Book bazaar in Athens sells the “Protocols”

Panayote Dimitras from the NGO Greek Helsinki Monitor has reported that the 20th Book Bazaar 2016 which is held at Kotzia Square (Athens) from January 16 until February 7 sells the antisemitic forgery “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion” next to “The Communist Manifesto” and a book praising Adolf Hitler [see photo below].

The book bazaar operates under the support of the Municipality of Athens and is sponsored by the Athens 9.84 FM, Efimerida ton Syntakton newspaper and the state-owned public radio and television broadcaster ERT.

Photo credit: Panayote Dimitras. Source: booksjournal.gr (20/1/2016)

Update: Andrea Gilbert from the NGO Greek Helsinki Monitor told Against Antisemitism that the “Protocols” are available in a second stand, next to children’s books:

Photo courtesy of Andrea Gilbert

Church of Greece and extreme right daily Eleftheri Ora sell Protocols of Zion and books by notorious authors Fourakis, Plevris and Golden Dawn’s Goudis

by Panayote Dimitras

30/12/2015

The following article was initially published in “The Books’ Journal”. Translation of the article in English by Andrea Gilbert. 

The poster at the entrance to the gift shop where the Apostolic Ministration of the Church of Greece sells books that foment archaisms and preach hatred! In the accompanying photos one can see exactly what the Church means when it refers to books and reading. The Books’ Journal

Hand in hand with Eleftheri Ora, the newspaper of conspiracy theories and balderdash, the Apostolic Ministration of the Church of Greece headed by the Archbishop Hieronymus trades in those most eminent books promulgating conspiracy theories, antisemitism and extremist nationalism. [TBJ]

The Church of Greece’s silence regarding the revelatory, documented accusation on the website XYZ Contagion that we republished here three days ago confirms the Church’s accord with racial extremists.

We visited the bazaar on Aiolou Street on December 29th only to find the entrance dominated by the poster for the bazaar, which boldly features the insignia of the Apostolic Ministration of the Church of Greece and in smaller letters the newspaper Eleftheri Ora.

On the shelves of the bazaar alongside numerous conspiracy books, we saw among others “The Secret Protocols of the Elders of Zion”, Giannis Fourakis’ “Zionist Conspiracies”, Kostas Plevris’ “Viglatores” [Sentinels], and the “Patriotic People’s Will” by Christos Goudis, the Golden Dawn member of the Athens Municipal Council.

Shame then on the President of the Apostolic Ministration Archbishop Hieronymus and on the entire Church, which remains silent, complicit if not approving. Shame, too, on the supposedly leftist Tsipras government, which also maintains its silence over this activity of the highest governmental agency. In the future, the Greek government should not complain when this embrace with the worst racism is discussed in the UN as Greece, in 2016, comes under examination for how it does (not) combat racism.

Finally, how is it that the Central Jewish Council of Greece is not disturbed?

Source: greekhelsinki.worpress.com

“On the shelves of the bazaar alongside numerous conspiracy books, we saw among others “The Secret Protocols of the Elders of Zion”, Giannis Fourakis’ “Zionist Conspiracies”, Kostas Plevris’ “Viglatores” [Sentinels], and the “Patriotic People’s Will” by Christos Goudis, the Golden Dawn member of the Athens Municipal Council.” Source & more photos: greekhelsinki.wordpress.com

Protocols of the Elders of Zion read aloud in Greek Parliament (via JTA)

October 26, 2012

(JTA) — A lawmaker for Greece’s neo-Nazi Golden Dawn Party has reportedly read out in parliament a passage from the anti-Semitic forgery The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.

Ilias Kasidiaris, a spokesperson for Golden Dawn, read out Protocol 19 from the book: “In order to destroy the prestige of heroism we shall send them for trial in the category of theft, murder and every kind of abominable and filthy crime,” according to Panayote Dimitras of the Greek Helsinki Monitor.

Kasidiaris was addressing parliament Oct. 23 at a discussion on lifting his immunity in connection with suspicions of assault. “There was absolutely no reaction” to this in parliament, Dimitras said, which, makes “all parties held as accomplices.”

In a written statement Friday, the Foreign Affairs Network of B’nai B’rith Europe called the manuscript’s reading in an E.U. parliament “a sign of moral corruption and degradation which must not be overlooked.” The silence with which the reading was received was “doubly worrisome,” the network wrote in its statement.

In June, Kasidiaris slapped female politician Liana Kanelli three times on the head during a television discussion. He was subsequently locked in a room in the studio but he knocked down the door and escaped.

Source: JTA

Αντισημιτισμός με τη βούλα του Αρείου Πάγου / Greek Supreme Court dismisses appeal in cassation against neo-Nazi Plevris’ acquittal!

English follows

Παραθέτουμε σήμερα ένα χαρακτηριστικό απόσπασμα από πρόσφατο Δελτίο Τύπου του Ελληνικού Παρατηρηρίου των Συμφωνιών του Ελσίνκι με ημερομηνία 20 Απριλίου 2010. Αντλούμε την αγγλική μετάφραση από την ίδια πηγή.

Ο Άρειος Πάγος απέρριψε την αίτηση αναίρεσης της αθώωσης του Κώστα Πλεύρη!

Το Ελληνικό Παρατηρητήριο των Συμφωνιών του Ελσίνκι (ΕΠΣΕ) πληροφορήθηκε σήμερα από τη γραμματεία του Αρείου Πάγου πως η Πλήρης Ποινική Ολομέλεια με την απόφαση 3/2010 απέρριψε την αίτηση του Εισαγγελέα του Αρείου Πάγου για αναίρεση υπέρ του νόμου της απόφασης 913/2009 του Πενταμελούς Εφετείου Αθηνών. Με την απόφαση εκείνη είχε αθωωθεί ο Κώστας Πλεύρης για παραβίαση του αντιρατσιστικού νόμου 927/79 με το βιβλίο του «Οι Εβραίοι: όλη η αλήθεια». Η απόφαση του Αρείου Πάγου, που πάρθηκε από μια πλειοψηφία 24 δικαστών με δύο μειοψηφίες 7 και 5 δικαστών, δεν έχει ακόμα καθαρογραφεί και αρχειοθετηθεί.

Ο Εκπρόσωπος του ΕΠΣΕ Παναγιώτης Δημητράς δήλωσε:

«Η πλειοψηφία των δικαστών του Άρειου Πάγου με την επικύρωση της ‘επονείδιστης’ κατά τον Καθηγητή Μιχάλη Σταθόπουλο (‘Θέμα και Παραλλαγές’ ΕΤ-1 29 Ιανουαρίου 2010) αθωωτικής απόφασης του Εφετείου Αθηνών απέδειξε περίτρανα αυτό που επί δεκαετίες έχουμε δηλώσει και τεκμηριώσει. Ο αντισημιτισμός όπως και οι άλλες μορφές ρατσισμού αποτελούν κυρίαρχο χαρακτηριστικό της ελληνικής κοινωνίας ενσωματωμένο και υποστηριζόμενο από τους θεσμούς της πολιτείας. Η Ελλάδα διαφέρει από όλες τις άλλες χώρες της ΕΕ, στις οποίες ο ρατσισμός αποτελεί περιθωριακό φαινόμενο, καταδικάζεται συστηματικά από τα θεσμικά όργανα και την πλειοψηφία των κοινωνιών τους και συνήθως διώκεται ποινικά. Η Ελλάδα θυμίζει περισσότερο τη Γερμανία λίγο πριν την άνοδο του Χίτλερ στην εξουσία στην οποία ο ρατσισμός κυριαρχούσε και ενσωματωνόταν θεσμικά. Δίκαια λοιπόν ο ΟΗΕ και το Συμβούλιο της Ευρώπης έχουν επανειλημμένα κάνει αυστηρές συστάσεις στην Ελλάδα για την υποχρέωση της να διασφαλίσει την τιμωρία των παραβάσεων του Νόμου 927/1979 ώστε να καταπολεμηθεί η υποκίνηση φυλετικού μίσους. Τις συστάσεις αυτές, όπως και πάρα πολλές άλλες στα θέματα ανθρώπινων δικαιωμάτων, η Ελλάδα συνεχίζει να αγνοεί επιδεικτικά. Η συνέχεια στη συγκεκριμένη υπόθεση θα δοθεί από το Ευρωπαϊκό Δικαστήριο Δικαιωμάτων του Ανθρώπου στο οποίο έχει ήδη προσφύγει το ΕΠΣΕ.»

Greek Supreme Court dismisses appeal in cassation against neo-Nazi Plevris’ acquittal!

(PRESS RELEASE-20 April 2010)

Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM) was informed today by the registry of the Greek Supreme Court that, with Judgment 3/2010, the Supreme Court’s Criminal Section, sitting in plenary, dismissed the appeal in cassation in the interests of law, filed by the Prosecutor of the Supreme Court against judgment 913/2009 of the Five Members Appeals Court of Athens. With that judgment self-professed neo-Nazi Costas Plevris was acquitted of charges of violation of anti-racist law 927/79 with his book “The Jews: the whole truth”. The Supreme Court’judgment, taken by a majority of 24 judges with two dissenting opinions to which 7 and 5 judges subscribed, has not yet been notarised and made accessible.

GHM Spokesperson Panayote Dimitras stated:

“By upholding the ‘disgraceful,’ according to Athens University Professor Michalis Stathopoulos (“Theme and Variations” programme, ET-1 TV channel, aired on 29 January 2010), acquittal by the Athens Appeals Court, the majority of the Supreme Court’s judges amply demonstrated what we have been contending and documenting for dozens of years. In common with other forms of racism, anti-semitism constitutes a mainstream feature of Greek society, embedded in and supported by state institutions. Greece differs from all other EU member states, where racism is a marginalised phenomenon, systemically condemned by their institutional bodies and the majority of their citizens, as well as often criminally sanctioned. Greece is more resembling Germany shortly before the ascent of Hitler in power, when racism reigned and was embedded in the institutions. Both the UN and the Council of Europe therefore have every reason to have been issuing stern recommendations to Greece, reminding it of its obligation to ensure the sanctioning of violations of Law 927/1979 in order to fight incitement to racial hatred. Greece however continues to ostentatiously ignore these, as well as other human rights related, recommendations. The next act in this case will take place before the Europe Court of Human Rights, to which GHM has already filed an application.”

GHM attaches related material from the UN and Council of Europe review of Greece in 2009.

A reaction after the aquittement of K. Plevris (2009)

The Board of Deputies of British Jews

BOARD CONDEMNS DECISION TO ACQUIT GREEK NEO-NAZI

UNSPEAKABLE HATRED GOES UNPUNISHED BY GREEK AUTHORITIES….

LONDON – (8th May 2009) – The Board of Deputies condemns in the strongest terms the recent decision taken by a Greek court to acquit a neo-Nazi author, who wrote a book entitled ‘Jews – The Whole Truth’ which praises and justifies the Nazis’ actions while calling for Europe to be rid of its Jews.

Kostas Plevris, the author of the book, was originally given a 14 month suspended sentence in 2007 for violating an anti-racism law which prohibits incitement to racial discrimination, hatred or violence, but an appeal was held in April this year. The Appeals Court decided to overturn the decision and acquit Mr Plevris completely.

Mr Plevris’s book, is littered with unspeakable hatred, and overt antisemitism:

* “The history of humankind will hold Adolf Hitler responsible for the following: He did not rid Europe of the Jews whilst he could.”

* “Wake up – the treacherous Jews are digging a pit for the nations, wake up and throw them in for they deserve it.”

* “…that’s what the Jews deserve, for it’s the only way they understand: a firing squad within twenty four hours.”

* “The civilised world is to blame for tolerating those international pests called Judeans, the time of retaliation has come.”

The 2007 trial was held in a highly antisemitic atmosphere, with the presiding judge and public prosecutor seeming to defend Mr Plevris and the ‘scientific’ nature of his work, whilst reportedly threatening and intimidating the Jewish witnesses present. One witness was told by the prosecutor, “This court is indulging you, but I can’t tolerate you…I will have you arrested and locked up in a cell.”

Following the trial and in the lead up to the appeal, the Board of Deputies made contact on several occasions with the Greek Ambassador to the UK, to express its concerns at the proceedings of the original trial. The Board was also in constant contact with the Greek Jewish community.

Despite the outrage that broke out, the appeal trial was conducted in a similar manner. The counsels for the complainants were sent out of the court by the Judge who told Jewish witnesses that the court could defend them instead.

The Board of Deputies now intends to start an awareness campaign to draw attention to the injustice that has taken place. The Board’s Chief Executive Jon Benjamin observed that “we cannot sit back and watch while human rights and freedoms are ridiculed and abused in a fellow European country which claims to be a modern democracy. Legislation against hate crime has been created and therefore must be implemented in such a clear cut case as this.”

***For more information or to find out more about the awareness campaign please contact the Board of Deputies office.***

Media Contact: Mark Frazer Tel: 020 7543 5408