By Nick Stamatakis
The two rhyming names on our title today have been the holders of the same title and roughly the same duties to two different Archbishops of America, Iakovos and Elpidophoros, more than thirty years apart. Panayiotis (Takis) Gazouleas was a renowned journalist and editor-in-chief of “Atlantis” and played a significant role in the history of our community. He used all the means at his disposal to advocate for Hellenism and Orthodoxy, to support the Greek language, and to advocate for all issues affecting the Greek immigrants in America at a time when, wave after wave, hundreds of thousands of new Greek immigrants had arrived in the two decades after WWII.
In this capacity, he was often critical of AB Iakovos, mainly when preserving the Greek language – Atlantis was the first Greek language newspaper in America. Despite this animosity, Iakovos, recognizing his unmatched knowledge of community affairs, did not hesitate to hire him to work next to him for many years as a communications director. Such was the quality of character of men those days. Gazouleas was flesh-out-of-the flesh of our community. He was then the Archbishop’s right hand, eyes, ears, and, above all, his mouth in the community. He did a superb job – I had the chance to verify his accomplishments over the years. Gazouleas was a journalist with vast experience, talent, and, above all, wisdom.
Stratos Safioleas, on the other hand, was brought to the GOA from Greece (where he worked in communications), like so many others of the current Archbishop’s “entourage.” Few truly knew him or heard anything of his actions until very recently, when he did something unique: He posted new rules for “Photography and Media Policy” (link here)… Please take a few minutes to read this atrocity not followed by any other religious organization in this country… It concludes here: “… This policy will be strictly enforced without exception. Non-compliance, including the unauthorized distribution, use, or sale of digital assets, may result in disciplinary action, termination of contracts, and/or legal action. This policy ensures that GOARCH retains full control over its digital assets and protects the integrity of its publications, messaging, and mission. By adhering to these guidelines, all contributors and collaborators can support the values and goals of The Orthodox Observer and GOARCH…”
I will bypass the legality of all this – it is dubious, in my opinion. As someone who has some knowledge of the issue (I fought GOA employees or associates in US Courts successfully for the last four years), I can tell you that there are such terms as “fair use” and “implied license” that render the “Safioleas Restrictions” pure fresh air in legal terms... Particularly considering that GOA is a non-profit and, above all, a religious institution!! Therefore, the concept of “public domain” would quite easily apply here.
For example, “Fair Use” is a doctrine under copyright law that allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission for purposes such as criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research. Yes, the Courts may determine its specific use… But, have you ever heard of ANY religious organization that does not allow the free re-publication of images? Did Mr. Safioleas ask Mr.Tsougarakis, (GOA’s legal counsel), before posting this atrocity on the website? How does GOA reconcile the baseless Safioleas Restrictions with the “fair use” and “implied license” exceptions for intellectual property in the public domain? He ought to be very careful… In America, religious non-profits are what the term says, NOT FOR PROFIT. And they enjoy many tax privileges and other protections. For what reason? To serve their faithful… In my opinion, the Safioleas Restrictions are being used by GOARCH to restrict journalists from reporting about news-worthy stories, which would be a clear violation of our constitutionally protected freedom of the press. While the Phanariots may be able to use Ottoman-type restrictions in Turkey, these tactics will not work in America.
The rules you so nonchalantly wrote, Mr. Safioleas, may apply to organizations that produce art and photography in the free market – but NOT in a religious non-profit... I have met several judges in the last four years, and I would not imagine ANY of them objecting to using such material FREELY. We all pay your salary, Mr. Safioleas, and the wages of D. Panagos (GOA’s official photographer). And we have certain rights. You are our employee, and you have to put this through your thick, authoritarian head.
This brings me to the last few points: these rules would perfectly apply in the neo-Ottoman Sultanate of Turkey, where freedom of speech and religion are limited. Your attitude and that of your superior, the Archbishop’s attitude, belong there. There is no room for authoritarianism in America. If you haven’t grasped this much after the political developments of the last few months, you are out of touch and doing a disservice to GOA and all of us.
Our only hope: Our DNA and history have repeatedly proven an unmatched ability to rise from the ashes…
February 2, 2025, n.stamatakis@aol.com w
DISCLAIMER: The views and statements expressed in this article constitute constitutionally protected opinions of this author. The information in this article shall not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter. You should not act or refrain from acting based on any content included in this site without seeking legal or professional advice.
I agree wholeheartedly with Nick on all points of this article. Safioleas is the example of a person that has done more damage to the GOA than any Orthodox Observer publishers previously. He has gutted the publication from all Greek language reports, most of the “reporting” is covered with all the faked titles of “his eminence” and “his grace”, instead of anything substantial and the budget of the Orthodox OPbserver is over $800,000.00 I could produce such a worthless pamphlet for $0 on my computer. But, why should they care? Even if the archdiocese goes bankrupt, they’ve made their money. \\
And yes, the threat of more lawsuits if the pictures that they take on our dime are reprinted without their permission, as if they own them, is another petty rule that have no basis in scripture, as the church should be governed. No wonder so many people have had enough of organized religion and are abandoning it in their millions.
Those that are constantly looking for enemies to Christianity, look no further. They are the ones who profess to be leaders of Christians.