[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 39 (Thursday, March 25, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H1571-H1572]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         GREEK INDEPENDENCE DAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite of Florida). Under a 
previous order of the House, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) 
is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Madam Speaker, first I would say that I am very 
pleased to be doing this special order in conjunction with the 
gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney), who has been very stellar, a 
great friend of both republics, Greece and Cyprus, all through the 
years. And today I too proudly rise to celebrate Greek Independence Day 
and the strong ties that bind the nation of Greece and the United 
States.
  One hundred and eighty-three years ago, the people of Greece began a 
journey that would mark a symbolic rebirth of democracy in the land, in 
the land where those principles of human dignity were first espoused.
  They rebelled against more than 400 years of Turkish oppression. The 
revolution of 1821 brought independence to Greece and emboldened those 
who still sought freedom across the world.
  I commemorate Greek Independence Day each year for the same reasons 
that we celebrate our July 4. It proved that a united people through 
sheer will and perseverance, can prevail against tyranny.
  Men such as Aristotle, Socrates, Plato, and Euripides developed a 
then-unique notion that men could, if left to their own devices, lead 
themselves rather than be subject to the will of a sovereign. It was 
Aristotle who said, ``We make war that we may live in peace.'' On March 
25, 1821, Archbishop Germanos of Patras embodied the spirit of those 
words when he raised the flag of freedom and was the first to declare 
Greece free.
  Revolutions embody a sense of heroism, bringing forth the greatness 
of the American spirit. As Thomas Jefferson once said, ``To the ancient 
Greeks we are all indebted for the light which led ourselves,'' 
American colonists, ``out of gothic darkness.'' Quoting Jefferson on 
the anniversary of Greek Independence is particularly appropriate. 
Jefferson and the rest of the Founding Fathers looked back to the 
teachings of ancient Greek philosophers for inspiration as they sought 
to craft a strong democratic state. In 1821, the Greeks looked to our 
Founding Fathers for inspiration when they began their journey toward 
freedom.
  Although many lives were sacrificed at the altar of freedom, the 
Greek people rallied around the battle cry, ``Eleftheria I Thanatos,'' 
``liberty or death,'' mirroring of course the words of American Patriot 
Patrick Henry who said ``Give me liberty or give me death.'' These 
words personified the Greek patriots' unmitigated desire to be free.
  We all know that the price of liberty can be very high. History is 
replete with the names of the millions who have sacrificed for it. Many 
great scholars throughout history warned that we maintain democracy 
only at great cost. The freedom we enjoy today is due to a large degree 
to the sacrifices made by men and women in the past, in Greece, in 
America, and all over the world.
  Freedom is America's heart. It is central to our being, and from the 
beginning we have recognized that freedom is not just an American 
right, it is a God-given right to every citizen of the world.
  We must never forget that freedom must be constantly guarded. It is a 
noble but fragile thing that can be stolen or snuffed out if not 
protected. We cannot take for granted that we are endowed by our 
Creator with certain inalienable rights. We enjoy our freedom only 
because we have been willing to fight and die for it just like our 
forefathers and the valiant Greeks in 1821.
  Mr. Speaker, on this 183rd birthday of Greek Independence, when we 
celebrate the restoration of democracy to its conception, we also 
celebrate the triumph of the human spirit and the strength of man's 
will. The goals and values that the people of Greece share with the 
people of the United States reaffirm our common democratic heritage. 
This occasion also serves to remind us that we must never take for 
granted the right to determine our own fate.
  Madam Speaker, today I proudly rise to celebrate Greek Independence 
Day and the strong ties that bind the nation of Greece and the United 
States.
  One hundred and eighty-three years ago, the people of Greece began a 
journey that would mark the symbolic rebirth of democracy in the land 
where those principles to human dignity were first espoused.
  They rebelled against more than 400 years of Turkish oppression. The 
revolution of 1821 brought independence to Greece and emboldened those 
who still sought freedom across the world. I commemorate Greek 
Independence Day each year for the same reasons we celebrate our Fourth 
of July. It proved that a united people, through sheer will and 
perseverance, can prevail against tyranny. The lessons the Greeks and 
our colonial forefathers taught us provide hope and inspiration to 
victims of persecution throughout the world today.
  Men such as Aristotle, Socrates, Plato, and Euripides developed the 
then-unique notion that men could, if left to their own devices, lead 
themselves rather than be subject to the will of a sovereign. It was 
Aristotle who said: ``We make war that we may live in peace.'' On March 
25, 1821, Archbishop Germanos of Patras embodied the spirit of those 
words when he raised the flag of freedom and was the first to declare 
Greece free.
  Revolutions embody a sense of heroism, bringing forth the greatness 
of the human spirit. It was Thomas Jefferson who said that, ``One man 
with courage is a majority.'' Quoting Jefferson on the anniversary of 
Greek independence is particularly appropriate. Jefferson, and the rest 
of the Founding Fathers, looked back to the teachings of ancient Greek 
philosophers for inspiration as they sought to craft a strong 
democratic state. And in 1821, the Greeks looked to our Founding 
Fathers for inspiration when they began their journey toward freedom.
  The history of Greek independence, like that of the American 
Revolution, is filled with many stories of courage and heroism. There 
are many parallels between the American and Greek Revolutions.
  Encouraged by the American Revolution, the Greeks began their 
rebellion after four centuries of Turkish oppression, facing what 
appeared to be insurmountable odds. Both nations faced the prospect of 
having to defeat an empire to obtain liberty. And if Samuel Adams, the 
American revolutionary leader who lit the first spark of rebellion by 
leading the Boston Tea Party, had a Greek counterpart, that man would 
be Alexander Ypsilantis.
  Ypsilantis was born in Istanbul, and his family was later exiled to 
Russia. Ypsilantis served in the Russian army, and it was there, during 
his military service, that he became involved with a secret society 
called the ``Philike Hetairia,'' which translated means ``friendly 
society.'' The ``friendly society'' was made up of merchants and other 
Greek leaders, but the intent of the society was to seek freedom for 
Greece and her people.
  The group planned a secret uprising for 1821 to be led by Ypsilantis. 
He and 4,500 volunteers assembled near the Russian border to launch an 
insurrection against the Turks. The Turkish army massacred the ill-
prepared Greek volunteers, and Ypsilantis was caught and placed in 
prison, where he subsequently died. However, the first bells of liberty 
had been rung, and Greek independence would not be stopped.
  When news of Greek uprisings spread, the Turks killed Greek 
clergymen, clerics, and laity in a frightening display of force. In a 
vicious act of vengeance, the Turks invaded the island of Chios and 
slaughtered 25,000 of the local residents. The invaders enslaved half 
the island's population of 100,000.
  Although many lives were sacrificed at the altar of freedom, the 
Greek people rallied around the battle cry ``Eleftheria I Thanatos'' 
``liberty or death,'' mirroring the words of American Patriot Patrick 
Henry who said: ``Give me liberty or give me death.'' These words 
personified the Greek patriots' unmitigated desire to be free.
  Another heroic Greek whom many believe was the most important figure 
in the revolution was Theodoros Kolokotronis. He was the leader of the 
Klephts, a group of rebellious and resilient Greeks who refused to 
submit to Turkish subjugation. Kolokotronis used military strategy he 
learned while in the service of the English Army to organize a force of 
over 7,000 men. The Klephts swooped down on the Turks from their 
mountain strongholds, battering their oppressors into submission.

  One battle in particular, where Kolokotronis led his vastly 
outnumbered forces against the Turks, stands out. The Turks had invaded 
the Peloponnese with 30,000 men. Kolokotronis led his force, which was 
outnumbered by a ration of 4 to 1, against the Turkish army. A fierce 
battle ensued and many lives were lost,

[[Page H1572]]

but after a few weeks, the Turks were forced to retreat. Kolokotronis 
is a revered Greek leader, because he embodied the hopes and dreams of 
the common man, while displaying extraordinary courage and moral fiber 
in the face of overwhelming odds.
  Athanasios Diakos was another legendary hero, a priest, a patriot, 
and a soldier. He led 500 of his men in a noble stand against 8,000 
Ottoman soldiers. Diakos' men were wiped out and he fell into the 
enemy's hands, where he was severely tortured before his death. He is 
the image of a Greek who gave all for love of faith and homeland. While 
individual acts of bravery and leadership are often noted, the Greek 
Revolution was remarkable for the bravery and fortitude displayed by 
the typical Greek citizen. This heroic ideal of sacrifice and service 
is best demonstrated through the story of the Suliotes, villagers who 
took refuge from Turkish authorities in the mountains of Epiros. The 
fiercely patriotic Suliotes bravely fought the Turks in several 
battles. News of their victories spread throughout the region and 
encouraged other villages to revolt. The Turkish Army acted swiftly and 
with overwhelming force to quell the Suliote uprising.
  The Suliote women were alone as their husbands battled the Turks at 
the front. When they learned that Turkish troops were fast approaching 
their village, they began to dance the Syrtos, a patriotic Greek dance. 
One by one, rather than face torture or enslavement at the hands of the 
Turks, they committed suicide by throwing themselves and their children 
off Mount Zalongo. They chose to die rather than surrender their 
freedom.
  The sacrifice of the Suliotes was repeated in the Arkadi Monastery of 
Crete. Hundreds of noncombatants, mainly the families of the Cretan 
freedom fighters, had taken refuge in the monastery to escape Turkish 
reprisals. The Turkish army was informed that the Monastery was used by 
the Cretan freedom fighters as an arsenal for their war material, and 
they set out to seize it. As the Turkish troops were closing in, the 
priest gathered all the refugees in the cellar around him. With their 
consent, he set fire to the gunpowder kegs stored there, killing all 
but a few. The ruins of the Arkadi Monastery, like the ruins of our 
Alamo, still stand as a monument to liberty.

  News of the Greek revolution met with widespread feelings of 
compassion in the United States. The Founding Fathers eagerly expressed 
sentiments of support for the fledgling uprising. Several American 
Presidents, including James Monroe and John Quincy Adams, conveyed 
their support for the revolution through their annual messages to 
Congress. William Harrison, our ninth president, expressed his belief 
in freedom for Greece, saying: ``We must send our free will offering. 
`The Star-spangled Banner' must wave in the Aegean . . . a messenger of 
fraternity and friendship to Greece.''
  Various Members of Congress also showed a keen interest in the 
Greeks' struggle for autonomy. Henry Clay, who in 1825 became Secretary 
of State, was a champion of Greece's fight for independence. Among the 
most vocal was Daniel Webster from Massachusetts, who frequently roused 
the sympathetic interest of his colleagues and other Americans in the 
Greek revolution.
  It should not surprise us that our Founding Fathers would express 
such keen support for Greek independence, for they themselves had been 
inspired by the ancient Greeks in their own struggle for freedom. As 
Thomas Jefferson once said, ``To the ancient Greeks . . . we are all 
indebted for the light which led ourselves . . . American colonists, 
out of gothic darkness.'' Our two nations share a brotherhood bonded by 
the common blood of democracy, birthed by Lady Liberty, and committed 
to the ideal that each individual deserves the right of self-
determination.
  We all know that the price of liberty can be very high--history is 
replete with the names of the millions who have sacrificed for it. Many 
great scholars throughout history warned that we maintain democracy 
only at great cost. The freedom we enjoy today is due to a large degree 
to the sacrifices made by men and women in the past--in Greece, in 
America, and all over the world.

  I recount these stories because they pay homage to Greece's absolute 
commitment to freedom and liberty and the common bonds which we share. 
Unfortunately, our devotion to the principle of freedom is not shared 
by many people whose interests are better served by applying oppression 
to their own people and spreading terrors elsewhere.
  Freedom is America's heart. It is central to our being, and from the 
beginning we have recognized that freedom is not just an American 
right. It is a God-given right to every citizen of the world.
  We must not overlook those who are still fighting for their 
independence in other parts of the world, such as in the Republic of 
Cyprus. Turkey still illegally occupies Cyprus, as it has since its 
invasion in 1974. Finding a fair resolution for Cyprus will help 
stabilize a region marked more often by conflict than accord.
  As with so many international issues, U.S. leadership is essential to 
urge Turkish and Turkish Cypriot leaders toward peace. One year after 
United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan proposed his plan as a 
basis for negotiations between the Greek-Cypriots and Turkish-Cypriots, 
the Turkish Cypriot leadership finally agreed to restart the 
negotiations. The proposed plan aims at reuniting the island under a 
government of shared power and having the united island admitted to the 
European Union on May 1, 2004. This is a vision worthy of our attention 
and full support because it has the potential to end the illegitimate 
division of Cyprus, improve the relations between Turkey and Greece and 
promote stability in the sensitive region of Eastern Mediterranean.
  We must never forget that freedom must be constantly guarded. It is a 
noble but fragile thing that can be stolen or snuffed out if not 
protected. We cannot take for granted that we are endowed by our 
Creator with certain inalienable rights. We enjoy our freedom only 
because we have been willing to fight and die for it, just like our 
forefathers and the valiant Greeks in 1821.
  Mr. Speaker, on this 183rd birthday of Greek Independence, when we 
celebrate the restoration of democracy to the lands of its conception, 
we also celebrate the triumph of the human spirit and the strength of 
man's will. The goals and values that people of Greece share with the 
people of the United States reaffirm our common democratic heritage. 
This occasion also serves to remind us that we must never take for 
granted the right to determine our own fate.

                          ____________________