'Cyprus problem is fuelling racism'

Hector


Joined: 26/08/2008
Posts: 2352

Message Posted:
04/08/2010 13:31

Article in The Guardian



Does this exist on both sides of the island?



http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/aug/03/cyprus-problem-fuelling-racism

wanderer


Joined: 05/02/2009
Posts: 1653

Message Posted:
04/08/2010 14:29

Hector not a bad article according to the papers in Cyprus the UN closed the border on the 20/7 because of the actions of those revolting GC racists to stop problems spilling over

Hector


Joined: 26/08/2008
Posts: 2352

Message Posted:
04/08/2010 16:03

Have expats in the north experienced any racism?

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
04/08/2010 16:27

You only have to visit any island in the Med and ask them local inhabitants what they think about their mainland neighbours to know that this is not a uniquely Cyprus issue...



Islanders are by their nature isolationist and wary of other nations. This is endemic and probably arises from many centuries of effort repelling attacks from outsiders. The psyche of an island race can't help but be affected by this deep seated and ingrained phobia. To an extent it's still reinforced to this day by the propaganda still allowed to muddy the waters and cast blame on 'them'....



Have we experienced any real racial hatred No not in the north, but I'm sure if we went to the south and started a rally in support of Turkish Cypriot Human Rights (of which there are none) we would soon get a pretty firm inkling of what real racism is like.

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
04/08/2010 16:29

cont...



Have we experienced any racism? Well I suppose it depends on how much differently you are treated as a result of your ethnic origin you think would qualify as racism... If you have to pay more or less for goods or services depending on your ethnicity then at it's lowest level this is racial discrimination... is it racial hatred? No, I don't think it is.

cyprusairsoft



Joined: 22/06/2009
Posts: 2066

Message Posted:
04/08/2010 16:43

good posts groucho



my cypriot builder discriminates against asians for some reason

yet he likes other foreigners strange really

mmmmmm



Joined: 19/12/2008
Posts: 8398

Message Posted:
05/08/2010 09:29

This is NOT intended as some sort of 'excuse' for racist behaviour..



The 'rump' RoC has had FAR more asylum seekers - proportionately - than any other EU state...



In their time they have had British , Lebanese, Russian speakers and then the EU folk arrive and settle and I think they were far more tolerant of this immigration that ( say) the UK would be.



Some might point out that these folk brought in revenue and they may have a point..





I'm wasn't happy with families importing folk from Sri Lanka / Bangladesh to do their housework - I hope a minimum wage - but they were 'happy' to get the work - a lady working in CY might spend FIVE years away and send her money home to support the whole family !



Petty Crime was never an issue in CY when I arrived.. folk left their cars open, mobile phone, handbags on display and doors to apartments open - even in the middle of Lima(s)sol... that was less than 10 years ago



Sadly, those days have gone..

girne


Joined: 14/01/2009
Posts: 438

Message Posted:
05/08/2010 10:12

Reading the article it states Cyprus, you must remember it is a divided island and the ELAM is a greek nationalist party and the incidents happened in the South not in the North. The picture has nothing to do with the incidents as you can see it was written by a greek journalist so she has used old photos.



The attacks on the Asians and the Nigerians took place on the South.

This is due to a lot of illegal and legal immigration to the South since they joined Europe.



North Cyprus is more in line with this and as you know this is the reason the English have to show they have enough money to live on as there are no hand outs here.



PLease do not confuse the South withe North of the island

Troodo


Joined: 12/06/2008
Posts: 1002

Message Posted:
05/08/2010 10:27

msg 4.

Groucho, you are quite right but most do not scream holeyer than thou to the whole world.



Patientia est a donum superum

tamand


Joined: 23/07/2009
Posts: 240

Message Posted:
05/08/2010 11:30

Hi

Groucho mess 4

" islanders are by their nature isolationist and wary of other nations"

This maybe explains why the Brits are the way they are, oops lol

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
05/08/2010 12:01

tamand,



To an extent I'm sure you are right.. although the UK has a longer history of racial integration than many other European countries.

ilovecyprus


Joined: 08/05/2007
Posts: 2880

Message Posted:
08/08/2010 13:11

Interesting article. Thanks for sharing it. I agree with many of the good comments on here.



I am not sure there is a strong correlation though between an island and racism. Islands by their very nature may be more immune to diversity, however i think with modern day islands there are other factors involved. I can think of several large mainland countries who show signs of racism. In fact, the one with the biggest land mass gives the Roma gypsies a very hard time. I think they ordered 30,000 of its ethnic inhabitants to leave the country. Thankfully they were taken in by the the United States. Racism has more to do with emotional maturity than land size.



Another factor is that you need strong judicial rule to ensure racism is nipped in the bud. Of course, we know that law enforcement is not the Cypriots strongest point. Not unless one owns a property in the North then the souths judicial system shows remarkable efficiency.

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
08/08/2010 15:44

Is being charged more for a meal than a local, racism?

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
08/08/2010 16:05

It depends on whether you are of a different ethnicity than the 'local'....



I can't tell.



It may be discrimination, I think there is a rather significant difference between racial discrimination and racial hatred.

Hector


Joined: 26/08/2008
Posts: 2352

Message Posted:
08/08/2010 20:00

Is being treated differently by the TRNC police/legal system not racism?

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
08/08/2010 20:02

Of course it is.. they just don't do it out of malice but merely because they all do. If they ever are part of the EU they have a very rude awakening coming.