Skopjans Protest U.S. House Resolution and Call for
Action Alert in Opposition

May 7, 2007

The Honorable Carolyn Maloney
2331 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Congresswoman Maloney:

I write to you as a concerned citizen and voter regarding your introduction of HR 356 on May 1, 2007. You have established yourself as a leader in Congress and your skills have strengthened the country as a whole. Your name carries an image of a powerful person who puts emphasis on equal opportunity and in particular women’s rights. It is because of my respect for you as a congresswoman and person that I cannot understand why you would introduce an inappropriate and inaccurate resolution that undermines the Republic of Macedonia.

It is unfortunate that politics has resulted in an alteration of history. History books are many times re-written to tell a current story, where history books should be reporting history as it was. In the 1900s, maps of Macedonia showed the northern region of Greece and the current Republic of Macedonia on the
map as one. As an image, that is neither propaganda nor a hostile activity, because it is simply the region as it existed at that time.

	See U.S. House Resolution on FYROM. Click here. Visit Skopjan website for more info on their action alert

The use of the phrase “hostile activity” is not only inappropriate but antagonistic towards the Republic ofMacedonia. As the only former Yugoslav country to peacefully establish independence in 1991, the Republic of Macedonia has constantly met terms while working with the United States, NATO and the European Union and their actions have been contrary toward “hostile activity.” While the world is moving ahead (120 countries, including the United States have recognized the Republic of Macedonia under its constitutional name) and facing serious challenges, the Greek government has chosen to focus its attention and efforts on its own identity crisis and on imposing the burden of the same on its northern neighbor.

Your leadership on economic issues since 1993 also tells me that you are aware of Greece’s economic embargo towards the Republic of Macedonia, a state whose natural trading partners were already suffering under certain UN sanctions. I am sure you heard the world wide criticism of the illegal Greek Embargo, an act that was un-neighborly at best and reprehensible at worst. As I am sure you know the Greek Embargo was a major contributing factor to the painfully drawn-out transition that Macedonia continues to experience, and was not constructive towards the peaceful resolution between the two countries.

The Interim Agreement forced upon the Republic of Macedonia in 1995 as an end to the Greek Embargo achieved several Greek aims including: (1) a tentative reference term for the Republic of Macedonia at the UN and within certain international bodies, and (2) new national symbols for the Republic of Macedonia unrelated to the historic Macedonian reality. However, throughout this humiliation, Macedonia has revealed itself as more than willing to compromise by proposing a resolution to the “name dispute.” Notwithstanding the Republic of Macedonia’s efforts and the concessions it has already made, Athens continues to incredulously refer to Macedonian “intransigence” on the purported “name issue.” Contrary to your resolution, it is the Greeks who continue to spread vicious ethnic propaganda, equal to the hatred spread and spawned by and during the Balkan Wars. This vitriolic Greek propaganda continues unabated as the Republic of Macedonia continues establishing itself as a multi-ethnic democracy, even with bilingual rights, that is following the example of the United States of America in securing and protecting the civil and human rights of its racial and ethnic minorities. I do not need to point out to you, but it is noteworthy that Greece denies identities and protection to its racial and ethnic minorities. While once a leader in western thought, Greece has substantially denied itself and its citizens the progress that they are both due.

Lastly, the use of ‘FYROM’ in a House resolution is not only appalling, but also inaccurate. The United States has recognized the Republic of Macedonia under its constitutional name, and I strongly believe that
as the congresswoman and leader that you are, you should set an example that uses correct facts and proper terms.

Thank you for your service to the state of New York and to the American people. I hope that you will continue to serve and stand for equal opportunity – equal opportunity not just for the powerful, but also for the powerless.

Sincerely,

Metodija A. Koloski
President

CC: The Honorable Gus Bilirakis
The Honorable Robert Wexler
The Honorable Elton Gallegly
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
The Honorable John Boehner
The Honorable William Pascrell, Jr.
The Honorable Mark Souder
The Honorable Tom Lantos
The Honorable John S. Tanner
The Honorable Ruben Hinojosa
The Honorable Brad Miller
The Honorable Linda T. Sanchez
The Honorable Jim Costa
The Honorable Eliot L. Engel
The Honorable Albio Sires
The Honorable Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
The Honorable Thaddeus McCotter
The Honorable Joe Wilson
The Honorable Ted Poe
The Honorable Robert D. Inglis
The Honorable Luis Fortuno

United Macedonian Diaspora, P.O. Box 19028, Washington, D.C. 20036
Phone: (202) 294-3400 E-mail: info@umdiaspora.org Website: http://www.umdiaspora.org