US encouragement for greater access to religious sites in Cyprus< /p>
Encouraging greater access to religious spaces on both sides of the Green Line and reducing discrimination against minority religious communities, representatives discussed of the US embassy with government officials, refers to the US State Department report on religious freedoms in Cyprus for 2023.
It is noted that representatives of the US Embassy met with government officials from the Ministries of Interior, Foreign Affairs and Justice of the Republic of Cyprus to discuss religious freedom issues, including encouraging greater access to religious sites on both sides of the “Green Line” and reducing of discrimination against minority religious communities.
It also refers to information provided by a representative of the Church of Cyprus that there was little or no access to some Orthodox religious sites in the occupied territories, and that many of them were turned into stables, mosques or used for other purposes.< /p>
Specifically, it states, among other things, that in the free zones visitors could only access five of the 19 mosques that have been designated as cultural heritage sites, as well as five other mosques that have not been designated as such .
The Antiquities Department continued to limit regular access to the Hala Sultan Mosque, one of 10 operating mosques, to only two of the five daily prayer times, although it usually granted extended access during Ramadan and at the imam's request.< /p>
It is also noted that of the 10 mosques that were operating, nine were available for all five daily prayers. Also nine had the necessary facilities for ablution before prayer. One mosque had facilities for ablution but was not open for all five prayers and one was open for all five prayers but had no facilities for ablution, it added.
The report also refers to the request of the Jewish community for permission to slaughter animals for food production according to the dictates of Mosaic law.
According to the report, representatives of the Jewish community said that officials of the Department of Veterinary Services of the Republic of Cyprus continued to deny exemptions to the Mosaic law's requirement to stun animals before slaughter after the department's 2019 decision to discontinue the exemptions for religious slaughter. The Jewish community reported being able to import kosher meat from other EU countries, albeit at a significantly higher cost than if it was available locally, the report says.
It also notes that a representative of the Muslim community stated that the community did not face difficulties accessing halal meat.
In December, a police spokesman reportedly confirmed that on November 3, authorities in the Republic of Cyprus had arrested two Iranians suspected of planning attacks on Israeli and Jewish targets in Cyprus.
The work of the Technical Committee of Cultural Heritage is also mentioned in the report, namely that in September, the Committee completed the maintenance of the mosque in Kalo Chorio in the Larnaca Province and in May the restoration of the mosque in the village of Maroni in the same province.
The Department of Antiquities continued the restoration of the Great Mosque of Limassol, it added.
The report also states that religious minority groups continued to report experiencing social pressure to participate in public Greek Orthodox religious ceremonies, such as weddings and baptisms, and that Orthodox Christians reported that they sometimes faced ostracism from their community if they converted to another religion.
Occupied
The report, which also refers to the occupied territories, states that the “foreign ministry” said it approved 128 out of 185 requests to hold Greek Cypriot religious ceremonies between January and December, compared to 107 of 173 requests between January and December 2022.
He also notes that according to representatives of the Greek Cypriot community, the “police” continued to monitor church functions and carry out identity checks on participants. At functions held after permission was sought, “police” checked and photographed the identity cards of all participants, it said.
A spokesman for the Church of Cyprus is quoted as saying that there was little or no access to some Orthodox religious sites and that many of them had been turned into stables, mosques or used for other purposes. A spokesman also said Greek Orthodox cemeteries in the north were in a state of disrepair, with crosses and other religious symbols broken and removed, while some cemeteries were completely razed. Of the roughly 500 cemeteries, only three to five were in good condition, according to the spokesman, the report said.
It is even reported in several media reports that in November, Rabbi Chaim Hillel Azimov, who led a small Jewish flock in the occupied territories, fled Cyprus with his family, citing growing hostility, including from Turkish Cypriot “officials ” to the Jewish community following the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel on October 7.
It is also noted that the Turkish-Speaking Protestant Association (TSPA) reported that Turkish Cypriots who converted to other religions often experienced social pressure, verbal abuse, insults , public criticism and discrimination in the workplace.
The report notes that the Government of the Republic of Cyprus is the only internationally recognized Government on the island, while referring to the occupied territories, saying that since 1974, the northern part of Cyprus “run by Turkish Cypriots”. He also notes that the “tdvk”, as it is referred to in the pseudo-state, is not recognized by the USA or any other country except Turkey. It also states that a significant number of Turkish troops remain “in the Turkish Cypriot-administered area” and that this report describes developments in both communities.
