Oxford lecturer, Greek opposition party slams ND Party member Kairidis

New Democracy Party Deputy and International Relations Lecturer Dimitris Kairidis' remarks about Ukrainian immigrants on TV, regarding the distinction between "the massacre of members of other religions in the heart of Africa" ​​and "White Christians and Europeans" drew great reaction.

Oxford University Lecturer Andonis Tzanakopulos and KINAL party (one of the opposition parties in Greece), gave harsh answers to Kairidis's statements.

According to the news published in APE-MPE and Avgi newspaper on the subject, the statements of International Relations expert Keridis, "...These are not people of other religions in the heart of Africa, they are white Christians, they are one of us" were evaluated as "racist" expressions.

The KINAL party also reacted to the statements of D. Kairidis by publishing a statement saying, "The displaced are no different."

In the news in the Avgi newspaper, "We heard this too", a YDP deputy claims from the television program he participated in that "the murder of irreligious people in the depths of Africa" has a different weight than the "slaughter of Christians, whites and Europeans". The person who said this is a professor of international relations and also a YDP deputy. Their statements about the "massacre" were not acceptable.

Kairidis said: "We are not talking about a massacre of irreligious people in a remote part of Africa, but to put it quite 'cynically', I know it is politically incorrect, but we are talking about one of us, Christians, whites, Europeans."

Antonis Tzanakopoulos, an associate professor at Oxford University, first strongly opposed his statement with a post on Twitter.

Tzanakopoulos said on his private Twitter account, "A person who normalizes racism, a ruling party MP and a professor at Panteion University said that he is not talking about irreligious people here in the depths of Africa but about White, Christian Europeans here."

The sharing of Tzanakopulos must have disturbed Mr. Kairidis, as he soon shared the following on his Twitter account. “Racists dream as those who condemn racism. The definition of 'cynical' 'politically incorrect' and 'IMMEDIATELY' reality has been separated from any preference."

While Dimitris Kairidis's statements garnered a great reaction on social media, Kairidis made a new post, arguing that this time his words were not understood by the citizens, he told the truth and did not give his personal opinion. He claimed to have explained why Poland is dealing with refugees now and not before.

KINAL Party: "The displaced are no different"

Comments by New Democracy Party Deputy Dimitris Karidis, KINAL Party Immigration Department said in a statement, “All kinds of discrimination based on origin, color or religion do not only comply with European norms, but also do not comply with the prohibitions on this issue”.

In the statement, it was emphasized that the statements of the ruling party deputy Kairidis, which were made immediately after the statements of the minister responsible for refugees, provoked all democratic citizens and said, “The people displaced in Kharkov are not different from those displaced in Aleppo or Kabul, the suffering of refugees is the same everywhere”.

In the statement is stated that the government and the ruling party staff should stop stroking the ears of extreme conservatives and extreme rightists, “The European Union is a union of principles and values. The life and dignity of people and the protection of refugees is a fundamental right and obligation”.