With reference to a letter addressed by Mr Davis published in your paper of the 12/6/09, I find that it warrants an urgent handling, not so much for its contents, but for the effects that these extreme views might lead to.
Mr Davis’ opinion on the Cypriot President, the Cyprus Courts, the “corrupt” Cyprus Government are most objectionable. These sorts of careless expressions, will definitely provoke local sensitivities and God knows where these may lead. I have addressed a similar warning to other foreign pressure groups (which admittedly are far more tactful than Mr Davis).
We are now “having” a declaration by government officials “whether these people have other goals”, and other organisations expressing the view that the Turkish-occupied Cyprus regime is behind this. It will take only one local or foreign hooligan to start something ugly. For this reason and whereas everybody is free to express his opinion, it needs tact and care.
Mr Davis in another letter refers to a Cyprus that “rewards failure and corruption”, and accuses the Cyprus government of “being involved with the developers and the banks, and only “foreign intervention” (usually in Cyprus this expression is related to the Turkish invasion) will “sort the matter out”, and insists that he has every right to have a placard stating “shame Mr President”.
I wonder why Mr Davis who says he lives in Droushia does not emigrate to another country which has all sorts of correct laws and judiciary. If he refers to the UK, I wish to remind him of the recent fraud by MPs and Lords who fiddled their expenses – 11 resigned so far including the speaker of the House – the gay judge who is under investigation as to whether his court decisions were affected by his boyfriend, and the non attendance of 48 per cent of the Lords and MPs.
I always try through the press, to stress to everybody not to project views on a ‘them and us’ basis, because this might provoke reactions of the likes of the 1988 Limassol riots against Arab residents. I do not want to repeat the warning of Enoch Powell – the vice chairman of the conservative party at the time – regarding the ‘coloured community’ in the UK, and ‘rivers of blood’, since I find this is an extreme position, but, then sure enough Powell’s predictions came to pass one year later.
The problems with titles are common and there is only ‘us’ and not ‘you and us’, and local sensitivities must be taken into account and different opinions – being in a free country – can be expressed freely, but they must be handled in a non provocative manner.
A.P. Loizou
