The “Enomenoi Macedonia” (United Macedonians) group has caused heated debate in Greek parliament with its plans to host a ‘Pork and Alcohol BBQ’ event near a migrant camp, which houses Muslims who are forbidden by the Quran to consume pork and alcohol.
The event is scheduled to take place this Sunday, November 10 near the Diavata camp, in Macedonia, with many politicians dubbing it a “racist BBQ” and saying it promotes “xenophobia”, “division” and “hate.”
On Tuesday, the Greek government held a heated debate on how to react to the BBQ near the refugee camp, with Christos Giannoulis, MP from the Syriza party, calling it a “disgrace” and adding that the organisers should be held accountable for their “provocation against people of other beliefs.”
However, Kostantinos Kyranakis, a deputy for New Democracy party, said Greeks shouldn’t have to change their culture to accommodate migrants.
Speaking on Greek radio station 98.4, Kyranakis claimed that Giannoulis was calling for a provision in the Criminal Code to ban the BBQ, however, Syriza MP Haris Mamoulakis responded that Syriza simply condemned the event, which he says, “shows disrespect for the religion of the refugees and the immigrants.”
Κάποιοι δικοί μας νέοι βουλευτές δεν κατάλαβαν γιατί μιλούσαν . Το θέμα κομματικοποιήθηκε. Εγώ δεν πιστεύω ότι υπάρχει βουλευτής της ΝΔ και του Κυριάκου Μητσοτάκη που θα υποστηρίξει ότι η έλλειψη ανθρωπιάς και στήριξης του αδυνάμου μπορεί να είναι πολιτική θέση.#AlphaTV
— Ντόρα Μπακογιάννη (@Dora_Bakoyannis) November 6, 2019
New Democracy MP Dora Bakoyannis, sister of Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, took a clear position on the controversial event calling it a "racist barbecue" and tweeted: "A few of our young MP's didn't understand what they were talking about." Bakoyannis also stressed she did not believe the comments made by Kyranakis were supported by other New Democracy members.
