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Hellenic Genocide: A Brazilian new... Lord Byron
INTERVIEW
He was astonished with the atrocities made by Turks against Hellenes, he started the campaign "Learn the truth now!" and published in a web site the results from his research (quotes from historical documents and photos) documenting the Hellenic Genocide
PHOTO: Turkish soldiers posing proudly with heads of their victims
HERE IS A computer scientist in Sao Paulo, Brazil, who loves Hellas: Roberto Lopes. He is a descendant of native Brazilians, Italians and Portuguese who spends his time researching History, especially that for the region between Armenia and Hellas and in the period of 1898-1974. He travelled to Europe and he was astonished with the atrocities made by Turks against Armenians and Hellenes. That's why he decided a few years ago to start the international campaign "Learn the truth now!" in an effort to make the Hellenic genocide known to the world. Unfortunately, and for various reasons, including personal ones, his campaign has ended. But it was a succesful campaign.
Some of the results of his research are presented in a web side under the title "The Hellenic Genocide - Quotes from Historical Documents and Related Photos", where he documends with historical facts and photos the Hellenic genocide.
"Due to my wish to help make justice prevail, I research history," he said to TGA NEWS, talking about his campaign. "Especially the history of the region between Armenia and Hellas, and in the period 1898 and 1974. I also research as much as possible the History of Macedonia in order to be able to confront the lies from and on behalf of FYROM in its efforts (and of the ones behind FYROM) to steal the History, the cultural heritage and the most strategical territories of Hellas."
He did his research through the internet, historical books and university libraries. As he states in his web site, most of the documents he presents were found at the World War I Document Archive of the University of Kansas.
"Also, I research and collect material for the site from books I bought in Hellas and from books Hellenic friends send me from time to time," he said. " Most photos of the site are from the books I actually have with me."
"They [Greek Governement] didn't and still don't help and I think they now see my efforts as something negative as they are increasingly busy in doing what's profitable to the USA and some other countries, but not to Hellas."
During his campaign "Learn the truth now!" he approached various government departments and organisations for help, but without result. "I suggested to Armenians and Hellenes to create such a campaign," he says. "They had much better conditions to do it. Maybe I didn't find the right persons to cooperate."
"I contacted the Hellenic government a number of times. From time to time someone from the Ministry of Culture replied and thanked me for doing something positive, as did the Hellenic Embassy here, in Brazil.
"I wrote and still write to the media companies in Hellas. They usually don't even reply. The same applies to many organizations, universities and individuals who could easily do a lot. Very few of several hundreds of recipients take time enough to just reply.
"Many persons with whom I never talked with supported the former campaign, though. Until today, we can find links to its former Web site. For instance, the site of a movie made in the USA, called American History X, had a link to the campaign's site."
He believes that he didn't find any support from the Hellenic goverment's side, because of its efforts to improve the Hellenic-Turkey relations. Actually, improving the relations with Turkey would be excellent, but that's not what the Hellenic government does. Hellas must work to encourage Turkey to become a really civilized country.
"So, they didn't and still don't help and I think they now see my efforts as something negative as they are increasingly busy in doing what's profitable to the USA and some other countries, but not to Hellas," he responds to our question quite bitter.
"For instance, that "reapprochement" process with Turkey is clearly a 'sell out' process, guided by the US government."
"As for the "The Hellenic Genocide - Quotes from historical documents and related Photos", I asked for help from Hellenes to translate some texts in Hellenic that I was not able to translate and to review others I translated.
"Part of those Hellenes who helped me with the translations are in Hellas, others are in other countries. Also, the work of several persons who made many of the photos of the site available on the Internet was essential."
His campaign "Learn the truth now!" was not very succesful as he
expected. "But it had some excellent results," he says. "Most of all,
I met activists with whom I cooperate until today and I learned a lot
from them.
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