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Need to be Greek?
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Unlike people from other nations, the majority of our compatriots – those of the Orthodox Christian persuasion – seem to prefer to be considered ‘Greek’ or ‘Greek Cypriot’, as opposed to simply ‘Cypriot’. (Though in their own language they would proudly declare themselves ‘Gibrei’.)
We think there are a number of reasons for this need to be Greek.
First, security and identity. After centuries of foreign oppression, Cypriots have understandably wanted to affirm an attachment to what they perceive to be a greater, more glorious, stronger grouping. Now of course, at long last, we are attached to a wider community, where Cypriots – of all persuasions – can be European.
Then there’s religion. But it should be noted that the Church of Cyprus, like that of Russia, is actually autocephalous within the family of Orthodox Churches. Indeed Cyprus was the first Roman province to convert to Christianity.
What about language? After all, most of us speak Greek (or something akin to it). But do Americans regard themselves as English? Do Austrians want to be seen as Germans? And weren’t all Cypriots happy to speak the principal vernacular of Cyprus before division took root?
How about culture? But if we’re honest there’s little to distinguish traditional ‘Greek Cypriot’ and ‘Turkish Cypriot’ culture and values. (OK, one group may eat less pork for religious reasons, but then some people ‘go the whole hog’ these days and become vegetarians!)
Ethnicity? This is almost certainly wrong on genetic grounds. The frequent appeals to both communities for bone marrow donors show Cypriots share more genes with each other than with the populations of either Greece or Turkey. We look the same, for goodness sake!
History? But which history do we go for? Cyprus has been inhabited for over 9,000 years and has been occupied by almost every significant power in the region and beyond. The island hasn’t been part of a Greek state for the best part of a thousand years – that’s if you count the Byzantine Empire, which at the time described itself as Roman. Perhaps it’s time to move on and be ourselves.
Finally, we come to nationalism – a need to emphasise our supposed difference from Cypriots with a Muslim background. But doesn’t needing to be ‘Greek’ cause our Muslim compatriots to need to be ‘Turkish’? And if some of us must look to Greece, aren’t others forced to look to Turkey? But what if we were both simply ‘Cypriot’ and looked to Europe and the world?
Will we ever learn that only the need to be Cypriot can truly unite us and our homeland? And isn’t unity what we all want?
There. By now, people on both sides are probably upset. Unless perhaps, like us, they’re on the Cypriot side.
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© Cypriot Academy
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