I have to say at the beginning that the issue with the name is NOT something that should be looked at through genetic point of view. Our case is plain and simple: we ARE Macedonians because we FEEL so, and nobody can tell us what we are. The same statement goes for any other ethnic group in the world.
Anyway, there has been a heated debate going on in the forums of one Swiss genetic research institute (iGENEA) after they published their findings about the genetic composition of the modern day nations living in the Balkans, against the genetic fingerprint found in the ancient nations (e.g. through archeological excavations). I am not a genetic scientist, therefore I will not go into any analysis or debate. However, in the interest of all of us being informed WHO we are, I will copy the findings which iGENEA published about Macedonia and neighboring countries.
Albania:
30% Illyrian
20% Slavs
18% Thracian
15% Phoenician
14% Hellenic
02% Vikings
Greece:
35% Hellenic
20% Slavs
20% Phoenician
10% Illyrian
10% Germanic
05% Macedonian (but in Aegean Macedonia, more than 18%)
Bulgaria:
49% Thracian
15% Slavs
15% Hellenic
11% Macedonian
05% Phoenician
Macedonia:
30% Macedonian
20% Germanic
15% Hellenic
15% Slavs
10% Illyrian
05% Phoenician
05% Hunnen
One of the scientists who work in iGENEA, while answering some questions on their forum, said the following sentence:
I would like to stress this fact, because it is the same with my claim that genetics can not be brought into the name dispute, considering that all modern nations are a mixture of many nations and cultures who lived before them and certainly NOBODY can claim any exclusivity over any historic period, especially not based on some "genetic heritage". Insisting on using such arguments makes the person look either stupid and/or a pretentious liar.
For example, unless you dispute and prove wrong the above paragraph, nobody can throw claims like:
Therefore, let's remove the "ancestry argument" or the "genetic argument" from the table while talking about why you insist that we should change our name. It is obvious that it is NOT a valid argument and is one of the reasons why I disabled the comments - I had too much "genetic noise" and no real, friendly debate. But if you INSIST on using this argument, then look at the numbers above, and see what we (and you) are made of.
If this article inspires at least one racist to re-investigate his beliefs, than I am more than satisfied!
Anyway, there has been a heated debate going on in the forums of one Swiss genetic research institute (iGENEA) after they published their findings about the genetic composition of the modern day nations living in the Balkans, against the genetic fingerprint found in the ancient nations (e.g. through archeological excavations). I am not a genetic scientist, therefore I will not go into any analysis or debate. However, in the interest of all of us being informed WHO we are, I will copy the findings which iGENEA published about Macedonia and neighboring countries.
Albania:
30% Illyrian
20% Slavs
18% Thracian
15% Phoenician
14% Hellenic
02% Vikings
Greece:
35% Hellenic
20% Slavs
20% Phoenician
10% Illyrian
10% Germanic
05% Macedonian (but in Aegean Macedonia, more than 18%)
Bulgaria:
49% Thracian
15% Slavs
15% Hellenic
11% Macedonian
05% Phoenician
Macedonia:
30% Macedonian
20% Germanic
15% Hellenic
15% Slavs
10% Illyrian
05% Phoenician
05% Hunnen
One of the scientists who work in iGENEA, while answering some questions on their forum, said the following sentence:
No country in Europe is today genetically homogen[eous].
I would like to stress this fact, because it is the same with my claim that genetics can not be brought into the name dispute, considering that all modern nations are a mixture of many nations and cultures who lived before them and certainly NOBODY can claim any exclusivity over any historic period, especially not based on some "genetic heritage". Insisting on using such arguments makes the person look either stupid and/or a pretentious liar.
For example, unless you dispute and prove wrong the above paragraph, nobody can throw claims like:
- Macedonians are Greek (they are genetically different, the Ancient Macedonian gene is more advanced, it has two more mutations than the Hellenic, according to iGENEA);
- Citizens of Republic of Macedonia are Slavs (partially true, we are 15% Slavs, but what happens if we compare those with the 20% Slav genes in Greece, are Greek people more Slavs?);
- Macedonians are Bulgarians (also not correct, if you notice the strong 49% Thracian genes there);
- Macedonians have no history (which is too obviously incorrect, in fact hilarious, and only serves as a pointer that an anti-Macedonian fascist pressed against the wall will INVENT "arguments" in the lack of real ones).
Therefore, let's remove the "ancestry argument" or the "genetic argument" from the table while talking about why you insist that we should change our name. It is obvious that it is NOT a valid argument and is one of the reasons why I disabled the comments - I had too much "genetic noise" and no real, friendly debate. But if you INSIST on using this argument, then look at the numbers above, and see what we (and you) are made of.
If this article inspires at least one racist to re-investigate his beliefs, than I am more than satisfied!
