Recently, we witnessed the sacrilege and grave robbing of Tassos Papadopoulos. We do not know yet who did it, and under what pretenses, but the media argue that it is done in the light of the current on going talks for the Cypriot problem. This action has sparked the reaction of various politic fractions and individuals in Cyprus. This action also prompted for this blog post, not to comment, however, the action, but the reaction it caused in Cyprus.
I’ve heard comments criticizing Christian Orthodox religion for their burring customs. They bury their dead, instead of cremating them and they have yearly memorial services to honor their dead. Some, of course, do not follow this and its completely understandable. Its a free country, you can believe and follow whatever you want. No one is forcing you to bury your dead, or honor their memory. However, you can not criticize or discriminate others who choose to follow this, keep your criticisms to yourself.
A man’s grave has been violated. For his family, this is a terrible incident, it goes against their belief system, and this creates great sorrow. Out of respect to their grieve, defamatory comments, accusations and stupid remarks on religion should be thrown around like an outcry for attention. Even if the grave of Adolf Hitler was robbed, the same respect should be paid: respect to one another is what makes us humane.
Unfortunately in Cyprus everyone believes should follow their opinion, even if they are no experts on anything. It is a different thing to have an opinion and express it in a civil matter and another one to try to force to anyone. They even take it a step further: if your beliefs are different than mine, it is OK to make humiliating, discriminating comments about them, with no respect whatsoever. Hate and discriminatory speech is also illegal in Europe, last time I checked.
This way of thinking is unfortunately advertised by the media, the political parties and in school. It is everywhere. Everyone is entitled to their opinion as long as they all have the same, or else they get slapped. Either with improper comments, rejection in social life, tagging etc.
The foundation of a democratic and free society is respect. You must respect ones opinion and beliefs, even if they are completely wrong in your opinion. You also need facts, evidence, a cool head and the ability to accept when you are wrong and not.
Disclaimer: The author of this post does not take any political standing with regards to the above mentioned politicians. Instead, he is trying with a gentle way to point out mutual respect.
December 20th, 2009 at 1:41 am
“Its a free country, you can believe and follow whatever you want. No one is forcing you to bury your dead, or honor their memory”.
The Greek-Orthodox Church of Cyprus does not allow the functioning of crematoriums. Although in other Christian countries it is perfectly fine to cremate your dead, in Cyprus it isn’t, not because christ or the bible said so, but because the bishop did. It’s a major issue, and no, “free” is not the word to describe it.
Also… “The foundation of a democratic and free society is respect”. Who said so? You? Based on what? What constitutes democracy and what its founding principles are, vary according to the period and the prospective. In the current era we live in, the founding principle of the western states is individuality rather than mutual respect. It doesn’t matter whether I agree or not…. what i’m trying to say is that it is not an absolute (a “fact” as you put it).
December 20th, 2009 at 4:48 am
Aw my friend, that’s where you are gravely wrong. Even if the church opposes the creation of crematoriums, the state should have created them anyway. So what’s the issue? There is no respect to other minorities. Because that’s our Cypriot culture. Just stop blaming church for all your misgivings in your life, and learn to accept certain situations. Acceptance is the first step towards planning for a better future.
Fighting against a bad or undesirable situation is not done by disrespecting. You don’t try to be the same as that one you’re trying to fight. Disrespecting and mocking the Greek orthodox Church in Cyprus won’t do you much good. You become a copy of them with a different type of gold chain hanging on your neck.
Instead, we should push for Democratic Education (Prof. Amy Guttman, Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1987). Argue and fight for educational reform in Cyprus so people can eventually open their eyes. We need massive doses of deliberation and mutual respect if we are going to move our society and world to a better place.
Take a read at the very inspiring talk by Prof. Guttman here: http://www.upenn.edu/president/gutmann/speeches/may22-05.html.
Many have talked about mutual respect in democracy, but this is one prime, inspiring example.
December 20th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
E aman to eipe o Guttman ok.
Get over church and the dead (or not) ethnarch. Regrading the role of the church in the burial debate (the one you so eagerly rejected as “gravely wrong” [can't i just be wrong? without the grave?]) see http://mihalismihail.blogspot.com/2009/10/blog-post_31.html
December 20th, 2009 at 8:03 pm
Eh, my point exactly. The church should have respected the wishes of the population wanting to be cremated. Even if the Church was opposed to this, the state should have been implemented it anyway. This point is raised in Michalis post as well: the lack of respect.
December 25th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
I think Andreas is putting forward a very important issue especially when it stems from “freedom” of particular individual liberties. That of religion and speech come foremost, and both are jeopardized in Cyprus for the most part due to political reasons followed by overgrown, exaggerated stereotypes on how people should live their lives.
Considering that Cyprus is a “European” standard country (can you hear my sarcasm?) when it comes to its constitutional individual liberties. I would expect that all religions (minorities and those that allow cremated burial) should be respected. For example, consider a minority; 18% of our population on the island is Muslim, if the young political minds of tomorrow fix the dividing mess their daddy and granddad made, will the archbishop endorse the creation of more mosques? ? Or will the political parties do it? And if they do build more mosques, will it be for the right reasons or just to formulate another method of long term control on a minority? So many questions…
Regarding humane behavior, i couldn’t agree with you more Andreas. Qualities such as respect, compassion and empathy are almost unknown to us today because they are being exceeded in exposure to what we should think by our peers, social stereotypes spreading like a disease, and then there is always politicians and media that rub it in our face to make sure we end up with an absence of respect and other moral values. I find it quite disappointing that some of us/them forget how to be humane sometimes and take a step back before we start attacking and brutally accusing. Lack of respect in the worst cases brings so much more devastation in the long run, but as Steve Jobbs said in his Standford commencement speech in 2005, “you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future” , thus when we act in an inhumane manner, we can’t really see how it affects the country at large in the unrolling moments, but it does, you and I know it, perhaps G.I will also agree someday.
Lastly, to conclude on individual liberties, the foundation of a free and democratic society has to contain a number of elements, and one of them has to be respect. To come together and form a final decision that affects the masses, shouldn’t the issues be objectified and taken from multiple perspectives? To do that, you have to listen to their opinion (a subjective one) and be able to view if objectively. That does require you to respect “them” and respect their opinion, even if it is wrong, and even if you don’t like “them”, don’t you think? Thus I will also agree on Andreas on this one.
“The foundation of a democratic and free society is respect” is common sense, that’s who said it. It’s also common sense that without respect, this world would crumble, without respect we would only gain in idiocy and civil conflict, without respect I don’t even know how we would be capable of relationships, friendship and so many other things that we cherish and enjoy in life. Thus concluding my rather long comment, I believe it is required, more than most things in life, in a democratic society and more or less everywhere else.
xronia polla.
M.