Mr. Prodromou referred to both March 25 and April 1, saying that these two national anniversaries are full of meaning and symbolism, distracting us from the daily routine and the care of needs and offering us mental uplift, national self-awareness towards the great achievements of the national revolution of 1821 and the fighters and heroes of 1955, but also for the necessary reflection.
"These days push us to think about our soul, about our faith, about our freedom, about the other self that we surely hide within us."
One hundred and thirty-four years passed between 25 March 1821 and 1 April 1955, he added. "But we, the Cypriot Greeks, know that in reality it is as if these 134 years had not passed. It is as if 1 April was a continuation of 25 March in the same year. Because the fate of the Greeks of Cyprus and the rest of the Pan-Hellenic people was and is always so closely and inextricably linked."
He spoke of "parapulia" that grew, yeast that fermented and flared into a tide of freedom and "all at once, scenes of incredible courage and patriotic self-denial unfolded in Cyprus."
He spoke of "parapulia" that grew, yeast that fermented and flared into a tide of freedom and "all at once, scenes of incredible courage and patriotic self-denial unfolded in Cyprus."
He spoke of "scenes of incredible courage and patriotic self-denial unfolded in Cyprus. The few in number fighters of the H.O.K.A. took on an entire empire. Without supplies and often with improvised humble weapons, they challenged and defeated the colonial power with strength of soul, courage and dedication to the struggle."
They were people, he added, simple and ordinary, kneaded in our communal tradition and orthodox faith, people with love of country and national education. Greek Cypriots, he added, fought and sacrificed for freedom.
"We honour today special figures such as the great hero Grigoris Afxentios, who became a holocaust for freedom, not hesitating to repeat Leonidas' "Molon Lave", like Kyriakos Matsis, the gifted thinker who, with patriotic self-denial, repelled Harding's highly tempting attempt at bribery, proudly declaring "we fight not for money, but for freedom". Like Marcos Drakos, James Patatsos, Fotis Pittas, Andreas Zakos, Evagoras Papachristophorou, Sotiris Tsagaris, Christos Samaras and so many others'.
The "rugged parafoils" of which our national poet Vassilis Michaelides spoke, the EOKA came out of the "parafoils" of 9 July 1821, said the Minister of Education.
Prodromou said that the world is overshadowed by the drama of Ukraine and expressed solidarity with a people that is now under attack and invasion, like Cyprus in 1974, adding that we honour the epic of the EOKA 1955-59 struggle that successfully claimed the ideal of freedom. "A universal ideal that is now at stake in Ukraine."
Keep these unquenched senses, Greeks of Cyprus, and let them always remain our guide, he said.
"With such milk let the Greek Cypriot mothers continue to breastfeed their infants, with such stories let our fathers put our boys and girls to sleep."
"With such stories let our fathers put our boys and girls to sleep. Long may the day of freedom dawn, he concluded, in this land, from Andrew the Apostle to Kyrenia, from Morfu and Famagusta, to Lapithos and Karavas.
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