Captain Tatsis explained that “November 11, 1912 was a turning point in the history of Chios. A dark period of 346 years was ended. Chios became enslaved to the Turks in 1566. The naval commander Piali Pashas conquered the island from the Genoese. We lost our ethnic consciousness and adjusted to subjugation to a foreign power. Chios did not have open military resistance in 1821. But we did not remain insensitive. In 1822 was the slaughter known as the Massacre of Chios. We reach 1912, an era of the Balkan Wars and expansion of Greece. On the Feast day of St. Demetrius, October 26th, 1912, the Greek armed forces entered Thessaloniki as heroes. On November 11th, the Greek naval forces reached Chios. After unsuccessful negotiations with the Turkish commander Zichny Bey, military operations began from the ship Sapho under Commander Nicholas Delagrammatika.” Captain Tatsis described in detail the battles.

“In those years we faced a recognizable enemy,” he explained. “Today, our country (Chios and Greece) and children face many enemies that are unrecognizable; our nation is wounded and exhausted economically, far way from god. The dark forces of globalism are threatening our cultural identity and dissolution of the Orthodox Church. What is taking place today in Italy with the decision of the European Union to remove all crosses and icons from schools and public places, tomorrow will knock at our door. We as mi9ld persons will bow our heads and accept this. Our future generations will not know where we come from and where we are going. They (Globalization) want our youth to be numbers without free thought, without religion, without faith, without hope and to act as robots. Their God is money and nothing else.”

With emotions, Captain Tatsis asked “would any of you believe that the treasured oil painting of the Massacre of Chios by Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix would be found thrown on the ground of the Francomahala?(Central Square).” Delacroix's painting of the massacre at Chios shows sick, dying Greek civilians about to be slaughtered by the Turks. One of several paintings he made of this contemporary event, it expresses sympathy for the Greek cause in their war of independence against the Turks, a popular sentiment at the time for the French people. The painting was in the Byzantine Museum of Chios, founded in a former Ottoman Mosque on the Central Square in 1980.

The speaker explained, “This happened. Today Saint Sophia is used as mosque. In turkey, street signs glorify the massacre of the victims of Agio Minas and Nea Moni. How long will Greeks retreat and will the Greek government erase from their history the sacrifice of 58,000 Chiotes? Our memorial today, fellow islanders and friends is dedicated to the memory of those who sacrificed so that future generations will live free. Our venerable fathers brought into the world the two sister virtues of Beauty and Freedom. Long live the 11th of November 1912! Long live our Chios! Long live Greece who god blesses with our beloved second country America.”

President; Mike Flezoulis, 3rd Vice-President; Hercules Karvoupakis, Program Vice-President; Dr. Nicholas Zymaris, Secretary; John Stoupakis, Accountant; George Arvanitsis, Treasurer and Kostas Potamousis, Assistant Treasurer.

The 2009 Panchiaki Korais Society Board of Directors include: Costas Kojes, President; George Vassilakis, 1st Vice-President; Nick Menis, 2nd Vice-President; Captain Tselios Tatsis, Secretary; Mary Kojes, Treasurer and Chris Stratakis, Esq. Legal Counsel.

St. Markella Greek Orthodox Church encourages youth to participate,” said George Lilikas, Parish Council President. “Many of us are from Chios, ancient Ionia. We keep our ethics alive so our children and grandchildren will carry on. We are currently raising money for the homeless and handicapped. Our aim is to have a school that is one of the best in the Greek language. We have twenty-six members in our parish council. Our church was originally Protestant. We are engaged in an effort to create our church in a byzantine style. The Chiotes are all working together to realize this dream. Our Philoptohos Ladies Society under the leadership of Koula Koumano, works tirelessly in hosting socials and organizing philanthropic projects.” For more information, call Rev. Fr. Sarantis Loulakis, Presbyter, at 516 783-5760.

Links:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/03/italy-classroom-crucifixes-human-rights
http://www.greeka.com/eastern_aegean/chios/chios-museums.htm
www.kazantzakis-museum.gr
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eug%C3%A8ne_Delacroix- Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix
http://www.chioshistory.gr/en/itx/itx264.html- Liberation of Chios