Archbishop’s Easter message examined for hate speech, EU report flags LGBTI and migrant concerns

The ombudswoman’s office is exploring whether the Archbishop’s Easter message was paramount to hate speech over its rhetoric on migrants arriving to Cyprus, the House human rights committee heard on Monday.

Deputies discussed a slew of problems highlighted in the latest report by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI).

They heard there are currently 200 unaccompanied minors living in Pournara that have no access to education, while MPs were also alarmed the report referred to “Orthodox confessions reportedly being organised in schools without the consent of pupils or their parents, and with disregard to their views on religion.”

Greens MP Alexandra Attalidou said this was highly concerning, particularly from a state which is supposed to promote tolerance. An education ministry representative denied confessions were imposed on students against their will.

During the House committee, Attalidou brought up the contentious Easter message which warned of the “danger of Turkification” and the influx of “Muslim immigrants” to Cyprus.

Attalidou observed there had been no intervention by those who should have, “to stop the hate rhetoric, which stems from political persons and state officials.”

She added not one government service stepped out to say that his speech was glaringly misinformative, and at the very least clarify that not all migrants are Muslims.

A representative from the ombudswoman’s office said they were examining the matter.

Akel MP Giorgos Koukoumas said if institutions didn’t take a stance on whether the Archbishop’s message was hate speech “then we’ve all failed.”

The report alerted that “hate speech affecting several groups of concern to ECRI remains widespread in the Cypriot public discourse. There is no comprehensive system in place to monitor hate speech incidents.”

Additionally, the report highlighted issues surrounding LGBTI matters, for instance “showing support for LGBTI pupils has on occasions resulted in professional repercussions for the teachers or in backlash from conservative parents or parents belonging to certain minority groups. It is also of concern that homophobic comments by education professionals themselves have been reported.”

The report called on Cypriot authorities to prepare a national LGBTI strategy, accompanied by a national action plan, with enhanced action against hate speech against LGBTI persons.

It flagged tip offs that “so-called conversion therapies continue to be practiced in some quarters, including within the Church of Cyprus,” while it also suggested authorities should be consistent when applying its asylum policy.

“ECRI was further told that the Cypriot asylum policy in relation to LGBTI grounds is applied somewhat incoherently, at times resulting in one person in a gay couple being granted asylum, whereas the other is not.”