Full Text of SR0193 103rd General Assembly
SR0193 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
| | SR0193 | | LRB103 31815 LAW 60427 r |
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| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, March 25th commemorates the anniversary of Greek | 3 | | Independence Day, which honors the beginning of the War of | 4 | | Greek Independence in 1821; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, On this day, the Greek community celebrates the | 6 | | bravery of its ancestors in their struggles and their | 7 | | relentless determination to ensure the survival of Greek | 8 | | heritage, culture, and religion; and
| 9 | | WHEREAS, In 1453, with the seizure of Constantinople, | 10 | | Greece unwillingly became part of the Ottoman Empire; for 400 | 11 | | years thereafter, the Greek people were forced to relinquish | 12 | | their customs, language, traditions, and, most importantly, | 13 | | their freedom; while many Greeks fled to Western Europe, | 14 | | countless others who were unable to flee were subjected to | 15 | | many forms of oppression; and
| 16 | | WHEREAS, On March 25, 1821, Bishop Germanos of Patras | 17 | | raised the flag of revolution at the Monastery of Agia Lavra | 18 | | and declared, "Eleftheria I Thanatos" ("Freedom or Death"), | 19 | | which became the cry of the War of Greek Independence; this | 20 | | single act is credited with inciting the people of Greece to | 21 | | unite together to stage a revolution and defeat the Ottoman | 22 | | Empire; and
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| | | SR0193 | - 2 - | LRB103 31815 LAW 60427 r |
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, While the Greek armies won many battles, they | 2 | | were in danger of losing the War of Greek Independence by 1827; | 3 | | it was then that Great Britain, France, and Russia interceded, | 4 | | assisting the Greeks with overpowering the Ottoman Empire | 5 | | forces; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, On September 14, 1829, the War of Greek | 7 | | Independence ended with the signing of the Treaty of Edirne, | 8 | | which is also known as the Treaty of Adrianople; with the | 9 | | signing of the Treaty of Edirne, the Ottoman Empire was forced | 10 | | to recognize Greece as an autonomous state; and
| 11 | | WHEREAS, In observance of Greek Independence Day, special | 12 | | events are held around the world, including parades, military | 13 | | processions, speeches, and festivals; and
| 14 | | WHEREAS, The contributions of Greek culture on modern | 15 | | civilizations are
innumerable, influencing the world in every | 16 | | way imaginable, from the fields of mathematics, astronomy, | 17 | | science, and medicine to literature, theater, philosophy, and | 18 | | democracy; therefore, be it
| 19 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL | 20 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare March 25, | 21 | | 2023 as Greek Independence Day in the State of Illinois.
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