Abravanel writes about death threats sent by neo-nazis to Greek actor, Charis Romas, for co-writing and acting in the series “Δεληγιάννειο παρθεναγωγείο”. I haven’t seen the series so Abravanel’s breakdown of what it is about is essential. He sums it up like this:
a simple, feel-good television series with drama like the deportations, youth love, messages against straightforward racism, while the viewers can identify themselves with the good greeks who are emblematic of the greek people who in their totality struggled heroically and saved the jews.
Yes, even making a rather innocent sounding TV drama with a single Jewish character is enough to send the neo-nazi’s into a tailspin. Mr Romas spoke about the threats in an interview:
he considers all this a great silliness although highly threatening” and he does not intend to change his script which represents also his ideas
Please read the full post here.. It is also well worth reading the links Abravanal provides within the post.
Technorati Tags: greece, neo-Nazi, television, antisemitism
Exhibition Photographs on May 27th, 2008
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The post says inter alia: “The Central Jewish Board issued a statement where it expressed it’s solidarity to the actor and congratulated him for his anti-racist messages.”
It must be so important indeed.
While those who took Plevris and another neo-Nazis to court and got them convicted were never congratulated by KIS even if they too got not just threats but also attacks in the courtroom (http://cm.greekhelsinki.gr/ind.....p;cid=3227).
On the contrary in its reports on the trials their role was unabashedly diminished if not silenced and some successes of the latter were even presented as achievements of KIS.
DD it’s sad that the script it totally feel-good; any christian greek watching the series would feel proud that greeks were all so good and all of them helped out the weak guys of the story. Imagine what would happen if it was more realistic – they’d burn the studio down!
Panayote has a point and I’d like to quote here the anwer I gave him on the same comment in my blog:
Panayote you know well why KIS has refrained from talking out loud in Plevris. Of course I do not agree with their position which could have been equally cautious but more encouraging to those willing to put their lives at stake for Jews. At least as you can see more Jews take courage and stick their heads out – this is mainly because of you and some selected people who show that Greece wants to change. For keeping on going despite all you have my admiration.
abravanels last blog post..Greek actor receives neo-nazi threats because of tv series
correction: (if you want simply edit my post)
/DD it’s sad because the script
abravanels last blog post..Greek actor receives neo-nazi threats because of tv series
All of this seems to support my personal opinion that there is no point in being polite, or making diluted arguments about issues of racism, xenophobia and racial intolerance in Greece. It is important to make strong and correct arguments, refuse to compromise with racists and nationalists, and give as good as you get. If that means telling Greek people that Greek society is racist and the standards are unacceptable both legally and morally, then that has to be done.
and I will quote here my answer to Abravanel
KIS has NOT refrained from talking out loud about the Plevris trial. They (KIS and JCA) have written long texts in their publications, as they did with the second trial of Eleftheros Kosmos.
Except that in those texts they distorted the truth and in some cases bluntly even eliminated the contribution of others and presented unabashedly as theirs the historic decision to allow the civil claimant status in the second trial filed initially only by others and opposed by KIS as their achievement.
Before that trial KIS’ lawyers were pressuring GHM not to file a civil claimant motion and stated that they opposed the appeal we made against the expulsion of the civil claimants in the first trial, because they believed that both had no chance.
After our motion was accepted they rushed to make their own motion and then equally unabashedly spread the word that in the Plevris trial they did not have the right to appeal and only we did!
All that has nothing to do with the legitimate fears of backlash among Jews.
I was asked by Xenos how I manage to keep struggling with all this adverse reaction. I answered there:
I cannot live in a country whose democracy has faults and not try to do what I can to help improve democarcy – hence also my quality of life.
And it does work. Two days ago people read that one no longer needs to state one’s religion to have one’s children except from religious classes. Authorities stated that they changed their attitude only after the Alexandridis Euro-court judgment, which was the result of an application I filed.
If you read Greek see http://cm.greekhelsinki.gr/ind.....p;cid=3324
Good for you, Panayote. If only more people felt that way.
Can I ask you a question here (a little off topic from the post but as the issue came up here in the comments…)
The kid’s rather dim headmaster (he’s new) took it upon himself to put “Muslim” on his end of year certificate. He has been exempt from religious studies from day one but we have never had to state our religion before. In fact, we have no religion so he has made this assumption all by himself for some reason.
Is there some way of getting this removed from his records ?
Where would we have to go to get this done ?
I’m sure the process isn’t worth the bother given that most of these bureaucratic issues have you jumping through hoops of fire but I do not want the kids religion stated anyway especially as he doesn’t have one ! I believe that the decision of one’s religious belief is a personal choice that shouldn’t be made by parents ( or teachers ! )
It is clearly illegal. You should approach the Ombudsman [Synigoros tou Politi] to deal with this, in my view.
DD
Th process IS worth the bother and actually you may already have a European Court of Human Rights violation a la Alexandridis.
May I URGE you to fax it to me in the usual fax and I will let you know asap – in fact I would love to handle it in all aspects.
P
Let me give all of you -and KIS if they read this- one more “anti-racist” message of Romas in the very popular “Konstantinos and Eleni” series he wrote.
On 12 December 2004 -quite a coincidence it was Hanukkah- Eleni wants to prevent Konstantinos from putting some lettuce in the oven to disinfect them and says “Are they Jews and you throw them in the oven?” [laugh]…
This has been published in “Krisara” (a short lived Jewish news monthly published by Morris Hatzis) in January 2005 in the form of a comment by Samuel Hassid.
Thank you so much, Panayote. I will get to a fax machine sometime on Monday or Tuesday.
you can also scan it and email it