Bilirakis introducesAHEPA-initiated legislation to re-open the Theological School of Halki

WASHINGTON - The ongoing commitment of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA), the largest and oldest association of Americans of Greek descent and Philhellenes, to reopen the Theological School of Halki was further fulfilled as AHEPA-initiated legislation on the closed seminary was introduced in the House of Representatives by U.S. Rep. Michael Bilirakis (R-9-FL) yesterday, announced Supreme President Andrew Banis.

"We have been working diligently for over a year to create a bill that will garner bipartisan support in Congress," said Banis. "We received wonderfulh cooperation and assistance from the Office of Congressman Michael Bilirakis and we are thankful for his introduction of the concurrent resolution."

According to AHEPA Director of Public Relations Andrew Kaffes, the legislation, H.Con.Res.345, has four original sponsors, displaying excellent initial bipartisan support. In addition to Bilirakis, U.S. Reps. Illeana Ros-Lehtinen (R-18-FL), chair, International Relations Subcommittee on  International Operations and Human Rights, Joseph Crowley (D-7-NY), and Carolyn Maloney (D-14-NY), are original sponsors. The legislation will go to the Committee on International Relations, chaired by U.S. Rep. Henry Hyde (R-6-IL) and eventually to the subcommittee chaired by Ros-Lehtinen, he added.

 "It is an honor to introduce the bill along with these three distinguished Members of Congress," said Bilirakis. "The reopening of the Theological School of Halki would be a tremendous victory not only for Orthodox believers around the world, but for the countless individuals who like myself, and the members of the AHEPA family, are firm proponents of religious freedom and human rights."

"We are confident of bipartisan support because it is essentially a bill that strikes at the core of fundamental human rights and the promotion of freedom of religion," said Kaffes. "It is the culmination of a year's hard work and legislation of which our members and our community can be proud."

AHEPA strongly welcomes all efforts to reopen the Theological School of Halki whether it is by supporting legislation like H.Con.Res.345 by contacting U.S. representatives via letters, e-mails, or phone calls, or participating in electronic petitions offered by other organizations with the common goal of reopening the seminary.

"All of these initiatives are excellent means through which our community can create awareness of this crucial issue, especially among the Committee on International Relations," added Kaffes. "Our community's grassroots activism, lead by AHEPA family chapters in every major metropolitan city in the United States and Canada, is needed for our issues to be heard effectively. We also have strong support from AHEPA Australasia."

According to Banis, the reopening of Halki is pivotal to the interests of Orthodox Christians worldwide, including the estimated five million here in the United States, because it is basically the only educational institution for Orthodox Christian leadership. Since its closure, the Ecumenical Patriarchate has been deprived of adequate means to educate its clergy.

The seminary was shut down in 1971. As the legislation describes, the school's closure is in violation of International Treaties to which Turkey has been a signatory, including the Treaty of Lausanne. The bill also cites Section 2804 of the Fiscal Year 1999 Appropriations Bill that was passed and signed into law, calling upon the United States to use its influence with the government of Turkey to guarantee the security of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and to reopen the Theological School of Halki.

AHEPA is the largest Greek-American association in the world with 521 chapters in the United States, Canada, Greece, and Cyprus, and sister chapters in Australia. It was established in 1922 by visionary Greek-Americans to protect Hellenes from prejudice originating from the KKK, and in its history, AHEPA has joined with the NAACP and B'nai B'rith to fight discrimination. The mission of the AHEPA family is to promote the ideals of Hellenism, education, philanthropy, civic responsibility and family and individual excellence. The AHEPA family consists of four organizations: AHEPA, Daughters of Penelope, Sons of Pericles and Maids of Athena.

For more information about the AHEPA family, or any of its programs, please contact AHEPA Headquarters, 202.232.6300. 

For instant information visit www.ahepa.org