Dear Friends,

During the last few days the major part of the Greek eCommunity declared that they would leave the game expressing their utter disapppointment over the Admins' decision to add FYROM under the name "Republic of Macedonia".

One should not underestimate Greeks' resolution to accomplish their declaration. Greeks form a peculiar nation: once they have made their mind, they will stand to their word, no matter what it takes. This small historic "peculiarity" allowed them to survive during the last 5000 years, despite being a relatively small nation living with a strange language and religion, at least to the eyes of the Western Civilisation.

Things are even worse, if Greeks are persuaded that they are right about their decision. Examples: Marathon, Thermopylai, Salamis, Kynos Kefalai, The Fall of Constantinople, Greek Indepedence War, Second Balcan War (Giannitsa), Minor Asia Disaster, Invasion of Italy, Roupel, Greek Resistance in WWII. As you may see many of these battles were a priori hopeless and indeed many were lost for Greeks. It made no difference to us. Our national holiday on 28.10 commemorates not a win (not even the end of the war) but just THE START of the war and the epic resistance against Italy. We had to suffer a triple occupation for almost 4 years. But we are still celebrating!

About the issue of the term "Macedonia" Greeks are persuaded that they are right.

The issue of "Macedonia" is not a merely Greek issue. It is an issue of World Heritage. The term "Macedonia" is unavoidably connected above all with Philipp B', father of Alexander the Great and especially to Alexander the Great himself. Both have been Kings of Macedonia, their names are Greek, they spoke Greek and their capital Aiges is located 13 Km out of Veroia, 75 km south of Thessaloniki. The tomb of Philipp B' and his remains were found there and are nowadays exhibited in the respective museum.

Alexander the Great and his major cultural legacy, that is the formation of the major Hellenistic Kingdoms, like Ptolemy dynasty in Egypt, Pergamus Kingdom in Asia Minor, Seleycid Dynasty in Syria and Persia and Macedonia itself, changed the face of the ancient WORLD, preceding democratic Rome.

The legacy of Alexander the Great and of these Kingdoms do not belong solely to Greece. It belongs to the World. This legacy is of Greek origin but not solely Greek.

Time ped by. Some guys immigrated to the Balcan Peninsula around 680 AD, this was quite often at that time. This occured one thousand years after the death of Alexander the Great.

After the collapse of Jugoslavia under tragic circumstances, a former Jugoslavian federated province acquired sovereignity over a small piece of land between Albania, Serbia, Bulgaria and Greece. This new state -formed out of the blue- and with remarkable and controversing ethnic diversity NEEDED an ETHNIC/NATIONAL IDENTITY, like all modern nations, in order to sustain its territorial integrity.

Like all modern nations, they looked up the history and found that Alexander the Great was reigning ALSOover their contemporary land 2300 years ago (in the meanwhile, he reigned from Adriatic sea to Hindukush, are all these nations of Macedonian origin?). He was world known and served their need for ethnical identity. Hence they claimed that they are his descendants. He would become the origin of the "Macedonian" nation and ethnic identity according to their immense political needs.

As already explained, Alexander the Great and his legacy do not belong solely to Greeks. They form a part of World History and Cultural Heritage, originating from Greece.

This is why the issue of "Macedonia" is an issue of borrowing/copying/stealing World Heritage of Greek origin to satisfy specific political and state needs for the formation of an ethnic identity.

It is as one would say that because English ruled over Normandy for 200 years, Normandy has the right to declare its independence from France and call itself English Normandy or Eduardia after the name of Eduard III, King of England. Or even worse, is like you say that because the Great Wall was rebuilt by Chinese Emperors of Mongolian origin (Han dynasty), this means that Mongolian people are entitled to use it to show what Greatness this nation has accomplished in history. It is an issue of falsifying World heritage. The same applies to Taj Majal, which is also built by the Mogul dynasty, also of Mongolian origin.

Because of the HISTORICAL sensitivity of this issue, all International Organisations still refuse to use the term "Macedonia" for this country and use the FYROM name, a term which is really idiotic. Nevertheless, a status quo has been established on international level, until the two countries solve their dispute in an amicable way. In all international forums only this awkard FYROM term is used.

This is what Greeks are requesting also here. We do not want that this status quo is changed untill the two countries settle their dispute.

The strongest argument of the Greek side is the World Heritage argument. The strongest argument of the FYROM side is their right to self disposition. Until this is solved, let the two countries find a way to live with each other and do not attempt to change the status quo of the last 20 years. A stupid name, accepted and used by the international community, is better than trying to solve a perplexed dispute within the framework of aGAME!