Symbiosis files complaints against two Greek media outlets for spreading anti-Muslim statements by Metropolitan Bishop Amvrosios

Symbiosis, GTTO partner in Greece, filed two complaints to news media outlets Vima Orthodoxias and Proto Thema for giving a platform to anti-Muslim statements by Metropolitan Amvrosios of Kalavryta, a fiery conservative Greek Orthodox bishop.

In the past few months, the two Greek news sites have shared open letters by the bishop where he attacks Muslims for the opening of a mosque in Athens.  

According to Metropolitan Amvrosios, a Greek Orthodox Church was allegedly knocked-down to make space for this mosque. This, originally reported by the far-right newspaper Eleftheri Ora,  was soon proved to be untrue. The fact-checking website Ellinika Hoaxes provided evidence that it was a ‘self-identified’ priest who occupied an old building in Botanikos prior to its demolition and claimed it was an Orthodox Church, Panagia Eleftherotria. The Church of Greece does not recognise the self-proclaimed church of Panagia Eleftherotria or any of its ‘bishops.’ 

Despite this being proved as false, Bishop Amvrosios still uses it in his articles to prove the government’s supposed appeasement of Islam. He claimed that Kostas Gavroglou, Minister of Education, Research and Religious Affairs, who inaugurated the mosque in June is a “Minister-Protector of Islam who bears the Koran in his hands and who wears a red scarf.” 

The overall narrative of his pieces, published by Vima Orthodoxias and Proto Thema, takes a strong anti-Muslim stance, claiming that the Greek government is in a nefarious partnership with Islam.

Symbiosis complained to them for allowing hateful content to be widely disseminated through their pages. None of them has replied yet to Symbiosis.