erolz3 wrote:Malapapa wrote:Well in the same way that the enosis aspiration is now dead, so too must the apartheid system represented by the 1960's constitution, which we must be mindful of in any new BBF so as to ensure there is no perpetuation of this racism.
The problem is that whilst enosis is dead, the underpinning belief behind it, namely that GC acting not as Cypriots but as Greeks have every right to impose anything they like on TC in Cyprus with no regard for TC wishes, either because there are more of them or because they are the 'real' cypriots is certainly not dead as far as I can see.
Perhaps then a 'real' Cypriot is one won't impose "anything they like" on minority communities; who treats them with respect, embracing them as equals.
The treatment of minority Cypriot communities in the north since 1974 (leaving aside the majority Greek Orthodox Christians with whom TCs have a particular gripe) has been appalling. In the free areas, while by no means perfect, their treatment has been far more civilised, and they enjoy prominent positions in government and other areas of life.
What is the undepinning belief for why Maronites, Armenians et al have been treated so horrendously in the north? Is it simply because these minorities are of a Christian background? And might this have something to do with why TCs wishes aren't held in particular high regard.
erolz3 wrote:That remains a very real and current issue for me and a concern for me as a TC as evidence by many of the GC posters here.
Whilst I hear what you say about avoiding racism in any future solution and have much sympathy for the ideal things are not quite so black and white to me. Positive discrimination is racist yet I believe in all sorts of situations it can and is an approriate means of addressing real issues.
Given the history of Cyprus I do not believe we can get to the ideal of a unitary state in Cyprus where it really does not matter if you are GC, TC or any other sort of Cypriot, from where we are today without some some sort of 'transition period' where the TC have a degree of political equality as a community. Whether you want to consider such a necessary form of 'positive discrimination' or an expression of TC rights as a people, as far as GC choose to define and behave as a people that excludes TC does not really matter to me.
For me that degree of political equality does not have to my community an equal say as communites on EVERY issue, but it does have to give equality to the communites on issues that are commual in their very nature. That is on issues where you 'vote' one way or another based on if you are GC or TC, or to put it another way on issues that affect you differently if you are a GC or a TC. That to me is the minimum requirement for political equality needed so we can move from where we are today to the goal of a unitary Cypriot state and people.
If we can not accept this necessity then I do not think a solution is possible , whether you label the opposition to accepting such as being 'anti racist' or not.
Perhaps positive discrimination, carefully administered, has some validity, for a clearly defined period (although I personally have my doubts as to whether this works in practice as it simply creates resentment and therefore, potentially, more discrimination).
However, TCs have shown their singular inability to respect other minorities and this is a real concern if they are to be positively discriminated against.
