Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 00-12-31

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From: The Cyprus Mail at <http://www.cyprus-mail.com/>

CONTENTS

[01] Weeping skies keep the faithful away from ‘crying’ icon

[02] Tsiakourmas relatives stage Bases protest

[03] The hills are alive with the sound of celebration

[01] Weeping skies keep the faithful away from ‘crying’ icon

REALITY or hoax? Visitors who have seen the Virgin Mary’s ‘tear tracks’ running down the 1,500-year-old icon in the church of Arakapas in the Limassol district are undecided.

But Father Demetrios, caretaker of the small but impressive 19th century church in the remote village, did not try to offer any explanation of the phenomenon yesterday.

“We should not try to explain the tears,” he told the Sunday Mail. “Our human minds cannot possibly comprehend such a phenomenon.”

Father Demetrios was the first to spot the ‘tears’ as he prepared for a Christmas morning service; he says they have been running on and off since then.

The icon is very old: it was brought to Cyprus from Constantinople in around the sixth or seventh centuries, to prevent its destruction. It was rolled up like a papyrus, wrapped in fig leaves to protect it from moisture.

It was later placed on wood and placed in the church where it has been ever since.

Limassol Bishop Athanassios visited the church this week, but was non- committal. He would say only that God loved humankind and would not try to hurt people.

No expert is understood to have seen or examined the icon, leaving the phenomenon open to speculation.

Some say the ‘tears’ could be the Virgin’s disapproval of the sinful lives people are living, or even tears joy at the restoration of peace in the Church of Cyprus after it was dragged through the mud earlier this year in a volley of accusations between the Limassol and Paphos Bishops and their supporters.

Sceptics say the ‘tears’ come from the wood on which the icon is mounted. But why they appear to come from the Virgin’s eyes no one can explain.

Father Demetrios says that many people, including Bishop Athanassios, have seen the tears flow on the icon “like rivers”.

Yesterday only the tracks of ‘tears’ could be seen. And apart from Father Demetrios, the church was empty, as a downpour of a more explainable kind kept people away.

The priest said yesterday that it was the third time this particular icon of the Virgin had been seen to weep. The previous times were in 1922 and 1974, he said, two years associated with the persecution of the Greeks of Asia Minor by Turkey and before the 1974 invasion of Cyprus.

Paphos Bishop Chrysostomos, however, has warned people not to be gullible, arguing that the ‘miracle’ could be serving personal interests.

“I have heard they are building a new church there,” he said this week.

Although there were no signs of any major construction work yesterday, it was obvious that the church’s exterior was being repaired.

[02] Tsiakourmas relatives stage Bases protest

FRIENDS and family of abducted Greek Cypriot contractor Panicos Tsiakourmas yesterday staged a peaceful sit-down protest at the Sovereign Bases Area (SBA) police station at Dhekelia.

British bases spokesman Rob Need told the Sunday Mail that around 20 people had gathered outside the police station carrying placards in English and Greek calling for the release of Tsiakourmas, 39.

Tsiakourmas was abducted from his car within the Dhekelia SBA close to the occupied areas when he went to pick up his Turkish Cypriot workers near Pergamos on December 12. He is being held in the north pending trial on February 25 for alleged possession of 1.5 kilos of cannabis.

He was apparently seized in retaliation for the arrest of Omer Tekoglu, a Turkish Cypriot from the mixed village of Pyla remanded for allegedly possessing two kilos of heroin following an undercover sting operation. Police say he was arrested outside the UN-controlled buffer zone village, but the Turkish Cypriots say he was illegally arrested inside the town.

The demonstrators yesterday carried placards reading: “You are responsible for the arrest of Panicos”, “We demand that Britain return Panicos” and “Has kidnapping become legal in Britain?”

Need said the demonstration was peaceful and that the British bases respect the family’s right to protest peacefully and their desire to keep the issue in the public eye. “They are behaving very responsibly,” he said.

Britain is outraged that Tsiakourmas was taken from SBA territory, and immediately after the incident set up a control point on the Pyla-Pergamos road to reassure motorists travelling through the bases.

The Foreign Office in London has also taken the matter up with the Turkish Cypriots and Turkey through British High Commissioner Edward Clay.

“We will not let this matter rest,” Need said.

So far all attempts to have Tsiakourmas released have failed because the Turkish Cypriot side wants a direct swap for Tekoglu, but the government says there is no chance of this happening.

According to the results of investigations Tsiakourmas has no criminal record and the bases police found no trace of drugs in his vehicle.

Tsiakourmas’ wife Niki is expected to visit him tomorrow in occupied Nicosia.

[03] The hills are alive with the sound of celebration

MOUNTAIN resorts are doing a roaring trade over the New Year weekend but coastal resorts are having a hit-and-miss holiday season, hotels said yesterday.

Both the Jubilee Troodos Hotels said they are almost fully booked for the weekend. The Troodos has a special package deal including a New Year’s Eve gala dinner with live music. The hotel reports a mixed clientele, most of whom are tourists.

The Jubilee says it has no special package but is almost 100 per cent full with Cypriots. One hotel in Platres said Cypriots like to head for the hills both in summer and winter. “They like to sit by the fireplace and listen to Bing Crosby singing ‘White Christmas’ to give them the illusion they are in Aspen or somewhere like that,” a hotel representative there said.

On the coast occupancy figures swing wildly from 25 per cent to 95 per cent and between the numbers of Cypriot and foreign clientele.

Limassol’s St Raphael Hotel said it is 55 per cent full, mostly with tourists, while the Amathus is fully booked with 70 per cent of its clientele coming from abroad and 30 per cent local, even though the hotel is not offering any special New Year weekend packages.

The Apollonia also reported being completely full with tourists which left no leeway to offer packages to Cypriots for the weekend. “We simply had no space,” a hotel representative said. “We are always fully booked at New Year.”

Larnaca is more quiet with most hotels reporting 50 per cent occupancy or less, but Ayia Napa seems to be faring a little better. Adams Beach said it was almost full and that around 70 per cent of its clientele were Cypriots taking advantage of special weekend packages.

Paphos, the island’s most popular destination, has no complaints -- reporting occupancy of 50 per cent and up.

The Paphos Beach said it was 90 per cent full and all were tourists, while the Azia Beach said it was half full and that around 60 per cent of the clientele were Cypriots on two- and three-night packages.

Hotel Association Director-general Zacharias Ioannides told the Sunday Mail that there is a growing trend for more Cypriots to spend a few days away at Christmas and New Year. “The main trend is still to stay at home, but more and more are taking the opportunity to go away,” he said.

Paphos and Ayia Napa were the most popular places for Cypriots, and many were choosing the mountain resorts as well.

Ioannides also said that winter tourism was doing well, with many visitors eager to escape the harsh weather in Europe for the milder climate of Cyprus.

Cyprus Mail 2000

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