Paphos People

The charity concert to mark the Queen’s platinum Jubilee and the friendship between Britain and Cyprus organised by the British bases at Kourion on June 2, has come under renewed fire with one charity that was due to benefit withdrawing its support.

Former Diko vice president and presidential candidate Giorgos Kolokasides had already said on Wednesday that Cyprus was still suffering from the remnants of English colonial rule and that the plans to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s platinum jubilee should be cancelled.

On Friday socialist Edek joined the bandwagon, saying that the event was unacceptable.

Queen Elizabeth II was head of state during Eoka’s 1955-1959 liberation struggle from colonial rule and she was signatory to the death sentence by hanging of nine Eoka fighters, the party said.

“How can we honour a country’s head of state bearing responsibility for our country’s predicament, the Turkish occupation and whose actions seek legitimisation of its military bases on the island rather than seeking a just solution to the Cyprus problem,” a statement said.

Moreover, charitable organisation Little Heroes, which was slated as a beneficiary for some of the proceeds, has withdrawn.

Disy MEP and founder, Loucas Fourlas told the Cyprus Mail that the organisers of the concert had asked the anti-cancer society Pasykaf to recommend two Cyprus-based charitable organisations to include as beneficiaries, and Pasykaf had recommended Little Heroes and the One Dream One Wish foundation, also a children’s charity.

“When the SBA’s [bases] administration informed Little Heroes about the event, it was not communicated that it was being organised in honor of the Queen’s platinum Jubilee and her close support for the British Armed Forces. Instead, we were told that this was only a charity concert. After friends alerted us to the event’s actual content and reason for being organised, we respectfully rescinded our interest,” he said.

One Dream One Wish, foundation on the other hand, maintains its interest.

“We are not politicians we are a charitable organisation…charitable activities have nothing to do with politics. They are borderless. As far as humanitarian issues are concerned, we all exist under the same sky,” president of the organization Giorgos Penintaex told Phileleftheros.

He added: “Our organisation is neither among the event’s organisers nor will I participate in it [the organising]…I only have one thing in mind: to help children in need.”

Queen Elizabeth’s first and only visit to Cyprus took place in 1993 to attend a Commonwealth heads of state meeting. Whilst on a visit to Nicosia to receive the golden key to the city she was greeted with a rowdy protest with demonstrators changing: “Go Home”.

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Dave
Moira And Dave

“I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.”

UPDATE

Further knock to Queen’s Jubilee concert as performer pulls out

The charity concert organised by the British bases to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee suffered a further blow on Monday as the well-known Diastasis Cultural Association and the One Dream One Wish Foundation both announced they will no longer participate.

Controversy has engulfed the event as some have decried what they view to be the celebration of a “killer queen” – pointing to Queen Elizabeth II as having been head of state during Eoka’s 1955-1959 liberation struggle from colonial rule.

The Diastasis chorus and dance group had been ticketed to play alongside the Royal Signals and the Military Wives Choir – the latter adding a “military flavour” to the event, according to the British bases.

The event, organised by the British bases and set to take place at the ancient site of Curium on June 2, has suffered a series of cancellations.

A pinned message on the Diastasis Cultural Association Facebook page stated that it will no longer participate.

In addition, One Dream One Wish Foundation – initially set to remain as a beneficiary of the proceeds– has withdrawn interest over “the political dimension the event has now gained”.

Elsewhere, even charitable organisation Little Heroes announced that it withdrew from the event – despite being one of the two children’s cancer charities set to receive donations from the funds raised.

Disy MEP and founder Loucas Fourlas said that he was not initially made aware by the organisers that the event was to honour the queen.

The rockslide appears to have been set off by presidential candidate Giorgos Kolokasides who last week called for the event to be cancelled, arguing that it is provocative and unthinkable for such a celebration to take place as the queen is linked to the darkest moments of Cypriot history.

On Friday, socialists Edek also said the event is unacceptable and blamed the queen for the Turkish occupation.

Queen Elizabeth’s first and only visit to Cyprus took place in 1993 to attend a Commonwealth heads of state meeting. While on a visit to Nicosia to receive the golden key to the city she was greeted with a rowdy protest with demonstrators chanting: “Go Home”.

_________________
Dave
Moira And Dave

“I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.”

UPDATE 2

Fuss over Jubilee concert should not be taken seriously

he command of the British Bases may have thought a charity concert at the Curium amphitheatre to mark the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II was a good idea especially as the profits would go to local charities and a Cypriot cultural group would be one of the acts. The concert, scheduled to take place two-and-a-half weeks after the start of the implementation of the new deal on the bases – 80 per cent of land in the bases would be free for development from May 16 – was also supposed to mark the friendship between Britain and Cyprus, according to the bases.

It only took a few censorious comments on Facebook and one newspaper last week for everything to be turned upside down. Presidential candidate and lawyer Giorgos Colocassides posted a comment on his Facebook page calling for the cancellation of the event because a celebratory concert for the Queen, who was linked to the darkest moments of Cyprus history, was provocative. “The so-called friendship is at the very least debatable in the role of the British after the founding of the Republic and even until today,” wrote Colocassides.

This was followed by a scathing report in Friday’s Phileleftheros which contacted the two charities that were listed as beneficiaries of the profit of the concerts – Little Heroes and One Dream One Wish – asking them why they had agreed to be part of a celebration for the Queen. The Disy MEP Loucas Fourlas, who runs the former, told the paper his charity had withdrawn, while the director of the second was unapologetic saying contributions to the charity were welcome wherever they came from.

On Monday One Dream One Wish also decided it could not take money from an event for the Queen and announced it was withdrawing. The Limassol dance and chorus group Diastasis that was to perform in the concert also withdrew, leaving the event in disarray. The bases said the charity concert will go ahead, even though it remains to be seen whether it will find a Cypriot act to perform and a local charity to accept the proceeds of the event. And will any Cypriots turn up to the concert given the current climate?

A section of the Greek Cypriot population considers the Queen responsible for the execution of nine Eoka fighters during the anti-colonial struggle of 1955-59, as she had given her approval. There were also protests against her, for the same reasons, on the only occasion she visited Cyprus in 1993. What is astonishing is that this section of the population dictates public sentiment, as nobody dares question it for fear of being accused of being unpatriotic.

Yet the reality is that contrary to Colocassides’ claim, relations between ordinary Cypriots and ordinary Britons are friendly, despite the cultural differences. If they were not, there would not be two million British tourists holidaying in Cyprus every year, nor would there be thousands of Cypriots attending British universities and calling Britain home. The fuss created about the concert by a small clique and the subsequent withdrawals may have caused a little embarrassment to the bases, but it is nothing that should be taken seriously.

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Dave
Moira And Dave

“I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.”

What a load of tosh, the last 2 years has been the absolute opposite. The pompous butt should take this and his performing monkeys and rent a London square for an evening and perform there.

Currently his forces are complicit in bombing another country, the commentators were correct about the queens and UK involvement in Eoka and many other issues on the Island. Its a great thing that once every so often everyone is reminded about just how evil many British governments and administrations have been.

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Straight talking, no Gimmicks.

Live your dreams.

UPDATE 3

Queen’s jubilee platinum concert relocated to Happy Valley

The charity concert to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee has been relocated to within the defence sector of the British bases following “the hostile response of a very small minority.”

The British bases said on Friday that they are saddened over the withdrawal of partners and beneficiaries, following strong reactions by some who criticised the event as celebrating a ‘killer queen’.

Originally set to take place on June 2 at the ancient site of Curium, the concert will now instead be held in Happy Valley within the defence estate at Episkopi.

“We must not forget the past – but it is most important to look to the future,” the press release read, adding that the relationship today between the UK and Cyprus is one of friendship and close partnership.

The rockslide appears to have been set off by presidential candidate Giorgos Kolokasides who last week called for the event to be cancelled, arguing that it is provocative and unthinkable for such a celebration to take place as the queen is linked to the darkest moments of Cypriot history. He referred to the “so-called friendship” between the UK and Cyprus.

A series of cancellations and condemnation followed soon after, ranging from posts on social media to political parties such as Edek branding the event as unacceptable.

Perhaps most notable was the withdrawal of the two children’s cancer charities who were set to receive funds from the proceeds of the event. Little Heroes was first to leave, followed by the One Dream One Wish Foundation soon after – citing “the political dimension the event has now gained”.

The well-known Diastasis Cultural Association dance and chorus group also withdrew amidst the controversy which had engulfed the event.

Queen Elizabeth II is was the head of state during Eoka’s 1955-1959 liberation struggle from colonial rule during which nine young fighters were executed.

But the bases on Friday instead pointed to the close partnership currently shared between Cyprus and UK, referring to security ties, administrative, cultural, education as well as personal and familial links.

“We remain committed to putting on a truly fantastic event… All proceeds will continue to be donated to extremely worthwhile charities, and there are still many brilliant acts in the line-up to look forward to,” the bases said on Friday.

Referring to the partners who cancelled on the event, the bases said that they respect those decisions and hope to be able to work with them again in the future.

Queen Elizabeth’s first and only visit to Cyprus took place in 1993 to attend a Commonwealth heads of state meeting. While on a visit to Nicosia to receive the golden key to the city she was greeted with a rowdy protest with demonstrators chanting: “Go Home”.

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Dave
Moira And Dave

“I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.”

Maybe Cyprus would prefer not to be part of the Commonwealth with all it's advantages?

Yep, if a democratic vote is taken by the people and the vote is to leave the Commonwealth so be it. Would set an example that might catch on.

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Clive of Payia