Reuters
On Thursday, unknown assailants defaced the facade of a mosque in Cyprus, where they painted blue paint on the Greek flags and slogans, which the authorities strongly condemned.
They also painted crosses on the two wooden doors of the mosque, which is located to the west of the city of Limassol near the southern coast of Cyprus.
The Cypriot authorities condemned the incident, describing it as “an unacceptable and meaningless act for what is called patriotism and desecration of places of worship.”
“Such malicious acts do not contribute in any way to creating the appropriate climate for resolving the Cyprus issue and reuniting our country,” said Cypriot government spokesman Kyriakos Koushos.
Today marks the bicentennial of the Greek uprising of 1921 that ended Ottoman rule in Greece.
Cyprus, which was part of the Ottoman Empire under British protection in 1878, later became a colony and gained independence in 1960.
Cyprus was divided between Greek and Turkish Cypriots after a Turkish invasion in 1974, which followed a short-lived Greek-inspired coup, and many mediation attempts to unify the island failed, while the United Nations prepares to embark on a new effort in this context in Geneva in April.
Rum Kesiminde Camii’ye ırkçı saldırı gerçekleşti!
Güney Kıbrıs Rum Yönetiminin Limasol Kentinde Piskobu Camiisine sprey boyalar ile haç çizilerek “Türklere Ölüm” yazıldı. pic.twitter.com/ScgZn6R6nn
– Muslim Port (@muslimportcom) March 25, 2021
Strongly condemning the desecration of the mosque in Limassol, South Cyprus. Vandals wrote “death to all Turks” on the walls. Racism has long been tolerated in South Cyprus.
Greek Cypriot administration should identify and penalize the perpetrators asap. pic.twitter.com/5Xq4ZS7nLv– Mustafa Lakadamyalı (@Lakadamyali) March 26, 2021
Clearly mosques in the Greek Cypriot-controlled part of #Cyprus are not safe from fascist vandalism. At least 4 attacks in the last 2 years that I can recall. The latest was today on the Muslu Çavuş Mosque in Episkopi, Limassol pic.twitter.com/JSc65Fp8mT
– Ertan Karpazli (@Ertan_Karpazli) March 25, 2021
Source: Reuters
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