IT IS inconceivable that the head of a religious organisation could align himself so publicly with a group advocating a racially homogenous nation, echoing similar sentiments to the ethnic purity sought by Hitler’s National Socialists which wreaked havoc on the world.
And yet that is exactly what the head of the Church of Cyprus, Archbishop Chrysostomos II, did in an interview with Kathimerini over the Christmas weekend. The day after its publication, the archbishop confirmed that he really sees eye to eye on a number of issues with the nationalist group ELAM (National People’s Front), specifying this was not limited to illegal immigration.
This is the same group advocating a ‘Greek Cyprus’ (putting to bed any support for a bizonal, bicommunal federation), for all illegal immigrants to be summarily deported and has as one of its mottos: “Every foreigner equals one unemployed Greek”.
Its members wear black uniforms and have reported links to neo-Nazi groups in Germany and Greece. Not wishing to dwell on fashion styles, but a comparison with Mussolini’s Blackshirts is not wholly unwarranted.
From its website, it appears the nationalist group is utilising the economic crisis to widen its support base, purposefully confusing asylum seekers on unemployment benefits with illegal immigrants who have no legal status on the island, to highlight the “high life” all foreigners are living at the expense of Greek Cypriots. And this at a time when the government has managed to reduce the number of asylum seekers to one of the lowest levels since 2004.
ELAM is in esteemed company here. Apart from the archbishop, a number of MPs have also voiced similar concerns and recreated similar distortions from the House of Representatives.
The primate’s public support for ELAM, just months before parliamentary elections and at a time when racist incidents have spiralled, is a clear indication that Chrysostomos knows very well about political interference and blurring the lines between Church and State.
In the last two months, we have seen black-clad youths beat up civilians on the premise they thought the victims were foreign; anti-migrant protestors clash with anti-racists, resulting in the stabbing of a Turkish Cypriot; and 500 APOEL hooligans attack a visiting Turkish team.
Instead of calling for calm, cool heads and a spirit of tolerance within a democratic system that allows for sensible debate, the primate lent legitimacy to the views of a far-right nationalist organisation…on the eve of ELAM’s anti-migrant march in Larnaca last night.
Having spent his time as primate pushing for a European solution in Cyprus based on human rights, does his latest admission reflect an understanding of the prevalent thinking in Europe or is Chrysostomos wide off the mark?
