Where lying and ignorance are involved, there can be no glimmer of hope for peace and co-existence whatsoever! 1

Submitted by Ianus (Poland), Oct 1, 2012 at 08:15

Mozere wrote :

> I recently was on a trip to the Greek Island of Chios from The nearby Turkish town of Cesme. In 1822 Chios was the scene of a particularly brutal ottoman vengeance attack in reprisal to Greek rebellion and massacre of turkish population.<

Can you explain to us what sort of "massacre of turkish population" took place in Chios before March 1822 when the genocide of the Christian population in Chios at the hands of the Turks set in? As far as history is concerned there was only this one massacre at that time. It was immortalized in Eugène Delacroix's painting. It reduced a prosperous and populous island into a smouldering desert covered with corpses. The Christian population of between 80 000 and 120 000 was reduced overnight to some 2000, with 52 000 enslaved more than 20 000 dead and the rest refugees.

Let me remind you what really happened by quoting a contemporary source, namely an American doctor and particpant in the Greek war of independence Samuel G. Howe "A historical sketch of the Greek Revolution" , New York 1828 , p.112-122. The length of the quote should not scare you. It is always useful to read a full primary source and compare it to a modern shortcut lie and the illusion it intends to create .

"The flourishing state of the beautiful and populous island of Scio or Chius, has already been alluded to ; we have seen also that its peaceful inhabitants, accustomed only to commerce and agriculture, and entirely ignorant of the use of arms, unfitted bom by their habits, and by the situation of their island, from partaking with advantage in the general revolt, refused the invitation to join their countrymen, and remained tranquil under the Turks. A fleet of Spetraote vessels had appeared off their harbour ; but upon the remonstrances and representations of the Primates, it had withdrawn, and no insurrectionary movements were made in the island.

But the bare possibility of such an event was too good a pretext for the Pashaw to let pass without being improved to the utmost in augmenting his exactions from the people. Forty-five persons, selected from among the richest and most respectable families, were seized and carried into the citadel as hostages ; extraordinary contributions were exacted from the merchants ; the produce of the peasantry was taken from them in more than a usual proportion, and every possible imposition practised upon them; arms they had never been allowed to wear or possess ; but diligent search was made for them by the Turkish soldiers of the garrison. Fresh troops were called in to reinforce the garrison ; and besides the daily abuses cornmitted by that undisciplined band, many of the inhabitants were murdered. All these abuses, practised upon a community who had enjoyed greater privileges under the Turks than any of their countrymen, did not provoke them to any opposition ; and
Scio was perfectly tranquil until the 17th March, when a body of Samiotes, about 600 in number, directed by two worthless Chiefs, Vurmja and Logotheti, landed upon the S. E. extremity of the island, and called on the peasantry to arm and join them in the work of delivering their island from the Turks.

They were but very poorly seconded, the inhabitants, in general, showing no disposition to revolt ; a few of them, however, relying on the boasted power of the Samiotes to supply them with arms, and every necessary for war, were induced to join the invaders.

The news of this affair soon reached the Pashaw of the island, who immediately seized upon fifty more of the principal men as hostages for the good conduct of the rest ; he also sent out a small body of cavalry to destroy the invaders. At the same time the Primates and principal men of the island hastened to assure the Turks that no danger was to be apprehended ; that neither they themselves, nor their follow- islanders would join in the projected insurrection, and -utterly disclaimed any communication with, or knowledge of the plan of the Samiotes. They took also every possible precaution to prevent the peasantry from rising and joining the invaders.

But the Samiotes defeated the body of troops which the Pashaw had sent against them, and marching towards the principal town, they were joined by numbers of the peasantry, armed with sickles, knives, or clubs ; and all united forced the Turks to fly from every part of the island toward the citadel, where they shut themselves up with the Pashaw.

The prudent part of the Sciotes now saw that their safety was jeopardized, that enough had been done to draw down the vengeance of Turkey, and that their only chance of escape from it, was in promoting by all possible means, the cause of the insurgents, and endeavouring to get the castle into their own power, before any assistance could arrive to the Turks from Constantinople.

The castle was therefore blockaded ; the inhabitants of the island were called upon to rise and arm themselves, and a deputation was sent to the Central Government in the Peloponessus, demanding arms and ammunition. A Commission was immediately appointed, consisting of six persons, for the temporary direction of affairs. It was found, however, on examination, that there were very few arms in the island, and there were no means of providing them for the inhabitants ; for the Samiotes themselves had come poorly supplied, and they had brought only two light field-pieces. Still something it was necessary to do ; and the Commission exerted itself to blockade the Turks in the citadel so closely, that a speedy surrender was to be hoped, as they had no provisions. But farther difficulties arose from the folly and presumption of the two leaders of the Samiotes …

The blockade of the citadel, however, was converted into a siege, (such as they could carry on,) and the Primates began to hope that the speedy arrival of their deputies from the Peloponessus, with artillery and ammunition, and the approach of the Greek fleet would put them out of danger. Suddenly on the 11th April, a fleet was seen steering toward the port; soon from the size of the vessels it was known to be the Turkish and the Greeks were in terror. The force of the Capitan Pashaw constated of seven ships of the line, and twenty-five frigates and corvettes. With these he approached the town, and immediately opened his broadsides upon it; and the Turks from the citadel, sallying at the same moment, drove off the Greeks who were besieging it They retired about ten miles into the interior of the island, and were followed by most of the inhabitants of the town ; about five thousand only remaining, choosing to trust to the mercy of the Turks.

Thus master of the town and of several thousands of the inhabitants, the Capitan Pashaw commenced his measures, to put in execution the bloody scheme planned in the Divan at Constantinople ; he landed about six thousand men from the fleet, and employed three days in bringing over a swarm of Turks from the coast of Asia Minor. While he was thus collecting his myrmidons, and setting them in array, the Capitan Pashaw neglected no means to lull the inhabitants into a fatal security, by solemn promises of forgiveness of their faults, and mercy and protection, if they would return each one to his home and resume his occupation. Many did so, relying on the faith of the Consuls of England and France, who came clad in their respective uniforms, and urged the Sciotes to throw themselves on the clemency of the Capitan Pashaw. Convinced by this, many returned to the town ; and about a thousand of the peasantry, openly separating from the insurgents, retired to the monastery of St. Minas.

The fourth day the preparations of tile Capitan Pashaw being completed, he ordered the Greeks who were in the monastery to be brought out, and butchered one by one. This was the signal for the commencement of that tragedy to which moderm history affords no parallel ; the Turkish troops gathered round the town, rushed in among the defenceless inhabitants, and began to butcher all they found. For hours every street resounded with the yells of the assailants, the shrieks of the women and children, and the groans of the wounded and dying ; the shops were pillaged ; the houses burst open and ransacked;the churches profaned and demolished. And a few hours were sufficient for all this ; a few hours of rapine and murder had changed the beautiful town to a scene of utter devastation ; to a slaughter-house, still streaming with the blood of thousands of all ages, and of both sexes, whose mutilated and headless bodies, lay in every direction about the streets but there was no human voice heard there ; the whirlwind of destruction had swept over it, and left it desolate ; the Turkish hordes had gone out from it, and scattered themselves over the island, to renew in every village and in every hamlet, the work of murder and devastation.

For three days this went on in the neighbourhood of the town, and the Turks had only unarmed and unresisting victims to immolate. But at the foot of Mount Opus, and near the sea shore, a resistance was made by about two thousand Greeks ; they were driven from their position, but not till many families had embarked in boats and fled. At Thymiana also on the sea shore, another body defended themselves with fury for some time ; some ships were brought round to cannonade them from the sea side. But one frigate getting on the rocks, the Greeks attacked her furiously, contrived to get on board of her before all her crew had left her, and put them to death not-withstanding their cry for quarter. The resistance, however, was short here. The Greeks soon scattered ; the Samiotes had all fled ; and several thousand Sciotes also put off in boats and small vessels, and saved themselves at Ipaara. There were now no armed men to offer resistance ; the interior of the island was filled with the fugitive families from the sea-coast ; and there was full scope for the exercise of the fury of the Turks, who thought the blood of a Christian an acceptable offering to God. They divided themselves, therefore, into small bands, and swept over every part of the island, plundering, burning, and murdering. The Greeks who ran away were shot down,or pursued and stabbed ; those who gave themselves up, were violated and murdered ; the desperate men who resisted, shared the same fate as the timid wretch who clung to the knees of the barbarians, and screamed in vain for mercy. None were spared but the handsomest of the women and children, who were sent to town, and reserved for sale.

Such was the state of the beautiful Scio for seven days. "My God 1 (says an eye-witness who escaped) what a scene was then presented! On what side soever I cast my eyes, nothing but pillage, and conflagration, and murder, appeared. While some were occupied in plundering the country-houses of the rich merchants, and eithers setting fire to the villages, the air was rent with the mingled groans of men, women, and children, who were tailing under the yataghans and daggers of the infidels. The only exception made during the massacre, was in the favour of the women and boys, who were preserved to be sold as slaves. Many of the former were running to and fro, half frantic, with torn garments, and dishevelled hair; pressing their trembling infants to their breasts, and seeking death, as a preservation from the greater calamities that awaited them." The carnage then ceased for a time ; and those wretches who had been reserved for sale, were driven to the town, where more than ten thousand women and children were collected. The boys were circumcised, in order to fit them to become Mussulmen, and the whole embarked on board the fleel, to be conveyed to Constantinople. The Capitan Pashaw, in order to renew the fury of his soldiery, then took the eighty hostages, the oldest and most respectable men of the island, and hung them up at the yard-arms of his vessels ; and the signal was instantly answered from the shore, by the butchery of seven hundred peasants who had been confined in the citadel.

An attempt was then made to induce those of the Greeks, who in great numbers had fled to the mountains, and the almost inaccessible parts of the island, to come down and give themselves into the hands of their masters, who promised them mercy: and, strange to say, many of them did do so, and were all butchered except those whose beauty made them valuable.

The Capitan Pashaw then sailed, his vessels laden with the beauty and booty of the once lovely Scio, but which was now a solitary Waste, covered with the smouldering ruins of its villages, and the putrifying carcasses of its inhabitants. And where were now the eighty thousand people whom be found there? Twenty thousand had been butchered; twenty thousand he was carrying into captivity;
fifteen thousand had escaped to the neighbouring islands ; the rest were now hiding among the rocks and mountains, like the beasts who are hunted from the plant. Many of them wore taken off by the vessels sent to them from the neighbouring islands. But several thousand took refuge in the houses of the different European Consuls, whose flag they knew would protect them from the Turks."

So this is what happened and it does differ a lot from your official Turkish lie. Some insurgents from Samos arrived at Chios but no assistance was given to them. Yet, this not withstanding, the incident was used as an excellent pretext to terrorize the island by the pasha with arbitrary arrests, extortions, rapes,murders and devastations.It apparently turned some hitherto peaceful peasants against him and they joined forces with the rebels. With their help they besieged the Turks in the citadel who received help from Constantinople and from Asia Minor.What followed was a typical Turkish-made genocide - false promises of aman (mercy) followed by wholesale massacres, tortures,rapes,desacration of churches,hunting for slaves to be sold on Ottoman slave markets, forced conversions to Islam etc.. And you say all of that was "vengeence attack" justified by "massacre of turkish population" that has never been recorded except the Turkish Ministry of Islamic Truth during Kemal's reform. In short, your "vengeance attack" turns out to be just another of the endless series of unprovoked Moslem aggressions against Christian populations. And the heinous character of this particular aggression consists in that Christians in Chios had been forbidden to ever carry arms or exercise in its use. But Turks who boast of being born "intrepid warriors" have special sadistic liking for slaughtering those who can't defend themselves as the Armenian genocide or the Bulgarian horrors also showed ad nauseam.

But frankly , Mozere, starting your sentimental post from a lie is what I expected. But did you expect anyone to take his time to expose your particular lie?

---

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".