Sunday in Athens, Greece a bomb exploded killing a 15 year-old Afghan boy and injuring both his mother and sister. Since then, two groups have claimed responsibility for the attacks. This new group known as the “Revolutionary National Socialist Front" is one of several terrorist groups that are far-left, this particular group also supposedly promotes racism and targets people who are immigrants or have ties to political and financial issues. They even issued a threat of sorts, explaining their fear of becoming a minority in their own country, and saying meetings in mosques should no longer be considered safe. However, it has yet to be confirmed that they were responsible for the bombing, considering just a few hours earlier another guerrilla group had claimed responsibility. Either way, this story is just another indicator of the growing chaos and strife within Greece that is flanked by prejudices and racism that extend into the political, financial, and religious realms.
On a more uplifting note in the city of Thessaloniki, a prayer meeting was held in light of the economic crisis. Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece, and coincidentally my interviewee Alex’s hometown. The unemployment rate in Greece is 10.2% and higher in the north, where Thessaloniki is. Paul Daramola, the Nigerian pastor of a largely Nigerian congregation at a Protestant church, said he felt God telling him to hold this meeting. News of the prayer meeting was distributed amongst people from all nationalities and denominations. The service was unique and complete with both an orchestra and a choir. The service also stands out as a beacon of hope, considering the Greek Orthodox Church is at odds with the government due to their plans to tax them for their numerous property holdings. This non-violent act of unity working to end the economic crisis stands out as a ray of hope in the midst of struggle throughout the country.
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