Paphitis wrote:Tim Drayton wrote:Get Real! wrote:Miltiades’ sheer hatred of Islam alone is enough to make coexistence with Turkish Cypriots IMPOSSIBLE!
Unless of course he was planning to baptize them Christian first!
Islam is a faith with well over a billion followers, the majority of whom are peaceful and moderate people. One has to distinguish between Islam in general and currents such as radical, political Islam or groups who commit extreme acts and attribute these to Islam. To condemn the latter does not imply condemnation of the former.
Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights reads:Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
This to me is a uiversal human value. If, in parts of the world, people are executed for apsotasy, this infringes on this basic human right and such a practice deserves to be condemned. Miltiades has rightly done this, and has criticised other excesses committed in the name of Islam.
Freedom of conscience is not threatened in the north of Cyprus. The idea that somebody could be executed there for apostasy is absurd. In my opinion, Islam as it is practised by Turkish Cypriots is wonderful. On the other hand, Islam as practised in Saudi Arabia is abhorrent. I am sure that Miltiades would agree with me.
All well and good apart from the fact that he calls Palestinians "savages" for trying to defend their rights and free themselves from the tyranny, genocide and human rights abuses for over half a century.
With such intelligentsia, how on earth can he hold is head up high and condemn the occupation of Cyprus. If it is OK for Israel to ethnically cleanse Palestinians into tiny enclaves, then by default it is OK for Turkey to ethnically cleanse Cypriots from Cyprus.
Such a shame you can't detect the hypocrisy.
Other than that, your post is a good one.
Certainly, although I respect his views, I disagree with Miltiades' stance on a great many global issues. Perhaps because I am an atheist I analyse these things in political rather than religious terms, and so perhaps do not perceive the hypocrisy that you seem to detect. Certain Western powers seem to want to return to the classic era of imperialism and are trampling on the rights of self determination of various peoples. These peoples are, quite rightly, resisting. The fact that most of these peoples are Muslims is to me co-incidental. Possibly I am missing something in so believing. Even so, I do not think that Miltiades is hostile to the majority of decent, peaceful people who consider themselves to be followers of Islam and also respect universal human rights. It is certainly absurd to brand him as anti-TC simply because he vocally opposes the excesses of militant Islam.
