Cyprus-Forum.com

[The Cypriot]

I sincerely don't understand the need to deny one's ethnicity in order to be considered Cypriot. Perhaps this is because I'm from America where I may celebrate my ethnic heritage without repercussion. I'm hoping you may help me to understand your point of view better.

Regards,
F~

Dear Filitsa, I refer you to a message on the Cypriot Academy website... and the site generally.

http://www.cypriotacademy.com/message.html

[DT.]

Aaahh ... teenagers! Well, they won't listen!

In my day, ishen na faun xilon du allu gosmu! Perhaps some laws need to be passed or tightened. Germany did, after WWII.....

The question is, who organised them?

EFEN (Ellinopsyxh fwnh ellhvwkyprion neon) is a group of around 30-40 high school students with a clubhouse in Nicosia which is paid for by the Archbishop.

Perhaps if our more left-wing and moderate youth were also active in condemning the invasion and reminding those crossing on these days that Turkey holds our land with its military there might not have been such a large vacuum for these fanatics to fill.

Perhaps if the President reminded everyone once in a while that this is a case of international invasion and occupation and not a "local Cypriot problem" then more Cypriot-flag holding demonstrators could have been out there.

Perhaps if Δεν Ξεχνω was not forgotten, seeing youths demonstrating would not have been such a rare sight.

Perhaps all this talk about gifting rotating presidencies and disproportional land and power to 11% of this country has sapped all our energy and has made us unwilling to face this problem anymore.

I don't know about you but these are the things that turn my stomach. Indifference and injustice....as for these fanatic idiots, I couldn't give a rats arse about them. Its the rest of us I'm worried about.

[miltiades]

I sincerely don't understand the need to deny one's ethnicity in order to be considered Cypriot. Perhaps this is because I'm from America where I may celebrate my ethnic heritage without repercussion. I'm hoping you may help me to understand your point of view better.

Regards,
F~

Dear Filitsa, I refer you to a message on the Cypriot Academy website... and the site generally.

http://www.cypriotacademy.com/message.html

Brilliant site , hope many more Cypriots visit the site .
Alkan is the well known T/C young journalist .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkan_%C3%87a%C4%9Flar

[DT.]

I sincerely don't understand the need to deny one's ethnicity in order to be considered Cypriot. Perhaps this is because I'm from America where I may celebrate my ethnic heritage without repercussion. I'm hoping you may help me to understand your point of view better.

Regards,
F~

Dear Filitsa, I refer you to a message on the Cypriot Academy website... and the site generally.

http://www.cypriotacademy.com/message.html

Brilliant site , hope many more Cypriots visit the site .
Alkan is the well known T/C young journalist .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkan_%C3%87a%C4%9Flar

http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.ph ... 1&cat_id=1

[The Cypriot]

The question is, who organised them?

EFEN (Ellinopsyxh fwnh ellhvwkyprion neon) is a group of around 30-40 high school students with a clubhouse in Nicosia which is paid for by the Archbishop.

Why am I not suprised?

Perhaps if our more left-wing and moderate youth were also active in condemning the invasion and reminding those crossing on these days that Turkey holds our land with its military there might not have been such a large vacuum for these fanatics to fill.

Unfortunately, left-wing and moderate youth are not as ideologically driven, nor as well resourced.

Perhaps if the President reminded everyone once in a while that this is a case of international invasion and occupation and not a "local Cypriot problem" then more Cypriot-flag holding demonstrators could have been out there.

I can see why he uses the strategy internationally as he endeavours to remove Turkey's interference and influence from the negotiating table; and of course he's aware that the invasion was precipitated by what Turkey always uses as the excuse for the invasion.

Perhaps if Δεν Ξεχνω was not forgotten, seeing youths demonstrating would not have been such a rare sight.

That requires organisation. And resources.

Perhaps all this talk about gifting rotating presidencies and disproportional land and power to 11% of this country has sapped all our energy and has made us unwilling to face this problem anymore.

I can see that.

[Filitsa]

The Cypriot will reply to your points no doubt Filitsa.

May I also make a point here.
To be a Cypriot first and foremost does not exclude being a Greek Cypriot , a Turkish Cypriot , Armenian Cypriot etc.
Your grandfather on his arrival in the USA did exactly what every other immigrant did . Looked for his own community , a perfectly understandable and natural selection. I doubt whether he ever denied that he was a Greek Cypriot and neither did any other immigrant.
The issue here is the fact that our island is now an independent island and where at the time your grandfather emigrated to the USA aspirations were alive and dreams were being encouraged of Enosis with Greece , today those aspiring and dreaming of Enosis are a tiny minority. We have been independent , or since the invasion a part of Cyprus at least , for almost 50 years. It is time to embrace our nation and time to reassess our commitment to our OWN nation and our own destiny as a nation made up of G/Cs T/Cs and many others , just as for instance the UK having English , Welsh Scottish etc.

As far as the Greek national anthem the matter is simple. It does not represent all Cypriots therefore it is not what to other nations their NA is , a uniting symbol , the opposite in fact is the result . It divides the people of Cyprus , time therefore to ditch it , time for a NA reflecting the Cypriot people .

I welcome your point, Miltiades, and I couldn't agree more with it, including your stance on the national anthem issue. Certainly these issues must be settled along the lines of nationality. It seems, however, that the varying cultural philosophies among Cypriots are what prevents this from happening.

Where my grandfather was concerned, he never denied his Cypriotness. I was raised to understand his cultural heritage as being Greek Cypriot, sharing Greek culture yet celebrating that which is unique to Cypriot culture, but never denying either. This was his reality. It's my understanding that, by the same token, he never denied the Turkish, Armenian, Latin, etc. Cypriots their reality. It seems to me that sovereignty created cultural chaos to the extent that many Cypriots feel forced to either deny or defend their cultural identity, moreso to one another than to the rest of the world. This is very confusing to me.

[Lit]

I sincerely don't understand the need to deny one's ethnicity in order to be considered Cypriot. Perhaps this is because I'm from America where I may celebrate my ethnic heritage without repercussion. I'm hoping you may help me to understand your point of view better.

Regards,
F~

Dear Filitsa, I refer you to a message on the Cypriot Academy website... and the site generally.

http://www.cypriotacademy.com/message.html

Brilliant site , hope many more Cypriots visit the site .
Alkan is the well known T/C young journalist .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkan_%C3%87a%C4%9Flar

http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.ph ... 1&cat_id=1

[Filitsa]

I sincerely don't understand the need to deny one's ethnicity in order to be considered Cypriot. Perhaps this is because I'm from America where I may celebrate my ethnic heritage without repercussion. I'm hoping you may help me to understand your point of view better.

Regards,
F~

Dear Filitsa, I refer you to a message on the Cypriot Academy website... and the site generally.

http://www.cypriotacademy.com/message.html

Actually, The Cypriot, I was acquainted with the site before you brought it to my attention earlier in another thread, and I've read through it more than once. It leaves me confused, which is why I look to you, a proponent of the the site's philosophy, to answer my questions and clarify my understanding.

[umit07]

I sincerely don't understand the need to deny one's ethnicity in order to be considered Cypriot. Perhaps this is because I'm from America where I may celebrate my ethnic heritage without repercussion. I'm hoping you may help me to understand your point of view better.

Regards,
F~

Dear Filitsa, I refer you to a message on the Cypriot Academy website... and the site generally.

http://www.cypriotacademy.com/message.html

Actually, The Cypriot, I was acquainted with the site before you brought it to my attention earlier in another thread, and I've read through it more than once. It leaves me confused, which is why I look to you, a proponent of the the site's philosophy, to answer my questions and clarify my understanding.

Glad, I'm not the only one confused with that site.

[Filitsa]

I sincerely don't understand the need to deny one's ethnicity in order to be considered Cypriot. Perhaps this is because I'm from America where I may celebrate my ethnic heritage without repercussion. I'm hoping you may help me to understand your point of view better.

Regards,
F~

Dear Filitsa, I refer you to a message on the Cypriot Academy website... and the site generally.

http://www.cypriotacademy.com/message.html

Actually, The Cypriot, I was acquainted with the site before you brought it to my attention earlier in another thread, and I've read through it more than once. It leaves me confused, which is why I look to you, a proponent of the the site's philosophy, to answer my questions and clarify my understanding.

Glad, I'm not the only one confused with that site.

What confuses you, Umit?