Greece Strikes Out Yassin Condolence

RIYADH, 26March 2004 — The Greek ambassador in Riyadh on Wednesday asked his Palestinian counterpart to cross out the embassy’s name from the book of condolences for assassinated Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, prompting the Arab diplomatic corps to boycott Greek National Day celebrations in the capital.

Ambassador George Papadopoulos told the AFP news agency he had withdrawn Greece’s condolences in compliance with European Union policy and that the incident would not strain Greece’s “friendly” ties with the Palestinians.

“Although we deplore the killing (of Yassin in an Israeli helicopter strike in Gaza City Monday), instructions from the European Union are to not sign books of condolences for people who do not hold public office,” he said.

But other EU diplomats told Arab News they had never heard of such a regulation, adding they always took instructions from their own governments in such matters.

A Greek diplomat signed the book of condolences in the Palestinian Embassy in Riyadh on Tuesday, but “this was a mistake on our part, and we had to correct it,” Papadopoulos said.

He said he had gone to the Palestinian mission on Wednesday to ask Ambassador Mustafa Al-Sheikh Dheeb to cross out the Greek Embassy’s name, which he did.

“I assume it is a policy that applies to anyone who does not hold public office,” not just to the founder of the Palestinian group, he said. “Greece’s position as regards the Palestinians is well known — it is friendly and will always remain so. We shouldn’t blow the matter out of proportion,” Papadopoulos said.

Greece’s government aligned itself with an EU statement issued Monday which strongly condemned Yassin’s assassination.

Arab diplomats did attend Greek National Day celebrations at the Greek Cultural Center in Jeddah.

My closest friend within the church is a Greek woman. She is here only 4 years or so. All I really know of her outside of our sharing of theology and worship is that she is fierce about most things. And kind of strong-minded. :-)

I think I know the quality you mean when you say ignorant and I don't think that is the right word. The Greeks we spend time with are incredibly educated. Perhaps naive is the best word?

But I will ask my friend about this and post back anything that is worthwhile. It is very curious to find Greeks being pro-islam in any way. I would think.

They are working to keep a good road with the Palestinians because there are so many Greek Orthodox living in Palestine right now. IMO. (get them out, bring them home!)

Greece on the edge of the Muslim world and is fearful that US policies will unleash another Muslim jihad. The US bombed the Serbians during the Clinton-albright fiasco, and the memory of the US and NATO bombing of a traditional pre WWII ally in favor of Muslim extremists still stings badly. Greeks don't necesarily differentiate between the dems and Republicans. Those savvy enough to do so are generally conservative and support Republican policies. There are many Greek Americans (such as myself) who are staunch supporters of Conservative politics but there are enough of the others who are as naive as members of any other hyphenated ethnic groups.

US policy under Republicans and Democrats have favored Muslim Turkey. This is seen as the ultimate threat to stability by most Greeks. Having said this, most Greeks have friends or family in the US and have no antipathy against Americans in general, just its foreign policy. Greeks conveniently forget that Turkey was seen as a buffer during the cold war. Hopefully now that geopolitical concerns have shifted, Turkey will be consigned to the geopolitical junk yard where it belongs.

Greeks call the US President the "Planitarchis" which comes from the words planet and archis which is the adjective from the verb archo, which means to rule, in other words, leader of the planet. As such, there is a healthy respect for the leader of the US whether it's Bush or anyone else. However, just as is the case with many other small and rather impotent nations, the perceived stability during the Cold War seemes a better alternative to the free for all today.

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