To the Editor:

While reading Justice for Greece and Cyprus, the article by Professor Alexander Kitroeff (TNH January 15), he writes how Greece had to deal with the many different injustices, for example from the Ottoman Empire, Turkey, and Mussolini.  So true, but not all.

Somehow these professors and previous commentators like Patrick Theros (whom I responded to last year) and politicians do not ‘remember’ one of the worst injustices that the Greeks suffered. I am referring to the Pethomazoma (The Gathering of the Children) during the Greek Civil War (1946-1949).

Thousands of Greeks were killed and thousands were abducted from their homes and taken to Communist Albania and later to other communist countries against their free will. This continued at least until 1954. Why, and for what reason, do all of these knowledgeable people avoid this topic, events that occurred during the Civil War?

The Greek Civil War has a lot to teach us as Greek people, learn from it, and unite us into a better nation. But if we avoid our past, how can we unite? Professor Kitroeff referred to the Jews as an example of a people who do not forget their past! Why do we as Greeks continue to omit an important event from our past and not admit that these atrocities happened?

Are these writers in The National Herald doing an injustice to their readers and the Greek population who do not know what took place in the Civil War? Is this selective writing? Professor Kitroeff, how can you teach history and avoid what happened during the Greek Civil War? Please read my book, Kostas My Story (kostas.com) and learn firsthand what happened to thousands of children like me.

Kostantinos Ganias

Worcester, MA