Cyprus-Forum.com

[zan]

Of course that is the impression you want to leave Zan. The truth is quite different. But still, when have you ever let the small matter of the truth get in the way.

HUH!!!! Please explain!!

[Simon]

Excellent post Magnus. Completely agree.

I also agree with you Kurupetos. I was aware of this, I was querying the 1921 date. I think it was an attempt by Miltiades to mislead people.

[miltiades]

There are not only two peoples in Cyprus Miltiades, there are more than two peoples, nobody has ever denied this. In fact it says as much in our Constitution. The problem lies with the two nations. This we do not accept.

Simon , when one refers to two peoples one generaly means the two main "communities " .

I'm pleased that you underline the need to reject the notion of two nations , something that I find utterly repulsive.
You must surely be aware of historical facts that say Greece was offered Cyprus by Britain but rejected the offer because the offer was conditional to Greece entering the Balkan wars .

[kurupetos]

Excellent post Magnus. Completely agree.

I also agree with you Kurupetos. I was aware of this, I was querying the 1921 date. I think it was an attempt by Miltiades to mislead people.

Surprise! Surprise!

[Simon]

Miltiades, I am aware of this, my point was that GCs accept that there are two peoples on Cyprus.

Secondly, i think you are confusing dates. There was no Balkan war in 1921 as far as I am aware. In any event, Greece did enter the Balkan wars.

[miltiades]

The people that carry the Greek flags don't carry them because they want Enosis. They carry them because we are ethnically Greek and some of us aren't going to forget that. Much as some people would love us to become some watered-down generic 'Cypriot' that's not going to happen.

The Turks aren't going to stop having their affiliation to Turkey, so why the hell should we turn our backs on Hellenism?

You're living in a dream world if you think we are going to give up our heritage. Fair enough you don't want the same national anthem but what next? Should we drop the Greek language and only use English? Maybe drop our religion too? How about we wipe Cyprus clean of all 'Greek' references? It's bad enough the Turks are doing that to our lands in the North without us doing it in the Republic or elsewhere.

I've been persecuted for having a Greek name, my religion and my 'foreign' culture by Brits and still not turned my back on it and become 'English'. I'll be damned if I'm going to give it up now because you or anyone else wants me to.

Magnus for God sake man no one is suggesting that we drop the Greek language , any more than any one is suggesting that the Yanks drop the English language along with the Australians and Kiwis.
I find rather odd when you say that you have been PERSECUTED !! for having a Greek name , persecuted by whom mate , because I have a Greek name and my children have Greek names but have never felt persecuted , do elaborate a little more please.
I think that those who can not stand up as Cypriots first suffer from an inferiority complex and feel that only by the inclusion of Greek in their persona do they alleviate this complex.
Here is one Cypriot who is proud of his ancestry who incidentally were all Cypriots not Kalamarades !!

[zan]

Still the man doesn't realise that he is backing a regime that is not Cypriot but a Greek one.

[miltiades]

Excellent post Magnus. Completely agree.

I also agree with you Kurupetos. I was aware of this, I was querying the 1921 date. I think it was an attempt by Miltiades to mislead people.

Surprise! Surprise!

The year is wrong , the event was not !!
Will search for the correct year .

[Simon]

I think you are talking about the World War, which Greece eventually did enter. I think attacking Greece for not entering a World War at Britain's request, especially having regard to the fact that Britiain would have likely reneged on its promise anyway is a bit rich Miltiades. Especially as you have often so vehemently talked against war on this forum.

[Magnus]

Magnus for God sake man no one is suggesting that we drop the Greek language , any more than any one is suggesting that the Yanks drop the English language along with the Australians and Kiwis.
I find rather odd when you say that you have been PERSECUTED !! for having a Greek name , persecuted by whom mate , because I have a Greek name and my children have Greek names but have never felt persecuted , do elaborate a little more please.
I think that those who can not stand up as Cypriots first suffer from an inferiority complex and feel that only by the inclusion of Greek in their persona do they alleviate this complex.
Here is one Cypriot who is proud of his ancestry who incidentally were all Cypriots not Kalamarades !!

I am truly glad that neither you nor your children have suffered some of the things I have. I wont go into too much detail but I will give you a few highlights.

I grew up on a council estate in a nasty part of London. The 'English' kids basically hated anything and anyone that sounded 'foreign' to them, having been taught to despise anyone different by their football thug fathers. The fathers had no problem with shouting abuse at 'foreigners' even us children, and obviously their kids picked up on it.

The kids used to roam the streets in gangs, looking for foreigners to beat up, and I mean proper violence, not just kids having a little scrap. There was hardly a week went by without someone getting stabbed or beaten up so bad they ended up in hospital, not to mention all the muggings etc.
I've been threatened with knives and bottles and had to fight bullies off more times than you've said 'plonker'. One time they tried to throw me and an Asian friend of mine off a second storey balcony.

I've had bricks thrown at me or through the window, even had someone try to set fire to the flat. That wasn't much fun.

I've had gangs of Turkish kids try to beat me up on three occasions because 'he's Greek'. They were waiting outside the Greek School I used to go to and waiting for someone walking home on their own instead of picked up by parents. I was the lucky victim.

I've been on the same marches as you and had the great British public shout insults and mockery. I've been told to 'get out of our country' (and assorted variations of the phrase) more times than I can recall.

These days it's not so bad because I don't live in places like that anymore and don't come into contact with those type of people. The worst I have to put up with are the snide comments about having 'a foreign name' and 'why don't you translate it into the English version'. No big deal.

I'd say that's a fair level of persecution. I know it's a part of inner city life for many people, and some of my non-English friends have had far worse. Neither do I blame all Brits for my experiences at the hands of the uneducated underclass, but I think you can see why I'm not giving up on who I am.

I love Cyprus because every time I go there I am made to feel like I belong. I get treated the same in Greece and whenever I meet Greeks. If I can be threatened for being Greek and made to feel welcome for being Greek, then why should I deny being Greek?