This morning, the president of the Greek (Hellenic) Community of Alexandria (EKA) and the head of the Greek maritime club in Alexandria Edmond Kasimatis passed away at age of 83. Died with COVID-19, Kasimatis’ passion for Egypt is unforgettable; he exerted no efforts in deepening the Greek-Egyptian ties and in helping the Greek community in Egypt.
His latest public activity was a donation of EGP 500.000 to Tahya Mist Fund to support national efforts in fighting COVID-19. Kasimatis described the donations as an appreciation from the Greek Community in Egypt to Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and its people.
His national positions:
“The Greeks in Egypt are an original component of the Egyptian community; moreover, supporting Egypt during this critical phase is a duty,” he once considered.
After his death, some mourning statements were issued by the Greek Community of Cairo (EKK) included a statement by Christos Cavalis, the President of the Greek Community of Cairo.
Cavalis narrated a heartwarming story about his relationship with Kasimatis. He asserted Kasimatis’ fighting soul to reach the best for the Greeks in Egypt. He was courage, hard-worker, and faithful, Cavalis described.
He added the Hellenic identity and community in Egypt has lost a huge part of it by Kasimatis’ death because he was the main force in empowering the communication between Egypt and Greece and preserving the Hellenic identity, describing his death as a gap.
In the same context, the Minister of Immigration and Egyptian Expatriate Affairs Nabila Makram has sent her condolences to Kasimatis’ family and to the Greek community in Egypt.
She pointed to the efforts of Kasimatis in the history of the mutual-ties between Egypt and Greece in addition to his enduring support to the Nostos Program (Return to Roots Program).
Dedicated to Egyptian Greeks who left Egypt, the program targeted bridging between the third generations of the Egyptian Greek immigrants and their Egyptian Greek identity through engaging them with their memories in Egypt.
Known as Aigyptiotes, Kasimatis was the 22nd President of the Greek Community in Alexandria and he was elected in 2017. He was also one of the earliest Greeks who was granted Egyptian citizenship after an agreement between President Sadat and the Greek Prime Minister Konstantinos Karamanlis.
A lover of Egypt:
Through his interviews, Kasimatis always reflected his own love and passion towards Egypt, as he asserted the fact that the Greek spirit is still present in the scent of Alexandria.
Another emotional fact Kasimatis expressed that during his visits to Greek, he felt that he really belongs to Alexandria.
The Greek community was the earliest foreign community inhabited the lands of the river Nile, alongside Egyptians since part of the Egyptian history is mutual with the Greek one; here referring to Egypt as apart from the Hellenistic Empire including Alexandria construction, according to a report published on “Al Mosawer” Magazine in 1956.
Greeks in the society:
The report said: “Egypt was introduced to the presence of the Greeks during the modern era at the beginning of the 17th century. Moreover, Greeks played a vital role in boosting the European culture in Egypt, especially during Egypt’s renaissance in the 19th century. Besides, they contributed in the Egyptian trade, and industrial fields starting from 1840 which encouraged the Egyptians to welcome, and accept the Greeks in the society.”
Greeks activity in Alexandria started in 1843, and they established their first community outside Greece in Alexandria which is known as the Hellenic Community in Alexandria (EKA). After that, The Hellenic Community in Cairo (EKK) was established in 1856.
Contributed by Rana Atef
Read more: https://revivetheroots.org/
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