{"id":7154,"date":"2023-02-10T11:47:29","date_gmt":"2023-02-10T08:47:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/penna.cydialogue.org\/?p=7154"},"modified":"2023-02-17T22:49:04","modified_gmt":"2023-02-17T19:49:04","slug":"devils-advocate-hope-died-in-the-rubble-of-reunification","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/penna.cydialogue.org\/devils-advocate-hope-died-in-the-rubble-of-reunification\/","title":{"rendered":"DEVIL’S ADVOCATE: HOPE DIED IN THE RUBBLE (OF REUNIFICATION)"},"content":{"rendered":"
Mari brought time to a standstill in 2011 <\/strong>and the 13 people who died continue to haunt not only memory but also practically every political discussion to this day.<\/strong> [Translator\u2019s note: reference to large munitions blast at the Evangelos Florakis Naval Base in Mari, Larnaca in July 2011<\/em>] Every untimely, sudden or unnatural death of a Greek Cypriot monopolises the news, causes fits of emotion or rage (if the death is a violent one), and sets off a frenzy of tears, love and solidarity on local social media with Facebook mourners working overtime. Basically, if a Greek Cypriot\u2019s nose starts to bleed in London or Melbourne, the event will become front-page news and everyone will wear themselves out sending online wishes for a speedy recovery.<\/strong><\/p>\n [Photo insert: Front page story from Turkish Cypriot news outlet with the headline \u2018Hope died in the rubble\u2019, accompanied by photos of Cypriots killed in the earthquake in Turkey<\/em>]<\/p>\n Forgive me for referring to \u2018Greek Cypriots\u2019, but you are well aware of the nature of our race: If Metaxas\u2019 victims did not include two young children to stir the emotions of the average racist (who responded with the classic \u201cwhat did the children ever do to him?\u201d – implying that their mothers must have done something to him for him to drown them) no one would have shed a single tear [Translator\u2019s note: reference to victims of serial killer Nikos Metaxas<\/em>], while the four Egyptians who burned to death outside [the<\/em> village of<\/em>] Odou after getting caught in the huge fire of the summer of 2021 were mentioned by only a portion of the media, after mentioning the burnt acres and pens. After. The. Fucking. Pens<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cFour lives were lost. Why hasn’t the universe come crashing down?\u201d I wrote in an article on the matter in those dark days of July. And I added, \u201cThat\u2019s a rhetorical question, because we know the answer: Egyptians.\u201d<\/p>\n So let\u2019s reiterate. So far, among the hundreds of people who lost their lives due to the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria are 34 Cypriots, including 22 of the 35 members of occupied Famagusta\u2019s volleyball team. Four were rescued, but for the rest \u201chope died in the rubble\u201d, as the headline of the front page of a T\/C news outlet pictured above states. Why didn\u2019t time come to a standstill? Why isn\u2019t the story monopolising the news? Why haven\u2019t election campaigns been put on hold with the candidates and their staffs expressing their indescribable grief by postponing all activity and appearances? Why don\u2019t supporters of the Democratic Rally just shut up about their first world problem of whether to vote for the renegade or the communists, and mourn the 34 dead Cypriots? (at least House Speaker Annita Demetriou had the sense to speak of \u201cour dead compatriots\u201d). Why doesn’t Anastasiades put a pin in his not-so-discreet attempt to appoint Christodoulides as his successor (presumably so that he can enjoy his old age in peace, without the fear of having to drag himself in the courtrooms with his Zimmer frame) and instead see what he can do as President of this wretched parody of a state to relieve the families of the victims? Why hasn’t a three-day mourning period been declared?<\/p>\n Again, we know why: Turkish Cypriots. Therefore, non-Cypriots. Therefore, we dump a sad emoji on Facebook and we’re in the clear.<\/p>\n This is what we\u2019ve been reduced to as a result of half a century of unyielding hatred, paranoia and suspicion towards the \u2018others\u2019, the \u2018so-called\u2019, the \u2018Turks\u2019, the \u2018enemies\u2019. How many opportunities have been lost? How many generations have been poisoned? We don’t even need official partition. The occupied areas and the Turkish Cypriots have by now become in the minds of most (and yes, I believe they are a majority) some distant, unknown country that is no more our concern than Djibouti or Haiti. Giving fodder to those rejectionists who do not want a federation with a \u201cforeign body\u201d. Because that’s essentially what it is. At least that’s the case for the official state that never considered T\/Cs to be equal citizens. And this was passed on to the people – by the media as well. Foreign bodies. Who may be right next to us but might as well be on the other side of the Atlantic.<\/p>\n As I write this, the newscaster of a private television channel is reporting the evening news. The earthquake is the third news item, after the internal party politics of DISY [Democratic Rally<\/em>] and the [presidential<\/em>] candidates\u2019 last messages. Fourth are the \u201ctouching contributions made by Cypriots\u201d to the earthquake victims of Turkey and Syria, that bad habit of making ourselves protagonists in other people\u2019s tragedies and giving ourselves a pat on the back while literally standing over the rubble (apparently the proverb about casting bread upon the waters is completely foreign to us). Not a single mention of the dead Turkish Cypriots. Nor that the island is in mourning.<\/p>\n Is this<\/em> the country we want to reunite? Perhaps Christodoulides and his rejectionist riff-raff are what we deserve after all. All hope was truly lost in the rubble\u2026<\/p>\n