A group of Syrian refugees living in Cyprus has published a letter responding to an op-ed penned by the general manager of the Israel-Cyprus Chamber of Commerce, published in Phileleftheros.
The letter was forwarded by Far Right Watch Cyprus, which stated the Syrian community members wished to remain anonymous to avoid targeting, and described the original letter as a “racist rant” that targeted specific ethnic and religious groups.
Far Right Watch Cyprus described the refugees’ letter as a personal testimony aimed at opening public dialogue about how Syrians have been “demonised as criminals and terrorists” and marginalised by the government’s asylum policies.
Why people left Syria
“We want to clarify, without evasions, that we came to Cyprus because war and political instability destroyed our country. This applies to every refugee, every asylum seeker, from all war zones,” the letter by the group of Syrians states.
Describing their circumstances, they said: “When your house is bombed, when you are persecuted for what you are, when your right to life is stolen, you do not ‘choose’ uprooting. You run. You survive. It is human.”
They said accusations against asylum seekers were “offensive”. The letter noted that Syria previously hosted refugees from neighbouring states, including Lebanon and Iraq, before experiencing civil war itself.
The refugees directly addressed the Israel-Cyprus Chamber of Commerce general manager who penned the letter published in Phileleftheros, noting that Israel continues to occupy Syrian territory and bomb the country. “Should we have died silently under the rubble of our houses?” they asked.
They stated: “Let us remind Mr Cohen that Israel continues not only to occupy its territories, but also to bomb it, although in this, we do not have exclusivity. Israel bombs other peoples too. Bombings usually cause refugee flows.”
The letter argued that Israel cannot lecture on respect for other religions whilst “Israeli forces have destroyed or desecrated almost all mosques and churches in Gaza” and “ultra-Orthodox Jews spit on Christians in Jerusalem.”
The Syrians rejected claims that religion causes conflicts in the Middle East, stating: “Religion has always been, and remains, a pretext for any form of violence. And no one exploits this pretext as much as Israel.”
They argued that Israeli attacks on Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and Syria are presented as “defence of Judaism” but actually concern “land and natural resources. It concerns occupation. Violent displacement. And in the case of Palestine, the attempt to erase a people and rewrite history with violence.”
The letter stated: “The Christian element has always been an integral part of the region, including Syrian identity and pluralistic society.”
Economic contributions in Cyprus
Regarding allegations made in the original op-ed that migration harms the economy, the refugees disputed suggestions that they responded: “Refugees and asylum seekers, including Syrians, work in important sectors of the economy. We build our daily lives here.”
They detailed their contributions: “We pay contributions to the National Health System and Social Insurance Fund, which we will mostly never cash in. We contribute to covering gaps in the labour market that employers themselves declare they cannot cover.”
The letter noted: “We are not passive ‘beneficiaries,’ but active contributors to the Cypriot economy.”
They directly challenged the chamber general manager: “Among others, do you know who works in the construction sector, Mr Cohen, so that you can, in turn, promote investment opportunities at the Israel-Cyprus Chamber of Commerce?”
Call to Cypriots
The letter concluded by calling on Cyprus to show empathy with refugees: “Cyprus, more than any other European country, can understand the pain of refugees. Because it has itself experienced invasion, occupation and displacement.”
The refugees stated: “It knows what it means to lose villages, property and dignity because of a foreign power that imposes its presence through violence. This creates bonds stronger than any false narrative that attempts to present us as a threat.”
They called on Cypriots to support “truth, justice and humanity,” stating: “It is easy to distinguish who is fighting for survival and who is the oppressor. And the truth is one. The real destabilisers are not refugees; they are bombs, occupations and political games that create refugees.”
The only point they agreed with in the original article, they said, was its title: “Cyprus – It is not too late.“