The generally amicable relationship among religious groups in Cypriot society has contributed to religious freedom, however there were a few reports of vandalism of religious sites and cemeteries, the US State Department International Religious Freedom Report 2005 on Cyprus said.
It noted that Greek Cypriots reported that unused Orthodox churches and cemeteries in the northern Turkish-occupied areas continued to be robbed and vandalized, and “the government maintained its claim that Orthodox icons had been smuggled out of the north,” the report said.
“The Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respects this right in practice,” the report said, adding that “Turkish Cypriots residing in the south and Greek Cypriots living in the north are allowed to practice their religions freely.”
The report said “the Government of Cyprus has constitutional or legal bars against religious discrimination” and that “missionaries have the legal right to proselytize, but the Government closely monitors missionary activity.”
According to the report, the Orthodox Church is suspicious of any attempts to proselytize among Greek Cypriots and closely monitors such activities.
“In March, the Government requested that an additional Cypriot Orthodox priest be assigned to minister to the Greek Cypriots living in the Karpas region of the (occupied) north,” it said.
The report noted that “Turkish Cypriot authorities agreed in principle to this request, but they objected to the individual who was proposed, claiming he disliked Turkish Cypriots and had made inappropriate statements about their community. Turkish Cypriot authorities asked that the Government nominate a different priest. At the end of the reporting period, a decision was still pending on this issue.”
As regards the situation in the Turkish occupied areas, the report said that most non-Muslims in the north are foreigners from Western Europe who are generally members of the Roman Catholic or Anglican Churches.
It noted that “the basic law in the Turkish Cypriot community provides for freedom of religion, and the authorities generally respect this right in practice and that the Turkish Cypriot administration bars religious discrimination.”
The report referred to a religious ceremony held in Agios Mamas Church in the occupied areas on September 1 and 2, 2004.
It said that “on August 27, a bomb exploded in the doorway of the church. No one was hurt in the incident. Although no one claimed responsibility, it was widely believed that Turkish Cypriot nationalists planned the attack to disrupt the Greek Cypriot religious ceremony. In the end, the church was repaired and the ceremony took place as planned. This was the first time in 30 years that Greek Cypriots had been able to hold services in the church; however, Turkish Cypriot authorities did not allow the Greek Cypriot organizers to ring the church bell as part of the ceremony.”
According to the report, although Turkish Cypriots occasionally have reported that unused mosques in the south also have been vandalized, the Government of Cyprus routinely maintains and repairs them.
In February, a Greek Cypriot cemetery near occupied Lapithos, which had recently been rehabilitated as part of a US-funded project aimed at improving bicommunal relations, was vandalized, the report said.
It added that in May 2005, Turkish Cypriot media alleged that a Greek Cypriot church committee had smuggled a religious icon across the buffer zone (or green line) into the south. There were also reports of Turkish Cypriot cemeteries in the south being destroyed for the construction of roads and other development.
The report said the US Government discusses religious freedom issues with the the Cyprus Republic authorities and the “authorities” in the occupied areas in the context of its overall dialogue and policy to promote human rights.
Cyprus government calls report superficial
Meanwhile, the Republic of Cyprus Government Spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides caleld the report superficial.
“Let us not kid ourselves, Greek Cypriots living in the occupied north are not allowed to practice their religions freely, Greek Cypriots have been victims of ethnic cleansing during the Turkish invasion of 1974, including a complete destruction of their cultural heritage, meaning the 500 and more churches found in the north,” he said.
Referring to the churches in the Turkish occupied areas of Cyprus, he said that those which were not desecrated have been turned into stables, hotels and clubs or, for purposes of impression, have been restored and turned into museums.”
As regards the religious ceremony held in Ayios Mamas Church, he said that “it is one of the places of religious significance which were not destroyed by the occupation tornado for purposes of public relations.”
“The editors of this Report have been lured by the impressions. They should look clearly at the root of the situation,” the Government Spokesman concluded.
