‘Sunday schools’ of hatred by the Golden Dawn

‘Catechism’ to children aged 6-10 began last Saturday in Artemida, Attica – strong reactions from government and opposition parties

‘Catechism’ to children aged 6-10 began last Saturday in Artemida, Attica. A first sign of Golden Dawn’s attitude toward this age was given by a text posted on the 31^st of January on the website of the local organization of the northern suburbs [of Athens], as mentioned on ‘Ta Nea’ newspaper.

According to a post on the party’s official website, about 20 children, described as “little friends of the movement” went together with their parents at the offices of the local organization of Eastern Attica. “A new cycle of spiritual awakening with the name ‘Moulding of Children’ is about to begin”, the post says.

As the stated in the announcement, “two teachers from the local organization” spoke to the children “about the birth of the ancient world according to ancient Greek thought, the Olympian gods, the ancient Greek pantheon and the Christian faith”. Similar actions are heralded as “an attempt to regenerate the Greek spirit”.

Golden Dawn’s response

“The Golden Dawn does not do propaganda to minor children” says the party with a statement that responds to the publicity that the incident received.

“This role has been officially taken up by the State, conducting propaganda against the Golden Dawn in schools. The ‘images in question’ come from a course about ancient Greek mythology for the young friends of our Movement”.

They also report that “soon we will start running History classes at the local offices of the Golden Dawn with free attendance for all Greeks. This way we will be covering a wide gap, since Repousi’s [1] state teaches anything but history to our children”.

Strong reactions from the government and the opposition

SYRIZA accuses the government, the police and the media on the occasion of the Golden Dawn catechism to children. “It is our responsibility to prevent the poisoning of innocent souls”, said PASOK spokesman Fofi Gennimata. “It is the responsibility of all democratic forces in the country to raise a wall opposite the Golden Dawn and its offshoots,” says DIMAR.

In more detail SYRIZA highlights, inter alia, that “the Golden Dawn, of course, does its job. Those that one should really have doubts about are the police and judicial authorities that provide it with outrageous immunity, the government that adopts its agenda and strengthens it further and a part of the media that systematically provide it with free advertising”.

“Time has come for Greek society to act en masse in order to stop these little Hitlers’ undermining of our freedom”, he concludes.

PASOK’s spokesman Fofi Gennimata says: “The Golden Dawn shows once again their hideous face. Its recent victims are the innocent souls of 6 year old children. Golden Dawn’s ‘moulding of children’ leads to fanaticism, Nazism and violence. The return to 1967 and the writings of George Georgalas [2], the return to the dark past of fascism, should not pass”, said Mr. Gennimata concluding:

“It is the responsibility of the state, society and, above all, the parents themselves to prevent them from poisoning innocent souls. Fascism when expressed in neighborhoods, in everyday life, is even more dangerous than when expressed as a political organization. Let’s all realise this and resist. Zero tolerance towards fascism and the Golden Dawn”.

DIMAR in a statement noted that “the schools of hatred, violence and promotion of Nazi ideas cannot be accepted by democratic people and a well-governed state. It is the responsibility of all democratic forces in the country to raise a wall against the Golden Dawn and its offshoots”

[Translated article from ‘To Vima’ newspaper, 27/02/2013, found online at: http://www.tovima.gr/society/article/?aid=500300]

[1] Maria Repoussi: a left-wing MP

[2] Georgalas: the military junta’s (1967-1974) most notable ideologue