[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 48 (Tuesday, March 25, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E565]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         GREEK INDEPENDENCE DAY

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                         HON. MARTIN T. MEEHAN

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 25, 2003

  Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on the 182nd anniversary of 
Greek Independence Day.
  Greek Independence Day is a celebration of freedom and democratic 
self-governance. Classical Greece was the birthplace of democracy. 
Athen's era of liberty and self-governance inspired many of our 
Founding Fathers, particularly Thomas Jefferson as the author of the 
Declaration of Independence. Freedom movements throughout history have 
been inspired by classical Greece.
  The 400 year foreign occupation of Greece by the repressive Ottoman 
Empire cast a pall over the proponents of democratic self-governance. 
The Greeks captured the world's imagination again when they began their 
fight for freedom from the Ottoman Empire in 1821. The Greeks won their 
independence and renewed the worldwide movement towards self-
governance.
  I am proud to represent one of the longest sustained communities of 
Americans of Greek descent. The first Greek came to Lowell in the mid-
19th century. By the 1890s Greek immigrants began moving to Lowell to 
work in its mills. They opened Greek Orthodox churches, developed small 
businesses, organized social institutions, and helped build the city of 
Lowell.
  The Greek families thrived and grew and Lowell became a major 
destination point for Greek immigration. In fact, Lowell was called the 
``Acropolis of America.'' Thousands of Greek families throughout the 
United States can trace their roots back to Lowell.
  The Hellenic community of Lowell remains vibrant and engaged. For 
example, last month I held a community forum on the Cyprus dispute. The 
unlawful division of Cyprus has been a major foreign policy dilemma for 
N.A.T.O. and the State Department. This winter, a new United Nations 
plan and popular support on both sides of Cyprus for a settlement 
fostered intensive negotiations.
  Because of the importance of this issue, I held a forum on the Cyprus 
negotiations. I'm often told that people do not care about 
international affairs until after a dispute has become an international 
crisis. This was proven wrong by the demonstrated interest of the 
Hellenic community in the Cyprus negotiations.
  Those in attendance at the Cyprus forum belonged to such institutions 
as: Hellenic Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, Transfiguration Greek 
Orthodox Church, Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church, St. 
George's Greek Orthodox Church, the Federation of Hellenic-American 
Societies of New England, Greek American Legion Post #1, the Mani 
Society, the Pan-Macedonian Association, the Pan-Laconian Federation, 
the Order of A.H.E.P.A., the Euorkos Society, the Sons and Daughters of 
Kastrakini, and the Pan-Messinian Federation, among other institutions.
  The latest negotiations failed largely because the northern Cyprus 
obstructionist leader Rauf Denktash prevented the plan from being sent 
to the Turkish Cypriots for a referendum. This latest travesty by Mr. 
Denktash will only fuel the increasing distant between himself and the 
new, pro-settlement government of Turkey.
  While frustrating to all, the negotiations went further than any 
prior negotiations. It is the continued interest and work of the 
Hellenic community that will raise awareness about Cyprus. I can think 
of no better living tribute to Greek Independence Day.




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