Mr. Speaker, today, as a proud Canadian of Greek origin, I rise in the House to commemorate Greek Independence Day and the struggle of the Greek people to break free from the Ottoman Empire.
March 25, 1821, symbolizes the courage and fortitude of the Greek people who fought a formidable power to gain their independence.
On this day, we honour all the heroes who sacrificed their lives for the re-establishment of Greece, Greek civilization, democracy, and the Orthodox faith. We also recognize the cultural and political impact of the Greek Revolution and its influence on the modern world.
The Greeks have inspired us with their courage, resilience and love of freedom and democracy then and, as reliable allies against tyranny, more recently.
[Member spoke in Greek]