ref name="WeigandArom">Gustav Weigand - "Die Aromunen. Ethnographisch-philologisch-historische Untersuchungen über das Volk der sogennanten Makedo-Romanen oder Zinzaren". Vol 1. "Land und Leute", 2. "Volksliteratur der Aromunen", Leipzig 1894 (vol.2), 1895 (vol.1)</ref> German researcher Thede Kahl claims to have also documented some cases of assimilation of the Aromanian population in regions which are now largely Greek-speaking.<ref name="KahlZagori">Thede Kahl - "Gustav Weigand in Griechenland: Von den Shwierigkeiten einer Rezeption", in Südost/Forschungen 61, München 2003, p. 101-113."</ref> The Panhellenic Federation of Cultural Associations of Vlachs (Πανελλήνια Ομοσπονδία Πολιτιστικών Συλλόγων Βλάχων) has publicly stated that they do not want Aromanian recognized as a minority language nor do they want it inserted into the education system,<ref>http://vlahos.xan.duth.gr/nea/180304.htm</ref> and the same organization also protested,<ref>http://www.tamos.gr/popsb_reply_en.htm</ref> when Thede Kahl discussed in a paper if they could be designated a "minority".<ref name="KahlArom">Thede Kahl - "Minorities in Greece. Historical Issues and New Perspectives". "Jahrbücher für Geschichte un Kultur Südeuropas" Vol. 5, 2004, p. 205-219"</ref> Greek Aromanians, and Greeks in general, believe that the aromanian-speaking population spoke Latin from the 5th century already, but went under a process of Romanian propaganda from 1860 that achieved changing their idiom but completely failed in developing the sentiment of Romanian ethnicity.<ref> Spyros Ergolabos, "The Zagori villages in the beginning of the 20th century: 2 precious documents", Epirus Publications, Ioannina 1993</ref> |
In Greece, the [[Aromanians]] are called ''[[Vlachs]]'' ({{lang-el|Βλάχοι}}). There are numerous festivals celebrating Aromanian culture all over Greece. Their language, Aromanian, is in danger of extinction and mostly spoken by the elderly. There are, however, small numbers of Aromanians in Greece who call for greater recognition of the Aromanian language, such as [[Sotiris Bletsas]]. It is hypothesized that these Vlachs originated from the Roman colonisation of the Balkans and are the descendants of Latinised native peoples and Roman legionaries who had settled in the Balkans.<ref name="KahlArom"/><ref name="PeyfussArom">Max D. Peyfuss - "Die Aromunische Frage. Ihre Entwicklung von der Ursprüngen bis zum Frieden von Bukarest (1913) und die Haltung Österreich-Ungarns. Wiener Archiv für Geschichte des Slawentums und Osteuropas, Wien 1974</ref><ref name="WeigandArom">Gustav Weigand - "Die Aromunen. Ethnographisch-philologisch-historische Untersuchungen über das Volk der sogennanten Makedo-Romanen oder Zinzaren". Vol 1. "Land und Leute", 2. "Volksliteratur der Aromunen", Leipzig 1894 (vol.2), 1895 (vol.1)</ref> German researcher Thede Kahl claims to have also documented some cases of assimilation of the Aromanian population in regions which are now largely Greek-speaking.<ref name="KahlZagori">Thede Kahl - "Gustav Weigand in Griechenland: Von den Shwierigkeiten einer Rezeption", in Südost/Forschungen 61, München 2003, p. 101-113."</ref> The Panhellenic Federation of Cultural Associations of Vlachs (Πανελλήνια Ομοσπονδία Πολιτιστικών Συλλόγων Βλάχων) has publicly stated that they do not want Aromanian recognized as a minority language nor do they want it inserted into the education system,<ref>http://vlahos.xan.duth.gr/nea/180304.htm</ref> and the same organization also protested,<ref>http://www.tamos.gr/popsb_reply_en.htm</ref> when Thede Kahl discussed in a paper if they could be designated a "minority".<ref name="KahlArom">Thede Kahl - "Minorities in Greece. Historical Issues and New Perspectives". "Jahrbücher für Geschichte un Kultur Südeuropas" Vol. 5, 2004, p. 205-219"</ref> Greek Aromanians, and Greeks in general, believe that the aromanian-speaking population spoke Latin from the 5th century already, but went under a process of Romanian propaganda from 1860 that achieved changing their idiom but completely failed in developing the sentiment of Romanian ethnicity.<ref> Spyros Ergolabos, "The Zagori villages in the beginning of the 20th century: 2 precious documents", Epirus Publications, Ioannina 1993</ref> |
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===Megleno-Romanian speakers=== |
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{{main|Megleno-Romanians}} |
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[[File:Vlahomeglen-map-en.png|thumb|300px|Map of Megleno-Romanians settlements in Greece and Republic of Macedonia]] |
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Megleno-Romanians are concentrated in the [[Moglena]] region of [[Greek Macedonia]]. They speak the [[Megleno-Romanian language]] which is known as ''Vlăheşte'' by its speakers. An estimated 4,000 speakers can be found in the region spanning the [[Pella Prefecture|Pella]] and [[Kilkis Prefecture|Kilkis]] prefectures of [[Central Macedonia]]. The largest Megleno-Romanian settlement is [[Notia]]. |
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===Roma=== |
===Roma=== |
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As a result of neglect by the state, among other factors, the Roma communities in [[Greece]] face several problems including high instances of child labour and abuse, low school attendance, police discrimination and drug trafficking. The most serious issue is the housing problem since many Roma in [[Greece]] still live in tents, on properties they do not own, making them subject to eviction. In the past decade these issues have received wider attention and some state funding.<ref name=NCHR/> |
As a result of neglect by the state, among other factors, the Roma communities in [[Greece]] face several problems including high instances of child labour and abuse, low school attendance, police discrimination and drug trafficking. The most serious issue is the housing problem since many Roma in [[Greece]] still live in tents, on properties they do not own, making them subject to eviction. In the past decade these issues have received wider attention and some state funding.<ref name=NCHR/> |
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===Slavic-speaking=== |
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[[Slavic languages]] have been spoken in the region of [[Macedonia (region)|Macedonia]] alongside Greek and others since the invasions of the [[Slavs]] in the 6th and 7th centuries AD.<ref name="Britannica-Macedonia">Macedonia. (2006). In ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. Retrieved June 16, 2006, from Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service: [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?tocId=4411]</ref> In parts of northern Greece, in the regions of [[Macedonia (Greece)|Macedonia]] (Μακεδονία) and [[Western Thrace|Thrace]] (Θράκη), Slavonic languages continue to be spoken by people with a wide range of self-identifications. The actual linguistic classification of these dialects is unclear, although most linguists will classify them as either [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]] or [[Macedonian language|Macedonian Slavic]] taking into account numerous factors, including the resemblance and mutual intelligibility of each dialect to the standard languages (''abstand''), and the self-identification of the speakers themselves. As however the vast majority of these people don't have a [[Bulgarians|Bulgarian]] or [[Macedonians (ethnic group)|Macedonian Slav]] national identity, linguists will make their decisions based on ''abstand'' alone. For a fuller treatment of this subject, see [[Slavic language (Greece)]]. The Slavic-speaking minority of northern Greece can be divided in to two main groups: [[Christianity|Christians]] and [[Islam|Muslims]] (see [[#Pomak|below]]). |
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====Christian Orthodox Slavophones==== |
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[[Image:Hellenism in the Near East 1918.jpg|thumb|Right|200px|Greek ethnographic map of south-eastern Balkans by Professor George Soteriadis, Edward Stanford, London, 1918. "Macedonian Slavs" shown as separate from other South Slavs]] |
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[[Image:Distribution of Races on the Balkans in 1922 Hammond.png|thumb|Left|300px|Distribution of races in the Balkan Peninsula and Asia Minor in 1922, Racial Map Of Europe by Hammond & Co. "Macedonian Slavs" shown as Bulgarians and Serbians.]] |
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{{main|Slavic-speakers of Greek Macedonia}} |
{{main|Slavic-speakers of Greek Macedonia}} |
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The Christian portion of Greece's Slavic-speaking minority are commonly referred to as ''Slavophones'' (from the Greek Σλαβόφωνοι ''Slavophōnoi'' - lit. Slavic-speakers) or ''Dopii'', which means "locals" in Greek. The vast majority of them espouse a Greek national identity and are bilingual in Greek. They live mostly in the [[West Macedonia|Periphery of Western Macedonia]] and adhere to the [[Church of Greece|Greek Orthodox Church]]. The fact that the majority of these people self-identify as Greeks makes their numbers uncertain. Until and including the 1951 census the question of mother tongue was asked throughout Greece, so this gives a rough idea as to the size of this group, and later estimates are usually based on this figure. |
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[[Image:Mergedcopy.svg|200px|right|thumb|Distribution of the Macedonian language according to the ''Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups'']] |
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⚫ | The national identity of this community has frequently been loaded with political implications. The Politis-Kalfov Protocol signed on September 29, 1925 purported to recognize the Slav-speakers of Greek Macedonia as Bulgarians, but this protocol was never ratified. A short lived agreement was signed August 1926, which recognized them as a [[Serbs|Serbian]] minority.<ref>Iakovos D. Michailidis ''[http://www.macedonian-heritage.gr/downloads/library/Michai01.pdf Minority Rights and Educational Problems in Greek Interwar Macedonia: The Case of the Primer "Abecedar"]''</ref> |
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[[Slavic languages]] have been spoken in the region of [[Macedonia (region)|Macedonia]] alongside Greek and others since the invasions of the [[Slavs]] in the 6th and 7th centuries AD.<ref name="Britannica-Macedonia">Macedonia. (2006). In ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. Retrieved June 16, 2006, from Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service: [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?tocId=4411]</ref> In parts of northern Greece, more specifically in the region of [[Macedonia (Greece)|Macedonia]] (Μακεδονία), the [[Macedonian language]] and its various [[Dialects of Macedonian|dialects]] are widely spoken.<ref name="ethnologue"/><ref>Jacques Bacid, Ph.D. Macedonia Through the Ages. Columbia University, 1983.</ref> It is estimated that the language is used by 100,000 – 250,000 people,<ref>Poulton, H.(2000), "Who are the Macedonians?",C. Hurst & Co. Publishers, page 167</ref><ref>[http://www.lmp.ucla.edu/Profile.aspx?LangID=42&menu=004 UCLA Language Materials Project: Language Profile]</ref> primarily concentrated in the [[Florina]], [[Kastoria]], [[Edessa]], [[Ptolemaida]], [[Giannitsa]], [[Salonika]] and [[Naousa, Imathia|Naousa]] regions. Smaller groups of speakers can also be found in the [[Kilkis]] and [[Serres]] areas. Greek sources tend to underestimate the number of speakers, <ref>[http://archive.enet.gr/online/online_text/c=110,dt=03.08.2008,id=62864592 Eletherotipia article]</ref> whilst Macedonian sources often over estimate the size of group. It should be mentioned that when referring to the language Greek sources generally call it 'Slavomacedonian' ({{lang-el|Σλαβομακεδονικά}}). |
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In the 1951 census, 41,017 people claimed to speak the [[Slavic language (Greece)|Slavic language]]. |
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⚫ | The national identity of this community has frequently been loaded with political implications. |
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According to a report issued by the [[Greek Helsinki Monitor]], there are about 10,000-30,000 ethnic Slav Macedonians living in [[Greece]],<ref>[http://dev.eurac.edu:8085/mugs2/do/blob.html?type=html&serial=1044526702223 GREEK HELSINKI MONITOR (GHM) & MINORITY RIGHTS GROUP – GREECE (MRG-G)] - In the report it is stated that: “...those with a Slav Macedonian national identity can be estimated to between 10,000-30,000. Indeed, the political party “Rainbow” which was created in 1994 and has campaigned for the recognition of a national Slav Macedonian minority, received 7,300 votes in 1994 and 5,000 in 1999, two elections it contested alone: these figures correspond to some 7,000-10,000 citizens of all (not just voting) ages. One can estimate that besides this “hard core” there may be other citizens voting for mainstream parties that also espouse this identity, hence the above estimate.“</ref> but because of the absence of an official census it is impossible to determine the exact number. This group has received some attention in recent years due to claims from the neighboring [[Republic of Macedonia]] that these people form an ethnic Slav Macedonian minority in Greece. A political party promoting this line and claiming rights of what they describe as the "Macedonian minority in Greece" - the [[Rainbow (political party)|Rainbow]] (Виножито) - was founded around 1994-95; the party received 2,955 votes in the 2004 elections for the European Parliament in the region of [[Macedonia (Greece)|Macedonia]]. The official position of the Greek government is that there is no ethnic Macedonian or Bulgarian minority in Greece. |
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During the Greek Civil War, many Macedonian speakers sided with the [[Greek Communist Party]] (KKE), which expressed its intent to "fight for the national self-determination of the repressed Macedonians".<ref>KKE, Πέντε Χρόνια Αγώνες 1931-1936, Athens, 2nd ed., 1946.</ref> In 1943, the [[National Liberation Front (Macedonia)#SNOF|Slavic-Macedonian National Liberation Front]] (SNOF) was set up by ethnic Macedonian members of the KKE. During this period an estimated 87 Macedonian language schools, with over 10,000 students were established. <ref>{{Citation |
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|title= Macedonia Its Disputed History |
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|last= Simpson |
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|first= Neil |
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|authorlink= |
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|coauthors= |
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|year= 1994 |
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|publisher= Aristoc Press |
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|location= Victoria |
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|isbn= 0646204629 |
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|pages= 101, 102 & 91}}</ref> Alongside these schools, newspapers, theatres and other forms of Macedonian language media also emerged. |
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====Pomak==== |
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In the 1951 census, 41,017 people claimed to speak the “[[Macedonian language|Slavomacedonian]]” language. In the early 1990s the [[Rainbow (political party)|Rainbow]] (Виножито), was founded to represent the Macedonian minority in Greece. The party has received moderate success, and has elected a number of officials to office, however has faced fierce opposition from many groups in Greece. Recently, the minority has seen more success with four ethnic Macedonians being elected as the mayors of [[Meliti]], [[Vevi]], [[Neochoraki, Florina|Neokazi]], [[Pappagiannis]], including mayor of [[Meliti]], Pande Ašlakov, who has called for the introduction of Macedonian language subjects in schools.<ref>[http://nm.com.mk/NewsDetal.asp?vest=72111921242&id=9&prilog=0&setIzdanie=22336 Our words will be heard through a radio in Florina]</ref> |
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In the early 1990s the Zora magazine began to be published. This was followed with the publication of the [[Zadruga (magazine)|Zadruga magazine]] ({{lang-mk|Задруга}}) in early 2010.<ref>[http://zadruga-koinotita.blogspot.com/2011/06/efimerida-maios-function-var-scribd.html Zadruga - Koinothta Magazine]</ref> Soon afterwards in May 2010 the monthly newspaper Nova Zora ({{lang-mk|Нова Зора}}) in May 2010<ref>[http://www.ohridon.com/m-vesti/1656.html Finally Nova Zora, Macedonian Newspaper in Greece]</ref>, began to be published. Several Macedonian language radio stations have recently been set up in Greek Macedonia to cater for the Macedonian speaking population,<ref>[http://www.a1.com.mk/vesti/default.aspx?VestID=121226 Macedonian language radio station and newspaper established in Greece]</ref> these stations however, have faced fierce opposition from the authorities, with one of these radio stations, "Macedonian Voice" ({{lang-mk|Македонски Глас}}), being shut down by authorities.<ref>[http://www.a1.com.mk/vesti/default.aspx?VestID=33322 Greece closes radio station emitting in the Macedonian language]</ref> |
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In 2009 the Educational and Cultural Movement of Edessa began to run Macedonian language courses, teaching the [[Macedonian Cyrillic]] alphabet.<ref>http://edessavoden.gr/ |
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</ref> Macedonian language courses have also begun in Salonika, as a way of further encouraging use of the Macedonian language.<ref>[http://www.novamakedonija.com.mk/NewsDetal.asp?vest=32310108242&id=9&setIzdanie=21941 Македонскиот јазик во Грција се учи тајно како во турско]</ref> These courses have since been extended to include Macedonian speakers in [[Florina]] and [[Edessa]]<ref>[http://www.australianmacedonianweekly.com/edition/1068_07042009/021_aktuelno_k.html Во Грција ќе никне училиште на македонски јазик]</ref>. Unlike other minority languages in Greece, it is claimed some linguists that the Macedonian language has a stable future ahead of it.<ref>[http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5284045,00.html Macedonian Language in Greece has a stable future]</ref> |
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The official position of the Greek government is that there is no ethnic Macedonian minority in Greece. Many speakers also align themselves with this position and do not themselves identify as "ethnic Macedonians". They often refer to themselves as ''Dopii'' (which means "locals" in Greek), and are usually called ''Slavophones'' by ethnic Greek sources (from the Greek Σλαβόφωνοι ''Slavophōnoi'' - lit. Slavic-speakers). Many identifying with this position call the language ''dópia'' or ''entópia'' ({{lang-el|εντόπια}}, "local/indigenous [language]")<ref name="eurac">[http://dev.eurac.edu:8085/mugs2/do/blob.html?type=html&serial=1044526702223 Greek Helsinki Monitor - Report about Compliance with the Principles of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities]</ref>, ''slaviká'' ({{lang-el|σλαβικά}}, "Slavic") or ''naše'' or ''po naše'' ({{lang-mk|наше}}, "our [language]"). These persons generally identify as ethnic Greeks (''[[Slavophone Greeks]]'') or only have a [[Macedonia (region)|regional]] Macedonian identity. The vast majority of speakers, regardless of ethnic affiliation are generally adherants to the [[Greek Orthodox Church]]. |
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===Bulgarian-speaking Pomak minority=== |
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{{main|Pomaks}} |
{{main|Pomaks}} |
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⚫ | The Muslim Slavic-speaking minority is known as [[Pomak]] (Πομάκοι), they reside mainly in villages in the [[Rhodope Mountains]] in [[Western Thrace|Thrace]]. Their dialects are usually classified as dialects of [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]], although most Pomaks themselves self-identify as either [[Turkish people|Turks]] or [[Bulgarians]].<ref name="GHMPomaks">[http://www.greekhelsinki.gr/english/reports/pomaks.html Report on the Pomaks], by the [[International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights|Greek Helsinki Monitor]]</ref> This [[Turkification]] has a number of reasons, including the fact that Turks and Pomaks were part of the same [[Millet (Ottoman Empire)|''millet'']] during the years when their homeland was part of the [[Ottoman Empire]]. It is believed though that the main reason for the Pomaks' Turkification is that they would no longer be a minority within a minority<ref name="GHMPomaks" /> (the [[Greek Muslim minority|Muslim minority]]), or have no one to defend their rights (the [[Turkey|Turkish government]] actively promotes the welfare of the Turkish minority). |
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The Muslim Bulgarian-speaking minority are known as [[Pomaks]] ({{lang-el|Πομάκοι, ''Pomakoi''}}, {{lang-bg|Помаци, ''Pomatsi''}}), they reside mainly in villages in the [[Rhodope Mountains]] in [[Western Thrace|Thrace]], in [[Evros]], [[Xanthi]] and [[Rhodope]] [[prefectures of Greece]]. According to the 2001 Greek census it is estimated that in total there are 36,000 Pomaks, of whom, 23,000 live in [[Xanthi prefecture]], 11,000 live in [[Rhodope prefecture]] and 2,000 live in [[Evros prefecture]].<ref>[http://www.patrides.com/march02/pomaki.htm Θεοφάνης Μαλκίδης. "Οι Πομάκοι στη Θράκη"]</ref> |
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⚫ | The |
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Under Greek law, the Muslim minority (including the Pomaks) has a right to education in its own language. In practice however, only [[Turkish language|Turkish]] is used.<ref name="GHMPomaks" /> This is due to the Turkish self-identification of the Pomaks, and the fact that this trend was promoted until recently by the Greek authorities (who from 1968 until the 1980s even officially recognized the Pomaks as Turks<ref name="GHMPomaksasTurks">[http://www.greekhelsinki.gr/bhr/english/organizations/ghm_mrgg_religious_freedom_2002.rtf Religious Freedom in Greece], by the [[International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights|Greek Helsinki Monitor]], September 2002</ref>) in order to distance them from the Bulgarians.<ref name="GHMPomaks" /> |
Under Greek law, the Muslim minority (including the Pomaks) has a right to education in its own language. In practice however, only [[Turkish language|Turkish]] is used.<ref name="GHMPomaks" /> This is due to the Turkish self-identification of the Pomaks, and the fact that this trend was promoted until recently by the Greek authorities (who from 1968 until the 1980s even officially recognized the Pomaks as Turks<ref name="GHMPomaksasTurks">[http://www.greekhelsinki.gr/bhr/english/organizations/ghm_mrgg_religious_freedom_2002.rtf Religious Freedom in Greece], by the [[International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights|Greek Helsinki Monitor]], September 2002</ref>) in order to distance them from the Bulgarians.<ref name="GHMPomaks" /> It has been reported though, that Pomak dialects may be used by teachers to explain some things orally to kindergarten and primary school pupils.<ref name="GHMPomaks" /> Additionally, the minority languages can be used by local authorities and in courts, and under Greek law, interpreters will be provided. Nevertheless, most Pomaks will speak Turkish on such occasions.<ref name="GHMPomaks" /> |
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Most Pomaks are fluent in their Pomak dialects (spoken amongst themselves), Turkish (their language of education, and the main language of the Muslim minority), Greek (the official language of the Greek state), and may know some [[Arabic language|Arabic]] (the language of the [[Qur'an]]).<ref name="GHMPomaks" /> |
Most Pomaks are fluent in their Pomak dialects (spoken amongst themselves), Turkish (their language of education, and the main language of the Muslim minority), Greek (the official language of the Greek state), and may know some [[Arabic language|Arabic]] (the language of the [[Qur'an]]).<ref name="GHMPomaks" /> |
Revision as of 06:32, 22 July 2011
Indigenous minorities in Greece are small in size compared to regional standards.[1] The country is largely ethnically homogeneous. This is mainly due to the population exchanges between Greece and neighboring Turkey (Treaty of Lausanne) and Bulgaria (Treaty of Neuilly), which removed most Muslims (with the exception of the Muslims of Thrace) and those Christian Slavs who did not identify as Greeks, from Greek territory; the treaty also provided for the resettlement of ethnic Greeks from those countries, later to be followed by refugees (see Greek genocide, Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922) and Istanbul Pogrom). The 2001 census reported a population of 10,964,020 people.[2]
The main officially recognized "minority" (μειονότητα, meionótita) is the Muslim minority (μουσουλμανική μειονότητα, mousoulmanikí meionótita) in Thrace, which numbered 97,604 people or 0.95% of the total population according to the 1991 census,[3] and mainly consists of Turks, Pomaks and Roma. Other recognized minority groups are the Armenians numbering approximately 35,000,[4] and the Jews (Sephardim and Romaniotes) numbering approximately 5,500.[5]
Religious minorities
The Greek constitution defines the Eastern Orthodox Church as the "prevailing religion" in Greece, and over 95% of the population claim membership in it. Any other religion not explicitly defined by law (e.g. unlike Islam and Judaism, which are explicitly recognized) may acquire the status of a "known religion", a status which allows the religion's adherents to worship freely, and to have constitutional recognition. After a court ruling, the criteria for acquiring the status of a "known religion", were defined as being, a "religion or a dogma whose doctrine is open and not secret, is taught publicly and its rites of worship are also open to the public, irrespective of whether its adherents have religious authorities; such a religion or dogma needs not to be recognized or approved by an act of the State or Church". This covers most religious minorities such as Roman Catholics, Evangelicals, Pentecostals, Seventh-day Adventists, Methodists, and Jehovah's Witnesses. All known religions to be considered by the Greek state legal entities under private law must establish an association, or foundation, or charitable fund-raising committee pursuant to the Civil Code. The Roman Catholic Church refuses to be considered a legal person under private or public law and has requested recognition by its own canon law. In July 1999, following a parliamentary amendment, the legal entity status of all institutions of the Roman Catholic Church established before 1946 was reconfirmed. There is no formal mechanism that exists to gain recognition as a "known religion". There are also around two thousand Greeks who adhere to a reconstruction of the ancient Greek Religion.[6][7] A place of worship has been recognized as such by court.[8]
Linguistic and cultural minorities
Albanian-speaking
In the 2001 census, 274,390 ethnic Albanian immigrants are residing in Greece,[10][11] mostly economic migrants.
Albanian economic migrants are not to be confused with the Greek Orthodox Arvanites, a group who traditionally speak a form of Tosk Albanian in addition to Greek and self-identify as Greeks,[12] having played a significant role in the Greek War of Independence and Greek culture in general.
The Chams were an ethnic Albanian community that formerly inhabited the area of Thesprotia, part of the Greek province of Epirus. Most of them fled to Albania at the end of World War II after a large part of them collaborated with the Nazi occupation forces.[13][14][15][16]
Aromanian-speaking
In Greece, the Aromanians are called Vlachs (Greek: Βλάχοι). There are numerous festivals celebrating Aromanian culture all over Greece. Their language, Aromanian, is in danger of extinction and mostly spoken by the elderly. There are, however, small numbers of Aromanians in Greece who call for greater recognition of the Aromanian language, such as Sotiris Bletsas. It is hypothesized that these Vlachs originated from the Roman colonisation of the Balkans and are the descendants of Latinised native peoples and Roman legionaries who had settled in the Balkans.[17][18][19] German researcher Thede Kahl claims to have also documented some cases of assimilation of the Aromanian population in regions which are now largely Greek-speaking.[20] The Panhellenic Federation of Cultural Associations of Vlachs (Πανελλήνια Ομοσπονδία Πολιτιστικών Συλλόγων Βλάχων) has publicly stated that they do not want Aromanian recognized as a minority language nor do they want it inserted into the education system,[21] and the same organization also protested,[22] when Thede Kahl discussed in a paper if they could be designated a "minority".[17] Greek Aromanians, and Greeks in general, believe that the aromanian-speaking population spoke Latin from the 5th century already, but went under a process of Romanian propaganda from 1860 that achieved changing their idiom but completely failed in developing the sentiment of Romanian ethnicity.[23]
Roma
The history of Roma in Greece goes back over 600 years to the 15th century. The name Gypsy sometimes used for the Roma people was first given to them by the Greeks who supposed them to be Egyptian in origin. Due to their nomadic nature, they are not concentrated in a specific geographical area, but are dispersed all over the country. The majority of the Greek Roma are Orthodox Christians who speak the 'Vlachoura-Roma' language in addition to Greek. Most of the Roma who live in Western Thrace are Muslims and speak a dialect of the same language.[24]
The Roma in Greece live scattered on the whole territory of the country, but a large concentration in the bigger cities, mainly in Athens and Thessalonica. Notable centres of Roma life in Greece are Agia Varvara which has a very successful Roma community and Ano Liosia where conditions are bad. Roma largely maintain their own customs and traditions. Although a large number of Roma has adopted a sedentary and urban way of living, there are still settlements in some areas. The nomads at the settlements often differentiate themselves from the rest of the population. They number 200,000 according to the Greek government. According to the National Commission for Human Rights that number is closer to 250,000 and according to the Greek Helsinki Watch group to 300,000.[24]
As a result of neglect by the state, among other factors, the Roma communities in Greece face several problems including high instances of child labour and abuse, low school attendance, police discrimination and drug trafficking. The most serious issue is the housing problem since many Roma in Greece still live in tents, on properties they do not own, making them subject to eviction. In the past decade these issues have received wider attention and some state funding.[24]
Slavic-speaking
Slavic languages have been spoken in the region of Macedonia alongside Greek and others since the invasions of the Slavs in the 6th and 7th centuries AD.[25] In parts of northern Greece, in the regions of Macedonia (Μακεδονία) and Thrace (Θράκη), Slavonic languages continue to be spoken by people with a wide range of self-identifications. The actual linguistic classification of these dialects is unclear, although most linguists will classify them as either Bulgarian or Macedonian Slavic taking into account numerous factors, including the resemblance and mutual intelligibility of each dialect to the standard languages (abstand), and the self-identification of the speakers themselves. As however the vast majority of these people don't have a Bulgarian or Macedonian Slav national identity, linguists will make their decisions based on abstand alone. For a fuller treatment of this subject, see Slavic language (Greece). The Slavic-speaking minority of northern Greece can be divided in to two main groups: Christians and Muslims (see below).
Christian Orthodox Slavophones
The Christian portion of Greece's Slavic-speaking minority are commonly referred to as Slavophones (from the Greek Σλαβόφωνοι Slavophōnoi - lit. Slavic-speakers) or Dopii, which means "locals" in Greek. The vast majority of them espouse a Greek national identity and are bilingual in Greek. They live mostly in the Periphery of Western Macedonia and adhere to the Greek Orthodox Church. The fact that the majority of these people self-identify as Greeks makes their numbers uncertain. Until and including the 1951 census the question of mother tongue was asked throughout Greece, so this gives a rough idea as to the size of this group, and later estimates are usually based on this figure.
The national identity of this community has frequently been loaded with political implications. The Politis-Kalfov Protocol signed on September 29, 1925 purported to recognize the Slav-speakers of Greek Macedonia as Bulgarians, but this protocol was never ratified. A short lived agreement was signed August 1926, which recognized them as a Serbian minority.[26]
In the 1951 census, 41,017 people claimed to speak the Slavic language.
According to a report issued by the Greek Helsinki Monitor, there are about 10,000-30,000 ethnic Slav Macedonians living in Greece,[27] but because of the absence of an official census it is impossible to determine the exact number. This group has received some attention in recent years due to claims from the neighboring Republic of Macedonia that these people form an ethnic Slav Macedonian minority in Greece. A political party promoting this line and claiming rights of what they describe as the "Macedonian minority in Greece" - the Rainbow (Виножито) - was founded around 1994-95; the party received 2,955 votes in the 2004 elections for the European Parliament in the region of Macedonia. The official position of the Greek government is that there is no ethnic Macedonian or Bulgarian minority in Greece.
Pomak
The Muslim Slavic-speaking minority is known as Pomak (Πομάκοι), they reside mainly in villages in the Rhodope Mountains in Thrace. Their dialects are usually classified as dialects of Bulgarian, although most Pomaks themselves self-identify as either Turks or Bulgarians.[28] This Turkification has a number of reasons, including the fact that Turks and Pomaks were part of the same millet during the years when their homeland was part of the Ottoman Empire. It is believed though that the main reason for the Pomaks' Turkification is that they would no longer be a minority within a minority[28] (the Muslim minority), or have no one to defend their rights (the Turkish government actively promotes the welfare of the Turkish minority).
Under Greek law, the Muslim minority (including the Pomaks) has a right to education in its own language. In practice however, only Turkish is used.[28] This is due to the Turkish self-identification of the Pomaks, and the fact that this trend was promoted until recently by the Greek authorities (who from 1968 until the 1980s even officially recognized the Pomaks as Turks[29]) in order to distance them from the Bulgarians.[28] It has been reported though, that Pomak dialects may be used by teachers to explain some things orally to kindergarten and primary school pupils.[28] Additionally, the minority languages can be used by local authorities and in courts, and under Greek law, interpreters will be provided. Nevertheless, most Pomaks will speak Turkish on such occasions.[28]
Most Pomaks are fluent in their Pomak dialects (spoken amongst themselves), Turkish (their language of education, and the main language of the Muslim minority), Greek (the official language of the Greek state), and may know some Arabic (the language of the Qur'an).[28]
Other minorities
Muslim
There is a Muslim minority who are Greek citizens living in Thrace, concentrated in the Rhodope and Xanthi Prefectures. From the 1991 census, the official position of the Greek government is that there are 98,000 Muslims in western Thrace, and that 50% are of Turkish ethnic origin, the rest being 35% Pomaks and 15% Roma.[30][31] The Muslim minority has been estimated to number 140,000 or 1.24% of the total population of Greece. Aside from the indigenous Muslim minority in Greece, the Muslim immigrant population in the rest of the country was estimated at 200,000 to 300,000.[32]
Turks
A Turkish community currently live in Western Thrace which is located in the north-eastern part of Greece. According to the Greek government, in 1991 there were approximately 50,000 Turks, out of the approximately 98,000 Muslim minority of Greece[31] But the Turkish community has traditionally been estimated to number between 120,000 and 130,000.[33][34] Recent estimates of the "Culture and Education Foundation" of the Turkish minority suggest that it numbers 150,000 people.[35] The Turks of Thrace descend from Turkish populations living in the area during the Ottoman period. Like the Greeks of Istanbul, Imbros and Tenedos, they were exempted from the 1923 population exchange.[36] The Greek government continues to deliver Turkish language and there are two Islamic theological seminaries, one in Komotini and one in Ehinos.
Discrimination of the Turks has been criticized by the US and the European Parliament.[37]In 1922, Turks owned 84% of the land in Western Thrace, but now the minority estimates this figure to be between 20–40%. This stems from various practices of the Greek administration whereby ethnic Greeks are encouraged to purchase Turkish land with soft loans granted by the state.[38][39] The Greek government refers to the Turkish community as Greek Muslims or Hellenic Muslims, and does not recognise a Turkish minority in Western Thrace.[33] Greek courts have also outlawed the use of the word 'Turkish' to describe the Turkish community. In 1988, the Greek High Court affirmed a 1986 decision of the Court of Appeals of Thrace in which the Union of Turkish Associations of Western Thrace was ordered closed. The court held that the use of the word 'Turkish' referred to citizens of Turkey, and could not be used to describe citizens of Greece; the use of the word 'Turkish' to describe 'Greek Muslims' was held to endanger public order.[40]
Apart from Thrace, a small minority of Turks exists in the Dodecanese islands of Rhodes and Kos. They were not included in the 1923 population exchange as the Dodecanese were annexed from Italy in 1947 after World War II. After annexation of islands, their Muslim inhabitants, Greek and Turkish speakers, were granted Greek citizenship. Today, about 5,000 Turks[41] live in the Dodecanese islands of Rhodes numbering 3,000 and Kos numbering 2,000 and use Turkish in every day life. In Rhodes and Kos, the teaching of the Turkish language was de facto abolished in the early 1970s.[42]
Armenians
There are approximately 35,000 Armenians in Greece[4] out of which approximately 20,000 can speak the Armenian language.[43] The community's main political representative is the Armenian National Committee of Greece; its headquarters are in Athens with branches all over Greece. The community also manages its own educational institutions. Approximately 95% of Armenians in Greece are Armenian Orthodox, with the rest being Armenian Catholics or Evangelicals.[4]
Jews
Population of Thessaloniki[44]
Year | Total Pop. | Jewish Pop. | Jewish % |
---|---|---|---|
1842 | 70,000 | 36,000 | 51% |
1870 | 90,000 | 50,000 | 56% |
1882/84 | 85,000 | 48,000 | 56% |
1902 | 126,000 | 62,000 | 49% |
1913 | 157,889 | 61,439 | 39% |
1943 | 53,000 | ||
2001 | 363,987[45] | 1,000 | 0.003% |
The interaction between Greece and the Jews dates back to ancient times. Alexander the Great reached ancient Judea and was welcomed by the Jews. Following his death, war erupted between the Hellenized Jews and Greeks and the Jewish conservatives Maccabees that embittered relations between Greeks and Jews for centuries.
Until the Holocaust during World War II Greece had always had a significant, localized and active Jewish community with a long and rich cultural heritage. Jews practiced Judaism and over the centuries developed a variety of Greek-Judaic dialects, such as the Yevanic language and a distinct Graecojewish culture. The Romaniotes are a Jewish population who have lived in the territory of today's Greece and neighboring areas with large Greek populations for more than 2,000 years. Their language is Greek and they derive their name from the old name for the Greek people, Rhomaioi. The Romaniotes are historically distinct from the Sephardim, who settled in Thessalonica after the 1492 expulsion of the Jews from Spain.
During the Holocaust 86% of the Greek Jews, especially those in the areas occupied by Nazi Germany and Bulgaria, were killed despite efforts by the Greek Orthodox Church hierarchy, the EAM resistance movement and individual Greeks (both Christian and Communist) to shelter Jews. These efforts were most successful in Zakynthos, where absolutely every local Jew was saved from the Holocaust.
See also
- Demographics of Greece
- Hellenization
- Cultural assimilation
- Grecomans
- Human rights in Greece
- Iraqis in Greece
References
- Abstracts "Focus: Minorities in Greece--historical issues and new perspectives", Jahrbücher für Geschichte und Kultur Südosteuropas
- Review by Adamantios Skordos (History and Culture of South Eastern Europe) 5, 2003. Articles from a conference held in Berlin.
- Richard Clogg, ed., Minorities in Greece: Aspects of a Plural Society, London, 2003. ISBN 1-85065-706-8.
Further reading
- Anagnostou, Dia (2005). "Deepening Democracy or Defending the Nation? The Europeanisation of Minority Rights and Greek Citizenship". West European Politics. 28 (2): 335–357. doi:10.1080/01402380500059785.
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Notes
- ^ Richard Clogg Concise History of Greece (Second edition) Chap.7 page 238 Cambridge 2002, for the Greek edition Katoptro ISBN 960-7778-61-8
- ^ Ελληνική Επιτροπή για τη διαχείρηση των υδατικών πόρων: Στοιχεία από την πρόσφατη απογραφή του πληθυσμού
- ^ Υπουργείο Εξωτερικών, Υπηρεσία Ενημέρωσης: Μουσουλμάνικη μειονότητα Θράκης
- ^ a b c www.armenians.gr
- ^ Κεντρικό Ισραηλίτικο Συμβούλιο Ελλάδος: Οι Εβραίοι της Ελλάδος
- ^ BBC NewsAncient Greek gods' new believers
- ^ YSEE in the media (See Video 2)
- ^ The Guardian Greek gods prepare for comeback
- ^ See Ethnologue ([1]); Euromosaic, Le (slavo)macédonien / bulgare en Grèce, L'arvanite / albanais en Grèce, Le valaque/aromoune-aroumane en Grèce, and Mercator-Education: European Network for Regional or Minority Languages and Education, The Turkish language in education in Greece. cf. also P. Trudgill, "Greece and European Turkey: From Religious to Linguistic Identity", in S Barbour, C Carmichael (eds.), Language and nationalism in Europe, Oxford University Press 2000.
- ^ Migrants in Greece Online Observatory [http://www.migrantsingreece.org/transpartner/Tables.pdf
- ^ Migration and Migration Policy in Greece. Critical Review and Policy Recommendations. Anna Triandafyllidou. Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP). Data taken from Greek ministry of Interiors. p. 5 "the total number of Albanian citizens residing in Greece, including 185,000 co-ethnics holding special identity cards"
- ^ Greek Helsinki Monitor, The Arvanites.
- ^ M. Mazower (ed.), After The War Was Over: Reconstructing the Family, Nation and State in Greece, 1943-1960, p. 25
- ^ Miranda Vickers, The Cham Issue - Albanian National & Property Claims in Greece, paper prepared for the British MoD, Defence Academy, 2002
- ^ Russell King, Nicola Mai, Stephanie Schwandner-Sievers,The New Albanian Migration, p.67, and 87
- ^ M. Mazower, Inside Hitler's Greece
- ^ a b Thede Kahl - "Minorities in Greece. Historical Issues and New Perspectives". "Jahrbücher für Geschichte un Kultur Südeuropas" Vol. 5, 2004, p. 205-219"
- ^ Max D. Peyfuss - "Die Aromunische Frage. Ihre Entwicklung von der Ursprüngen bis zum Frieden von Bukarest (1913) und die Haltung Österreich-Ungarns. Wiener Archiv für Geschichte des Slawentums und Osteuropas, Wien 1974
- ^ Gustav Weigand - "Die Aromunen. Ethnographisch-philologisch-historische Untersuchungen über das Volk der sogennanten Makedo-Romanen oder Zinzaren". Vol 1. "Land und Leute", 2. "Volksliteratur der Aromunen", Leipzig 1894 (vol.2), 1895 (vol.1)
- ^ Thede Kahl - "Gustav Weigand in Griechenland: Von den Shwierigkeiten einer Rezeption", in Südost/Forschungen 61, München 2003, p. 101-113."
- ^ http://vlahos.xan.duth.gr/nea/180304.htm
- ^ http://www.tamos.gr/popsb_reply_en.htm
- ^ Spyros Ergolabos, "The Zagori villages in the beginning of the 20th century: 2 precious documents", Epirus Publications, Ioannina 1993
- ^ a b c Hellenic Republic: National Commission for Human Rights: The state of Roma in Greece
- ^ Macedonia. (2006). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved June 16, 2006, from Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service: [2]
- ^ Iakovos D. Michailidis Minority Rights and Educational Problems in Greek Interwar Macedonia: The Case of the Primer "Abecedar"
- ^ GREEK HELSINKI MONITOR (GHM) & MINORITY RIGHTS GROUP – GREECE (MRG-G) - In the report it is stated that: “...those with a Slav Macedonian national identity can be estimated to between 10,000-30,000. Indeed, the political party “Rainbow” which was created in 1994 and has campaigned for the recognition of a national Slav Macedonian minority, received 7,300 votes in 1994 and 5,000 in 1999, two elections it contested alone: these figures correspond to some 7,000-10,000 citizens of all (not just voting) ages. One can estimate that besides this “hard core” there may be other citizens voting for mainstream parties that also espouse this identity, hence the above estimate.“
- ^ a b c d e f g Report on the Pomaks, by the Greek Helsinki Monitor
- ^ Religious Freedom in Greece, by the Greek Helsinki Monitor, September 2002
- ^ Greek Helsinki Monitor: Religious freedom in Greece
- ^ a b Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Muslim minority in Thrace
- ^ Transclusion error: {{En}} is only for use in File namespace. Use {{lang-en}} or {{in lang|en}} instead. US Department of State - Religious Freedom, Greece
- ^ a b Whitman 1990, i .
- ^ Levinson 1998, 41 .
- ^ Western Thrace Minority University Graduates Association 2009, 2 .
- ^ University of Leiden page
- ^ http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/publisher,HRW,,GRC,3ae6a8013,0.html
- ^ Whitman 1990, 2
- ^ Hirschon 2003, 106
- ^ Whitman 1990, 16 .
- ^ Clogg 2002, 84 .
- ^ Mercator Education, The Turkish language in Education in Greece, 2003
- ^ http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=Greece
- ^ Molho, Rena.The Jerusalem of the Balkans: Salonica 1856-1919 The Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki. URL accessed July 10, 2006.
- ^ "(875 KB) 2001 Census" (PDF). National Statistical Service of Greece (ΕΣΥΕ) (in Greek). www.statistics.gr. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-10-30.