New York Times: attacks on immigrants on the rise in Greece

Source: New York Times

By Niki Kitsantonis

ATHENS — A wave of violent attacks against immigrants by suspected right-wing extremists has put Muslims and the police on alert in rundown parts of Athens with burgeoning migrant populations.

Immigrants have been beaten and stabbed near central squares, and several makeshift mosques have been burned and vandalized. In the most grievous attack, at the end of October, the assailants locked the door of a basement prayer site and hurled firebombs through the windows, seriously wounding four worshipers.

“The attacks are constant — I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Naim Elghandour, who moved to Athens from Egypt in the 1970s and now heads the Muslim Association of Greece. “I used to be treated like an equal. Now I’m getting death threats.”

Tensions in neglected, crime-ridden parts of Athens with growing immigrant communities have been mounting over the past two years. Highlighting expanding public discontent, the extreme right-wing group Chrysi Avgi, or “Golden Dawn,” won its first ever seat on the Athens City Council in local elections three weeks ago. The group mustered strong support in working-class neighborhoods in the capital and elsewhere in Greece by describing migrants as a drain on the economy, which is reeling from a debt crisis, and calling for immediate deportations.

The Greek news media linked the group to the violence after a spray-painted cross merged with a circle — a symbol used by extreme rightists worldwide — was found on the wall of a firebombed prayer site. But the police have not confirmed a connection, saying no arrests have been made. The group did not respond to requests for comment.

Thanassis Kokkalakis, a police spokesman, said the problem was complex. He said that while “extremist elements” were believed to be behind certain attacks, there was also violence between migrants of different ethnic origins, muggings of Greeks by poverty-stricken foreigners and clashes between extreme rightists and left-wing protesters.

“All this chaos stems from a constantly growing population of immigrants in these areas,” said Mr. Kokkalakis, noting that about 150 migrants arrived in Athens daily despite the mobilization of European Union guards in early November at Greece’s land border with Turkey. “The upheaval has fueled aggravation among residents, which is being exploited by extremist groups.”

The residents of the problem areas are divided: Some want dialogue and better policing, while others are taking matters into their own hands. Elderly and middle-aged residents often sit in local squares during the daytime, shouting abusive statements at migrants when they go by. Small gangs of teenagers stalk the neighborhoods by night, but it remains unclear if they are locals or visiting extremists.

The police have stepped up patrols following reports of attacks by vigilantes who, locals say, are as young as 14. “I saw three kids bashing an Afghan man with wooden poles until blood ran down his face,” said Muhammad, the Syrian manager of a convenience store in Aghios Panteleimonas, once a lively neighborhood, now a no-go zone. Like other migrants living in the area, he would not give his surname for fear of reprisals.

The exact number of attacks remains unclear. “The victims are usually too scared to go to police,” said Thanassis Kourkoulas, a spokesman for Deport Racism, a group that offers targeted migrants advice and support.

Others say this reflects a general trend in Europe. “Hate crimes against Muslims are underreported and underrecorded,” said Taskin Soykan, who advises the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe on combating racial intolerance.

The attacks in Greece mirror similar incidents in other European countries, including Switzerland, where a referendum last November led to a ban on the construction of minarets on mosques, and in France and Italy, where the authorities have deported Roma residents and immigrants.

“The difference in Italy is that most of the attacks were in the provinces, while in Greece they are in the heart of the capital, which is potentially far more explosive,” Liz Fekete of the Institute of Race Relations in London said. “The common factor is the formation of vigilante groups, egged on by the far right.”

Angry protesters, including some thought to be right-wing extremists, had to be restrained by the police last month when thousands of Muslims congregated in several Athens squares for a religious festival. At one site, officers fired tear gas to disperse a small group of demonstrators, who continued their protest from the balconies of apartment complexes, pelting worshipers with eggs and playing loud music to disturb the prayers.

The day after the protests, government officials said a stalled project to build an official mosque was back on track. Athens is the only capital of the original 15 E.U. member states to lack a state-approved mosque.

Although the country’s influential Orthodox Church has given its support to the project, opinion polls show that half of Athens’s five million residents oppose the creation of a mosque to serve the capital’s Muslim community, which numbers about 500,000.

“A large mosque with minarets in the city center will be a provocation,” said Dimitrios Pipikios, the head of a residents’ group in Aghios Panteleimonas, where Chrysi Avgi drew 20 percent of the vote in recent elections.

Mr. Pipikios said the only way to ease tensions was to deport immigrants. “There is no room for us all,” he said, adding that extreme rightists were patrolling the area “because the police are not doing their job.”

Other residents said they felt intimidated. “The situation is totally out of control,” said Maria Kanellopoulou, who wants not deportations but the better social integration of immigrants.

The local authorities are determined to tackle the problem, said a spokesman for Giorgos Kaminis, the newly elected mayor of Athens.

“Chasing immigrants away from city squares is an established technique of extreme rightists, and we are seeking advice on how to deal with it,” said the spokesman, Takis Kampilis, who has approached the municipal authorities in Germany, who have averted similar campaigns by neo-Nazis. The new mayor is also planning to improve health care and housing for migrants and organize street markets where they can legitimately sell wares rather than touting illegally on street corners.

Ms. Fekete said increasing integration would help, but to stamp out extreme violence, local and central governments must condemn it in strong terms. “If the authorities do not speak out, public tolerance of the violence will grow,” she said. “This is a wake-up call.”

The banality of violence

Source : http://www.ekathimerini.com

By Nikos Xydakis

The peaceful prayer services held by Muslims in Athens as part of Eid al-Adha celebrations earlier this week were followed by protests and sporadic violence against Muslims, clashes between locals and foreigners, as well as skirmishes among Muslims. The neighborhood around Acharnon Street has recently witnessed attacks on makeshift mosques and the faithful who visit those sites to pray.

In Kotzia Square, an illegal street vendor from Egypt who was stopped by municipal police officers for an ID check, began to yell that they were desecrating the holy scripture of Islam that they found on him.

Some 300 Muslims from nearby streets immediately gathered on the spot, angry at the insult to the Quran. But the affront never really took place, as the confiscated items were not sacred – a fact acknowledged by the street seller’s fellow Muslims.

Both cases demonstrate the failure of the state to implement the law and protect the civic and human rights of Greeks as well as foreigners.

In both cases, the failure was interpreted as the lack of legal order, as the absence of the rule of law – and that vacuum was filled by crowds which sought to take the law in their own hands.

Seeing the state withdraw from the civic realm as the people begin to take the law in their own hands with increasing frequency is one of the most worrying signs of this difficult period in history in which politics, society and the democratic state are coming under great duress.

It is becoming an uneasy coexistence: In the gray neighborhoods, poor Greeks live next to thousands of impoverished immigrants – most of these without legal documents.

The recession is deepening, fueling mistrust and intolerance.

Everyone is threatening to take the law into their own hands. Violence is gradually becoming the rule in our daily existence. This threat against the moral and legal foundations of society is, in many ways, more frightening than the threat of financial bankruptcy.

Athens: with their thoughts on the mosque and the grand prayer (Eid Al-Fitr)

Source:  Ελευθεροτυπία, By Georgia Dama

Διαβάστε στα Ελληνικά

At “Agora” of Olympic Stadium hundreds of Muslims gathered yesterday at 7.30 in the morning for the Eid Al-Fitr prayer.

They wished to have some say for a prayer place for them as well a piece of land to be buried.

In the front line stood the diplomats, the representatives of Muslim communities. Behind them, endless rows with Muslims coming from all Muslim world. Young men that work in our country. Some of them with their sons aside. They pray with devotion forming the last rows.

At the side area the women were standing. Wearing their festive dresses, holding their babies in their arms. The first row was filled by Greek women that embraced Islam.

Arabs from all over the world, Africans, Pakistanis, Iranians met and hugged at the Olympic Stadium. “We will pray all together in the fest that indicates the end of the fast of Ramadan that lasted a month. It is a day of joy. We eat after the fast and we wish peace for the whole planet, Anna responds, one of the Greek women that embraced Islam. An Egyptian woman adds, “Especially to the Greeks we wish better days and peace. I wish at the next prayer Greece to be in a better destiny.”

The echo of “Allah Akbar” spreads the open church. The immigrants kneel touching the mat with their foreheads. They pray with devotion. Only the words of the grand prayer are heard “to preserve our values, not to go away from God, to be always near Him”. The grand prayer is made twice a year. The next follows in 72 days when the Muslims are travelling for pilgrimage in Mecca.

A little later the president of the Muslim Association, Naim Elghandour, that lives 35 years in our country wishes “to follow better days for the Muslims in Greece. To have a place for praying for our children that were born here, study, some of them have Hellenic citizenship, will serve the army and gather in undergrounds and garages to pray. Let there be a place to be buried. In my home country Egypt, Greeks have temples and enjoy their rights.”

He also says that “for the construction of the mosque 15 million euros were given from the Ministry of Finance that remain in the drawers of the Ministry of Education. In Greece there is about 800.000 Muslims.  Five hundred thousand of them have permanent residency and another 250.000 have a red card (claiming asylum). We will go to the courts asking for the application of the law that allows the construction of a mosque, and it remains inactive.”

20 questions: Greeks, Muslims and racism

Source:  Ta Nea Newspaper

Translation © Greeks Rethink

Board Member of the Muslim Association of Greece, Iman Sotiria Kouvalis is Greek and embraced Islam in 2000, following studies in comparative religion. She is the founder of www.greeksrethink.com, the only meeting on line place of Greek Muslims everywhere, as well as those who are interested to know a little more about Greek Muslims and get possible questions answered.

Question 1: How serious is it for a Muslim to rip the Qur’an?

When someone rips the Qur’an, it shows disrespect to the sanctity of God.

Question 2: Do you justify the reaction of the Muslims?

The best way to resolve this matter is through the courts of justice and this is the path we will follow. As for those who react violently, this is contrary to our concept of religion and humanity.

Question 3: Was it politically motivated?

Political groups used isolated pockets of the most distressed immigrants to demonstrate in favour of broader problems, not just the ripped Qur’an.

Question 4: Did these political groups respect the Muslims of Athens?

Just a few immigrants came out with their supporters in the missed march, blackening the image of 10’s of thousands of Muslims who are either Greek citizens or are harmoniously intergrated in the Greek society.

Question 5: Did the Greek authorities respect the Muslims?

In general, they respect the Muslims. The incident with the Qur’an was something that had never happened before, nor was the police officer aware at that time of the seriousness of his action.

Question 6: How can the attack on the Qur’an be repaired?

The police could and still can issue a formal apology to the Muslims of Greece for their error.

Question 7: Are there Muslims who believe the incident was a “war against Islam.”

Any Muslim who tries to act as such on his own accord will be condemned by the majority of Muslims worldwide.

Question 8: How many Muslims live in Greece?

More than 1 million.

Question 9: How many Greeks are Muslims?

Apart from the Greek minority in Thrace, there are many Greeks who have embraced Islam and are either living in Greece or abroad.

Question 10: Why did a Christian woman embrace Islam?

Many Greek women accept islam and they feel liberated. They enjoy all rights given to them by God, including the right to be respected and honoured.

Question 11: What is the role of women in Islam?

Women and men in Islam have equal rights, but different roles. First and foremost is the commitment to God. After that, her primary role is like any woman, to care for her family. Then, if the woman wants, she can study or can be trained to work. Women in Islam are encouraged to study.

Question 12: Compared with Christianity?

Historically, when Islam established women’s rights in 7th century, as the right to property, inheritance etc., such rights were unknown to the world, including Christians.

Question 13: Is the headscarf compulsory or an option?

The headscarf is compulsory as stated clearly in our religion.

Question 14: Why do you wear the headscarf ?

I am happy when I wear headscarf as I obey God’s will. There is great wisdom behind this. I feel liberated, honoured and respected.

Question 15:  Is the burqa obligatory for  a Muslim?

The burqa is a garment worn only in Afghanistan and is not compulsory. Islam requires that women cover their  head, body and hands [arms] with modest clothing. They may wear what they want providing  they respect the initial conditions.

Question 16: Where is the issue of the mosque being stuck ?

In the cogs of bureacracy, lack of interest is given by the government to handle and resolve the matter.

Question 17: Without a mosque which mysteries can’t the Muslims  perform?

Islam has no mysteries in the sense that there are in Christianity. The mosque, however, is the core of Muslim life and a place of tranquility. Without a mosque, a believer can not pray on a Friday which is compulsory and to live a life full of spirituality.

Question 18: Without a Muslim cemetery where can the Muslims be buried?

Either they get buried in their countries of origin which is a  hopelessly a slow and costly process. The Greeks and those who have no homes to be buried, such as the Palestinians,  they get buried in a cemetery of Thrace,  which is also a slow and costly process.

Question 19: Where do marriages and baptisms take place?

In Islam, we have no mysteries such as marriages and baptisms. The name is given to the child at birth. The marriages are either in a register office  if one of the spouses is Greek or in the embassies of the country of origin.

Question 20: Is there  racism against Muslims?

Your everyday Greek citizen has no racisim against his Muslim neighbour.

Welcome our latest News Manager

Please give a warm welcome to our latest addition to our team, our News Manager, Hayrullah Mehmeti.

Br. Hayrullah is from Northwestern Greece and now lives in the U.S.  He works to unite Muslims in Greece and in Greek society by building bridges.  His speciality lies in politics and history and he is our newest author for our news blog.  He will be compiling a team of more authors in the future to bring you top quality articles to our news blog insha Allah.

If you would like to join the news team or contact Br. Hayrullah, please email him at news@greeksrethink.com.

Please give a warm welcome to Br. Hayrullah.

Care for children, care for orphans

When I first stumbled across this website, I was both surprised and joyous. Helping orphans in Palestine from, out of all places, Greece?

It’s a true sign that people, no matter what religion or culture, can gather together for one of the noblest causes in the world – to take care of children, and more specifically, orphans.

Yousef Hamamda, director of www.orphancare.gr, has notified me that although the association started off with gathering donors to sponsor orphans in Palestine, due to popular demand, have expanded into a social, cultural and educational club for children in Greece.

Some of the activities that they provide year-round are sports, camps, field trips, computer area and language classes.

Because of the major expansion, they are looking for people who would like to help donate to this noble cause.

Please download the file below for all of the details of the project.

Club Proposal – English, Arabic

www.orphancare.gr

How you can help:
Contact Br. Yousef at child_gr@yahoo.com to donate your money or time to the project.

“Suicidal immigration policy” takes its toll in Greece

I found this article very interesting to read, considering we were talking about passports and immigration on our forums recently. Mind you, I don’t agree with some of the perspectives of the author but nevertheless, it was interesting to say the least!

Article: A Real Greek Tragedy: Repeated Amnesties Fail There Too

Source: Vdare.com

Published Date: October 21, 2008

Excerpt:

But in the last few years the numbers of illegal immigrants from Africa and Asia are also rising. They come either through the eastern borders with Turkey or cross the Mediterranean Sea in small boats (usually from Egypt). According to another estimate by the National Intelligence Service (the Greek Secret Service) the total number of immigrants in Greece (both regularized and illegal) could be as high as 2,500,000 people!

Taking into account that Greece’s total population is about 11,000,000 then, officially, non-Greek immigrants make-up 8.2% of the country’s total population. In US terms, this would be the equivalent of receiving a population of 17,000,000 ex post facto regularized immigrants (through amnesty bills) and 8,200,000 illegal immigrants in the last 18 years.

The Greek governments made a catastrophic mistake in starting the dominoes of successive regularizations falling. This policy sent out the wrong message. It gave the impression that Greece is soft touch and if someone somehow makes it into the country they will get a chance of regularization sooner or later.

Moreover, Greek governments, by offering regularization, essentially rewarded the breach of the law both by illegal immigrants (illegal entry/stay) and by those who employed them (hire of illegal labor).

Ironically, the EU’s official position is that the decision to take in immigrants lies solely within each Member-State. Furthermore, the EU is officially firmly against large-scale regularizations and favors the repatriation of illegal immigrants.

Specifically, the EU points out that (1): “Within the context of a managed immigration policy the only coherent approach to dealing with illegal residents is to ensure that they return to their country of origin” (p.19). The EU also emphasizes that “wide-scale regularization measures…aare not…seen to have a long-term effect in reducing the levels of illegal migrants, instead they may serve as an additional pull factor for illegal migrants…[R]egularizations should not be considered as a way of managing migration flows as in reality they often appear as a negative consequence of migration policy in other areas” (p.17). [Commission of the European Communities, Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: Study on the links between legal and illegal migration, Brussels, 4.6.2004 COM(2004) 412 final PDF | HTML]

As a result of this suicidal “immigration policy”, illegal immigration to Greece has exploded in recent years. Not surprisingly, asylum applications have surged too.

Read more…

Exclusive interview: My experience as a Pakistani in Greece

Many of us living outside of Greece, including me, wonder what the treatment of Muslims are living Greece by the locals.  Here’s an enlightening interview by Br. Nabeel, a Pakistani brother living in Athens, Greece.

Q.  What’s your experience living as a Muslim in Greece?

Well, I am here in Greece from last 3 years.  As a Muslim I felt a lot of change in myself when I came here to Greece .  First thing which happened to me I was at work. The boss brought something for me to eat.  I asked him, what is that? He replied “Kotopolo” meaning chicken. The first question rose in my mind, is it halal? (In Pakistan I never faced that kind of stitution like halal or haram). Any how I said to him I will not eat, cause I am Muslim. He said if you are in Pakistan you can do as a Muslim but now you are in Greece so you should do as Christians. I wasn’t good in Greek at that time. Even didn’t know at all. So I couldn’t reply. I wasn’t a good Muslim before, but I started thinking about what makes a difference between me as a Muslim and others. And really I felt a change in me as time passed.

Q. Where do people pray in Athens? 

There are about 50000 Pakistanis here in Greece and about 99 % are Muslims.  Here there are no proper mosques. Just Jaey Namaz or places for prayer. To whom we call as mosques. People have halls and houses on rent and declared them as mosques. These masjids are about 30 in Athens. Mostly have Pakistanis and Bengalis. But some of them are Arabs and of Egyptians.

Q. How are Muslims treated by the locals? 

Here mostly Greeks think about foreigners as 3^rd class citizen. If any Pakistani, Bengali or Arab has any shop, they will not go there to buy any thing. But for work they prefer foreigners rather then Greeks.  

If there is a Muslim, meaning a good Muslim have beard etc. they respect him. That is why I feel good. Because in Pakistan I observed that, everyone who has beard, everyone sees him as suspicious person. But it is not here.  Yes here sometime people call the person who has beard Taliban or Bin laden. But it is not with hate or something.  Everyone assk why you have beard - are you a Papa? (papa is you know Imam or religious leader)

 Q.  What’s the status of the mosque being built in Athens? 

What we Muslims need here in Greece is a proper network of availability of halal meat and one or more proper mosques, especially in Athens .  Govt. had a promise to build a mosque in Central Athens (Near Mushtraqi) within 3 years. 1 year has been passed lets see what will happen next.

 

Want to learn more about the building of the mosque in Athens? Visit MSNBC News report.