The Good Cause In Cyprus
The newspaper articles, cited below,use very familiar , to those of us living in multicultural democracies, newspeak in reporting this incident. Notice the "hate" refs and other such absurdities ,such as , the use of the "neo-nazi" moniker, and mis-identifying the Meandros, an age old Hellenic symbol,and Golden Dawn's symbol, as a swastika, both are symbols that are decorating,ironically, countless structures in Greece and, indeed, all over the Western world.
In any case, I wanted to make a note on how they zero in on this policeman's alleged membership in the political faction Golden Dawn. I would like to know if the leadership of this faction at the executive level was consulted during this bar brawl. Of course not. This was a spur of the moment incident.
If this guy was a member of a democratic party, or even politically un-affiliated, would it have made any news? Would the newspapers or parties care?
In my experiences with Cypriots (all leftists) in college they related to me many, many bloody brawls with drunken Englishmen. The government and media are never consulted over these commonplace incidents. Yet a fight with a precious Turk is "hate" and becomes a major political incident.
We must also wonder what precedent this sets for our future? If Cyprus accepts fully the bi-zonal plans,and Turks intermingle with us, this would also mean a Turk could insult you, if you are Greek Orthodox, with impunity. By law,you must meekly bow your head and take it. To do otherwise is "hate"
I only wish more and more, knowing the Cypriots, such incidents happen, with such consequences . It will inevitably only give us more martyrs and more converts to our good cause....a Free Cyprus For Greeks.
[1] Ultra-nationalist group in the dock after Turkish Cypriot beaten
[2] Man faces hate charge over assault on Turkish Cypriot
[3] Police need to crack down on neo-Nazis
(Reproduced For Fair Use And Educational Purposes)
[1] http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=21147&cat_id=1
Ultra-nationalist group in the dock after Turkish Cypriot beaten
By George Psyllides
DISY and EDEK yesterday condemned an ultra-nationalist group believed to be behind the "barbaric" beating of a Turkish and a Greek Cypriot at a Nicosia caf? on Friday evening.
Police arrested a 28-year-old former police officer in connection with the incident. He was remanded in custody for four days on Saturday.
The man is thought to be a member of the Cyprus branch of Greek ultra- nationalist party Chrysi Avgi (Golden Dawn).
According to reports, the two men, who were with a group of other friends, were attacked and beaten after it transpired that one of them was Turkish Cypriot.
The suspect and those with him then left the caf?.
Police, who were notified immediately, managed to track down and arrest the suspect at his home in the early morning hours of Saturday.
However, the suspect is understood to be presenting the incident as a misunderstanding, which had nothing to do with the fact that one of the victims was a Turkish Cypriot.
According to one source, he claims the two groups were sitting next to each other at the caf?; the others were speaking in English and at one point the Greek and Turkish Cypriot pointed and laughed towards the suspect and his friends, sparking the altercation.
Reports said the suspect asked them why they were speaking in English and he was told it was because their friend – the Turkish Cypriot – was Lebanese.
It is understood that the suspect will claim he did not know the man was a Turkish Cypriot.
A police spokesman told the Cyprus Mail yesterday that no further arrests were expected.
An eyewitness to the incident yesterday refused to speak.
The suspect is expected to be charged with assault and inflicting actual bodily harm.
DISY yesterday urged the government to look into the incident without delay and take all necessary action to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
The opposition party said it was concerned by the "Nazi organisation's" recent activity and charged the government with showing unacceptable tolerance towards it.
EDEK described Chrysi Avgi as a racist and fascist organisation, which offended the democratic feelings of the people.
"It cultivates a climate of chauvinism, blind fanaticism, xenophobia and racism," a party statement said.
The party condemned the "barbaric and racist" attack, adding that it had submitted the matter for discussion in parliament.
Chrysi Avgi claims to be a popular nationalist movement, which puts the national interest above all.
According to its website, it is against globalisation and the repression of society's weaker groups while it claims to protect the people's interests and social justice.
Its symbol is based on the Nazi swastika.
(Reproduced For Fair Use And Educational Purposes)
[2] http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=21228&cat_id=1
Man faces hate charge over assault on Turkish Cypriot
A 28-year-old Nicosia man arrested in connection with the beating of a Greek and a Turkish Cypriot, was on Wednesday charged with inciting hostility between the two communities.
The man, a former police officer thought to be a member of the Cyprus branch of Greek ultra-nationalist party Chrysi Avghi (Golden Dawn), is facing four charges Ö three in relation to a July 29 incident in a cafe in Nicosia and one regarding a similar incident in Troodos on
March 13.
The man, who was released on Wednesday after remaining in custody for four days, was arrested hours after the two complainants reported last Friday's incident to police.
According to reports, the two men, who were in a group with other friends, were attacked and beaten after it became known that one of them was a Turkish Cypriot.
Police, who were notified immediately, managed to track down and arrest the suspect at his home in the early morning hours of Saturday.
The man was charged with assaulting and causing actual bodily harm to the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot; engaging in an action with intention to incite hostility between the two communities and common assault and disturbance.
He was also charged with assaulting and causing actual bodily harm to a Turkish Cypriot on March 13 in Troodos.
The prosecution requested that the man remain in custody until the start of his trial on September 16.
His defence however objected, arguing that a simple incident had been politicized by the media and political party officials.
The court rejected the prosecution's request, stressing the absence of the necessary conditions to justify the man's detainment.
He was released on £2,000 bail.
(Reproduced For Fair Use And Educational Purposes)
[3] http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=21176&cat_id=1
Police need to crack down on neo-Nazis
IT WAS ENCOURAGING to hear all the political parties taking an unequivocal stand against the attack on a Turkish Cypriot man by a group of Greek Cypriot thugs belonging to the tiny neo-Nazi group Chrysis Avgi (Golden Dawn). All the parties have a moral obligation to condemn such despicable, racist behaviour, which could easily veer out of control if it is not dealt with immediately. A clear message by all the political parties, the government and the media, spelling out that our society would not tolerate such behaviour is an important first step.
The attack was unprovoked and took place in a Nicosia cafe. One of the neo-Nazis asked why a group of four men were speaking in English and when he was told that one of them could not speak Greek, he demanded to be told his nationality. When he realised that one man
was a Turkish Cypriot he was joined by another five thugs who started beating up their victim. A Greek Cypriot friend of the Turkish Cypriot was also attacked and beaten up. A 28-year-old former policeman was arrested in connection with the assault and remanded in custody for four days.
In fairness, this was an isolated incident - the first violent attack against a Turkish Cypriot since the opening of the checkpoints more than two years ago Ö and it had a positive element in that a Greek Cypriot stood up and defended him when the neo-Nazis attacked him.
Yet the authorities cannot afford to be complacent because it was an isolated incident. They should remain vigilant and keep a close watch of these neo-Nazis because they are a threat to our security and the efforts to improve the climate between the two communities. Nobody
can rule out the possibility that next time one of these brainless fanatics would pull out a knife.
Some could argue that by making a big fuss about Chrysi Avgi, the media and the authorities were bringing attention to it, and that the best way to deal with neo-Nazis was to marginalise them. This may be a legitimate point, but the problem is that nobody knows how many
there are or how well-organised they are. That is something that the police or the secret services should investigate, in order to establish whether the group could pose a threat to our society. It may just be that there are a dozen bigots pretending to be active neo- Nazis.
This is why it is important to find out more about Chrysi Avgi. And we hope none of the self-appointed human rights champions start claiming that the police would be violating the rights of the neo- Nazis by investigating their activities. Now that the racists have shown their true intentions, the police have an obligation to carry out an investigation.
In any case, I wanted to make a note on how they zero in on this policeman's alleged membership in the political faction Golden Dawn. I would like to know if the leadership of this faction at the executive level was consulted during this bar brawl. Of course not. This was a spur of the moment incident.
If this guy was a member of a democratic party, or even politically un-affiliated, would it have made any news? Would the newspapers or parties care?
In my experiences with Cypriots (all leftists) in college they related to me many, many bloody brawls with drunken Englishmen. The government and media are never consulted over these commonplace incidents. Yet a fight with a precious Turk is "hate" and becomes a major political incident.
We must also wonder what precedent this sets for our future? If Cyprus accepts fully the bi-zonal plans,and Turks intermingle with us, this would also mean a Turk could insult you, if you are Greek Orthodox, with impunity. By law,you must meekly bow your head and take it. To do otherwise is "hate"
I only wish more and more, knowing the Cypriots, such incidents happen, with such consequences . It will inevitably only give us more martyrs and more converts to our good cause....a Free Cyprus For Greeks.
[1] Ultra-nationalist group in the dock after Turkish Cypriot beaten
[2] Man faces hate charge over assault on Turkish Cypriot
[3] Police need to crack down on neo-Nazis
(Reproduced For Fair Use And Educational Purposes)
[1] http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=21147&cat_id=1
Ultra-nationalist group in the dock after Turkish Cypriot beaten
By George Psyllides
DISY and EDEK yesterday condemned an ultra-nationalist group believed to be behind the "barbaric" beating of a Turkish and a Greek Cypriot at a Nicosia caf? on Friday evening.
Police arrested a 28-year-old former police officer in connection with the incident. He was remanded in custody for four days on Saturday.
The man is thought to be a member of the Cyprus branch of Greek ultra- nationalist party Chrysi Avgi (Golden Dawn).
According to reports, the two men, who were with a group of other friends, were attacked and beaten after it transpired that one of them was Turkish Cypriot.
The suspect and those with him then left the caf?.
Police, who were notified immediately, managed to track down and arrest the suspect at his home in the early morning hours of Saturday.
However, the suspect is understood to be presenting the incident as a misunderstanding, which had nothing to do with the fact that one of the victims was a Turkish Cypriot.
According to one source, he claims the two groups were sitting next to each other at the caf?; the others were speaking in English and at one point the Greek and Turkish Cypriot pointed and laughed towards the suspect and his friends, sparking the altercation.
Reports said the suspect asked them why they were speaking in English and he was told it was because their friend – the Turkish Cypriot – was Lebanese.
It is understood that the suspect will claim he did not know the man was a Turkish Cypriot.
A police spokesman told the Cyprus Mail yesterday that no further arrests were expected.
An eyewitness to the incident yesterday refused to speak.
The suspect is expected to be charged with assault and inflicting actual bodily harm.
DISY yesterday urged the government to look into the incident without delay and take all necessary action to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
The opposition party said it was concerned by the "Nazi organisation's" recent activity and charged the government with showing unacceptable tolerance towards it.
EDEK described Chrysi Avgi as a racist and fascist organisation, which offended the democratic feelings of the people.
"It cultivates a climate of chauvinism, blind fanaticism, xenophobia and racism," a party statement said.
The party condemned the "barbaric and racist" attack, adding that it had submitted the matter for discussion in parliament.
Chrysi Avgi claims to be a popular nationalist movement, which puts the national interest above all.
According to its website, it is against globalisation and the repression of society's weaker groups while it claims to protect the people's interests and social justice.
Its symbol is based on the Nazi swastika.
(Reproduced For Fair Use And Educational Purposes)
[2] http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=21228&cat_id=1
Man faces hate charge over assault on Turkish Cypriot
A 28-year-old Nicosia man arrested in connection with the beating of a Greek and a Turkish Cypriot, was on Wednesday charged with inciting hostility between the two communities.
The man, a former police officer thought to be a member of the Cyprus branch of Greek ultra-nationalist party Chrysi Avghi (Golden Dawn), is facing four charges Ö three in relation to a July 29 incident in a cafe in Nicosia and one regarding a similar incident in Troodos on
March 13.
The man, who was released on Wednesday after remaining in custody for four days, was arrested hours after the two complainants reported last Friday's incident to police.
According to reports, the two men, who were in a group with other friends, were attacked and beaten after it became known that one of them was a Turkish Cypriot.
Police, who were notified immediately, managed to track down and arrest the suspect at his home in the early morning hours of Saturday.
The man was charged with assaulting and causing actual bodily harm to the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot; engaging in an action with intention to incite hostility between the two communities and common assault and disturbance.
He was also charged with assaulting and causing actual bodily harm to a Turkish Cypriot on March 13 in Troodos.
The prosecution requested that the man remain in custody until the start of his trial on September 16.
His defence however objected, arguing that a simple incident had been politicized by the media and political party officials.
The court rejected the prosecution's request, stressing the absence of the necessary conditions to justify the man's detainment.
He was released on £2,000 bail.
(Reproduced For Fair Use And Educational Purposes)
[3] http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=21176&cat_id=1
Police need to crack down on neo-Nazis
IT WAS ENCOURAGING to hear all the political parties taking an unequivocal stand against the attack on a Turkish Cypriot man by a group of Greek Cypriot thugs belonging to the tiny neo-Nazi group Chrysis Avgi (Golden Dawn). All the parties have a moral obligation to condemn such despicable, racist behaviour, which could easily veer out of control if it is not dealt with immediately. A clear message by all the political parties, the government and the media, spelling out that our society would not tolerate such behaviour is an important first step.
The attack was unprovoked and took place in a Nicosia cafe. One of the neo-Nazis asked why a group of four men were speaking in English and when he was told that one of them could not speak Greek, he demanded to be told his nationality. When he realised that one man
was a Turkish Cypriot he was joined by another five thugs who started beating up their victim. A Greek Cypriot friend of the Turkish Cypriot was also attacked and beaten up. A 28-year-old former policeman was arrested in connection with the assault and remanded in custody for four days.
In fairness, this was an isolated incident - the first violent attack against a Turkish Cypriot since the opening of the checkpoints more than two years ago Ö and it had a positive element in that a Greek Cypriot stood up and defended him when the neo-Nazis attacked him.
Yet the authorities cannot afford to be complacent because it was an isolated incident. They should remain vigilant and keep a close watch of these neo-Nazis because they are a threat to our security and the efforts to improve the climate between the two communities. Nobody
can rule out the possibility that next time one of these brainless fanatics would pull out a knife.
Some could argue that by making a big fuss about Chrysi Avgi, the media and the authorities were bringing attention to it, and that the best way to deal with neo-Nazis was to marginalise them. This may be a legitimate point, but the problem is that nobody knows how many
there are or how well-organised they are. That is something that the police or the secret services should investigate, in order to establish whether the group could pose a threat to our society. It may just be that there are a dozen bigots pretending to be active neo- Nazis.
This is why it is important to find out more about Chrysi Avgi. And we hope none of the self-appointed human rights champions start claiming that the police would be violating the rights of the neo- Nazis by investigating their activities. Now that the racists have shown their true intentions, the police have an obligation to carry out an investigation.
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