COMMITTEE FOR THE GREEK RELIGION OF DODECATHEON
Athens, 15th of April 2002
OLYMPIC GAMES MASCOTS PROTEST:
PROTEST - DENOUNCEMENT
We as Hellenes, citizens of Greece and adherents to the Hellenic Religion of the Dodecatheon protest against
The "Athens 2004" organization, because it circulated a cartoon-mascot which
1) Insults the ancient Hellenic civilization brutally, as well as its cultural and national values which are part of the
world cultural heritage and which, of course, are honored by the "Olympic Games", and its form is an actual mockery
of the essence of the Hellenic Civilization itself, which is the classical sense of beauty.
2) Insults the spiritual, cultural and national values represented by the names "Phoebus" and "Athena",
which are not "mythological figures", but high spiritual standards revered worldwide, studies of which are continuously
made by the international philosophical and philological academic community, but also by the Hellenic nation itself, which
honors them with works referring to them and produced in its Universities and its Academy (the building of which is adorned
with both their statues), and which guides its official guests to Parthenon and Delphi for spiritual worship.
3) Presents holy personalities as cartoons or caricatures, an action that is in itself an insult and blasphemy towards
a known religion, in our case the Hellenic Religion of the Dodecatheon, of which the Olympic Matches are a religious ceremony.
Therefore we protest against offenses punished by Penal Code articles no. 198 and 199.
4) Presents the highest Gods of our religion in this unholy manner, which is a brutal insult to our honor and dignity
and a cause for a severe psychological breakdown.
5) Makes us conclude that this situation we protest against is deceitful, with the real intention of realizing the impossible:
To actually mock the spiritual values of the Hellenic Civilization by degrading these same holy personalities that were revered
during the ancient Olympic Matches. To also connect these holy names with these cartoons, as a logical consequence, thus making
anyone think of these cartoons when these names are referred to.
For these reasons we are proceeding to legal action demanding the punishment of those responsible, the withdrawal of
this design, and the compensation of this damage.
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Latest news update: January 2005...
Now the case has passed from the lower Court and we have just procceded (December, 2004) to the Court of Appeal. A hearing
of the case in this Court will take place in May 26, 2005.
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