Government promoting the ideas and example of Grivas instead of the culture of peaceful cohabitation

 

Statement of Christos Christofides, Head of the Education Bureau of the C.C. of AKEL,

Thursday, 19th November 2015, Nicosia

The attacks provoked by ultra-right students against Turkish Cypriots on Monday are further proof that the egg of the snake, namely fascism, is again hatching in our country. Fascism is being elevated, among other things, by political choices and the rhetoric of nationalists-chauvinists who are often in the public eye and sphere.

The government and ruling forces are not blameless. Instead of cultivating the culture of peaceful cohabitation of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots in our schools, a position that is at least officially the position of all political forces, they are promoting the ideology and example of Grivas and intolerance. A simple visit to the websites of all these ultra-right organizations involved in the attacks will demonstrate to everyone that Grivas’ ideology and example is their basic ideology.

The government and ruling forces, and especially the Ministry of Education, are behaving as if schools and our school students is their own protectorate, to impose their propaganda and political objectives. This is the reason why they are trying to impose their ideas in schools. This is the reason why they intervened undemocratically and wrongly to in effect appoint the new leadership of the All-Cyprus Coordinating Committee of School Students (PSEM). This oppressive and authoritarian mentality is not going to be tolerated.

We have been following over the past few days, an unacceptable and intense effort to load the fascist behavior – astonishingly – on the shoulders of the organized school student’s movement and school student organizations, ultimately targeting political parties as well.

Certain forces and circles want to exonerate and give a pardon to the ultra-right, either want to damage school student organizations, or want to cover up and hide their own serious responsibilities. Besides, undemocratic rhetoric against political parties was in the past and is today too enhancing and serving fascism’s objectives and plans.

We stress that exemplary demonstrations were organized, helping greatly in this negative climate, which conveyed the correct messages and proper behavior especially to the Turkish Cypriot community.