Sir,
I could not resist responding to all the letters about the Anorthosis fans and them having only Greek flags at the matches. I could not agree more! As I watched the game, I was torn between actually paying attention to the game and the plethora of Greek flags waving proudly amongst the fans!
Every time the TV cameras showed the Anorthosis fans carrying and waving all those flags, I was furious and somehow the ball lost its central focus to me. The “flag issue” is a long lasting one with me and every time I see any Cypriot event, be it in sports or any other, having only Greek flags waving it infuriates me.
Isn’t it bad enough that we do not have our own national anthem? (We are the only country with UN representation that does not have its own national anthem!) Must we represent our country with somebody else’s symbol? I know flags are just mere symbols but as such and since they do exist, I insist we show the correct one!
Why must we always carry this “inferiority complex” that everything Greek is better and stronger? Why? We should think of ourselves as Cypriots, first of all and then as Greek Cypriots. I am not putting down our heritage nor am against it. I am just against this eternal need to be Greek as if it were the cure for all evil… History has shown the contrary.
There is this tiny island in front of Fig Tree Bay and every summer a Greek flag is raised! As I swim in those wonderful waters, it is an eternal eyesore to see the Greek flag waving instead of the Cypriot one. I had fantasies of swimming to the island at night and secretly exchanging the flag for a Cypriot one. Why a Greek flag on a Cypriot beach? I wonder what some more aware tourists think? What message is this supposed to send? “Look we have the Greek flag waving so do not mess with us???”
This year the flag post is empty. Better this way than with the wrong flag. I wonder if the change in government had anything to do with this.
Rest assured though that it is not everyone on this island that has this type of mentality. I will be going to all three Champions League matches carrying a huge CYPRIOT flag and waving it proudly! Proud of my Greek heritage but most important of all, proud of being Cypriot! I hope many others join me.
Monica Gavrielides
