May 2015 – Page 2

Xavier Bettel and Gauthier Destenay

Firstly, congratulations to the Prime Minister of Luxembourg who was married yesterday. It is a few months later than planned, but well done anyway. I hope he and Gauthier will be very happy.

meanwhile…

Nikolopoulos, the Homophobic twitter

A little while ago, I ran a story about Nikolopoulos who criticised the Prime Minister in Greek on twitter which I am reprinting below.

What is he up to now

He is still in the Greek parliament (and actually part of the Governing coalition) and was voting a few days for educational reform. His basic point here, if I understand correctly, is that German should no longer be taught in Greek schools. This is what he says-

“The German language, for the past 20 years, has unreasonably been promoted and supported by the Greek state to an excessive degree in relation to others, equally if not more important languages at a global level such as Spanish, Russian, Arabic and Italian,” he writes.

“We must not continually complain of the burgeoning of one member state of the EU when we ourselves, without it being imposed on us, make the choice to support the transmission of the language, the culture, and the traditions of a people, who in general lines, have been proven to systematically harm our country and have opposed our legal sovereign rights.”

Parallels

This is a man who represents the equivalent party in Greece to what UKIP stands for in the UK, the Conservative Independent Greeks, or ANEL (remember the correct vowel here). He is a bully who takes swipes at whoever he thinks his audience might enjoy seeing done down. He plays deliberately to the crowd and does not think of the consequences of what he says.

Bullies

Like all bullies, when he goes too far, he is the first to cry foul. In October 2014, days after having upset the Minister for transport, (who defiantly said he was not a “wuss” and would not be so “threatened”), Nikoloupoulos sought public solace by claiming himself to have been threatened in an SMS that someone would cut off his leg with a chainsaw. So far, he appears to still have both legs.

And so far, regrettably, this nasty man remains part of the committee that oversees the detailed bailout terms and what to do with bad debt. The only positive thing is that Nikolopoulos’ position in the Greek Government is tenuous because of Syriza’s contempt for his homophobic attack last yera on Xavier Bettel. Accordingly, while he remains the leader of ANEL, it is Panagiotis Sgouridis who got the Cabinet position as Vice Minister for Production Reconstruction, Environment and Energy.

Just a final point- while the Prime Minister and cabinet from Syriza were sworn in during a civil ceremony, the ANEL members insisted on the traditional religious ceremony which I know well from visiting the office of a ridiculous Pasok MP who had offered to see me, and when she realised who I was, pretended to be her own secretary. Around the walls behind her were dozens of photos of the religious ceremony that marked the beginning of a Greek parliament and there she was in picture after picture, fingers poised in the sign of the cross, very pleased with herself.

Religious imagery is not going to whitewash rogues. She should have known that and so should the people in ANEL. Poor Greece.

The older story about the Homophobic tweet -2014

an ANEL MP, Nikos Nikolopoulos, has tweeted a nasty message about the Prime Minister of Luxembourg who has just announced his plans to marry his gay partner. The twit or tweet seems fairly innocuous in English: “From the Europe of nations, to the Europe of queers. The Prime minister of Luxembourg has been engaged with his special one!” In Greek however, “Από την Ευρώπη των εθνών στην Ευρώπη των πουσταριών. Ο πρωθυπουργός του Λοξεμβούργου αρραβωνιάστηκε τον αγαπημένο του!” The word “των πουσταριών” is particularly offensive, a derivative of the word, Pousti, street-language in Greek for “gay”.

The Prime Minister somehow heard of this tweet but, though he had studied maritime law and religion in Thessaloniki, did not speak enough Greek to know what was being said and contacted the MP, “Hello, I heard you want to tell me something, but I don’t speak Greek. Sorry” – now for the juicy bit that exposes the full rump of this silly man, Nikolopoulos. He said the message had been written by Kyriakos Tobras. He then modified his original tweet. What a twit!

Here are the two tweets. The understated graciousness of the second is such a contrast to the nastiness of the first.

Here is Nikolopoulos’s replacement twit (it is almost as bad but does not sound as “chavish” perhaps):

My own experience in Greece

I remember when I tried to register as self-employed in Athens back in 2001. I had been working for a company called Grivas which refused to pay me until I changed my employment status. Apparently, it was then impossible to do more than one particular type of job for any single company, and Grivas had me writing editorial, illustrating and recording vocals for their various English teaching materials, their decision, not mine. It was a horrible experience and a week of going from office to office in the then-labyrinthine bureaucracy was soul-destroyed. On the final day, with minutes to go before the tax office shut, I was asked for yet another pointless bit of paper. I am afraid I began to cry. At this point, the thug of a tax-manager started to assail me in Greek from across the room, saying that all english were “pousti”, and then listing (improbably but I remember this precisely) Thatcher, Blair, Clinton, as examples of gays in public office. This was about the time of the Monica Lewinsky affair. Incidentally, I knew that the man was the boss because he was overweight and had nothing on his desk save for a cup of coffee and a glass of water. Also, I knew enough Greek to understand what he meant, but I turned to the official next to me whose desk was heaving beneath paperwork and asked him what the word “pousti” might mean. “For example,” I added in my best Greek and as loudly as I could. “is that nice gentleman there who has so much to say about the english, also a pousti?” It shut the man up, and I got my papers quite quickly. I cannot recall if Grivas ever paid me what they owed. Probably not. Some of the other people working there seemed to have been driven to insanity and visits to an asylum in Dafni; others attempted suicide, taking a kitchen knife to their wrists. I know. I had to call the ambulance! It was tough living in Greece back then! But also rather exciting.

I think I had found myself in the “wrong crowd”. There is certainly a “right crowd” in Greece. There was then and there clearly is now, and that crowd would wholly condemn Mr Nikolopoulos and all his fascist cronies, clerical and lay. I am very proud that I made good friends in Greece and that we remain in contact. Like me, they believe passionately that the “wrong crowd” is firmly on the way out, but like cockroaches, that wrong crowd takes its time going.

Here is a picture that was printed in the Greek newspaper eleftherotypia at the time- It shows what I looked like then!! (the article is about the shows that were on in the West End, and the closure of “Cats”)

I think Greece has changed

I had hoped that institutionalised homophobia was a thing of the past in Greece, but apparently not. It is a shame. The younger generation of Greeks, among whom I count many good friends, are shocked by the story of Niko Nikolopoulos. But he is a dinosaur and they need to make sure his political career is rendered extinct as soon as practically possible. I have a small cartoon for this story which I will post later: my computer is in general melt-down as I write this!

Meanwhile, my hearty congratulations to the Prime Minister Xavier Bettel and his partner, Destenay Gauthier who are to be married on January 1st. He is not the first openly gay Prime Minister in Europe. Iceland’s Johanna Siguroardottir and Belgium’s Elio Di Ruppo beat him to this!

A cartoon I did at the time

I think my computer is reeling from the absurdity of this story: Niko (Νίκος Νικολόπουλος) wrote something nasty about Xavier (Ξαβιέ Μπετέλ) and then said that it was really written by his friend Kiriakos Tobras (Κυριάκος Τόμπρας). This is all about a particular group of powerful men in Greece who are running around saying something like Δεν δέχομαι να προσχωρήσω στη λογική της γκέι ατζέντας (“I do not believe I have to accept the European Gay agenda”). This is a country which was eager to join the European club and when I was there, the EU Commission in Greece got me to illustrate one of the more absurd books I ever put my name to: “You are in Europe- Learn about Europe!” Some people, like Nikolopoulos evidently did not learn very much.

Europe has a liberal social image that promotes equality, friendship and assistance with better-off parts of the continent helping the less-successful parts. I know Europe as it stands has problems but it still remains a great ideal and was always clear about these aims even if federalism has crept in through some unwatched back door. I don’t really understand how a country like Greece which still boasts an island called Lesbos, and celebrates the history of Alexander the Great as well as the writings of Plato can possibly allow anyone to be championing such a ridiculous cause as this “we think there is a gay agenda” thing, especially when promoted in part by Churchmen who are civil servants*, that is, funded by the State. Truth is, of course, all this shouting and “tweeting” is done by only a minority of silly men with a complex, stirred up by a pile of pernicious priests. All of them should have better things to do. And, moreover, this story demonstrates how feeble these men can be: even when they are caught out, they are not honest enough to admit what they have done, or take proper responsibility for their own actions.

Religion

This is what Nikolopoulos is doing this afternoon. He is in Patras surrounded by Churchmen, so my cartoon (which drew links between him and the Archbishop of Thessaloniki) seems all the more pertinent.

*much needs to be said about the problems of having a “State church” especially when it thinks it has a right to vocalise about modern issues. I will write more on this!!

Modern Greece is not homophobic

Oh, and just to emphasise that modern Greece does not endorse this horrid racist thug, here are some responses from the days following the twitter incident:

Stefanos Livos said: “Not all Greeks are … morons like @NikNikolopoulos”.

Greek Deputy Foreign Minister, Dmitris Kourkoulas, tweeted: “@Xavier_Bettel Dear PM,thanks for helping us unveiling the dirty face of some of our ‘politicians’.”

Bettel himself replied by saying: “Relations between GR & LUX and with @PrimeministerGR are perfect and won’t be affected by the comments of an isolated politician”.

Nikolopoulos has spent much of the last year combatting a draft anti-hate law which will make the sort of attacks against homosexuality, that have been spearheaded by Golden Dawn, illegal.

More from “spiderman”

It was so nice to see you for our light lunch today of potted crab, capers and quail egg with a selection of home-grown organic produce garnished with slices of fresh venison, shot on our estate in Scotland and followed by toasted goats’ cheese, milked, churned and set under supervision by my wife, and I thought that, before you go, I should write a few words to clarify what we have discussed. I mentioned to you the anxieties that have developed around the increasing incidence of red hair, both in my own family and more generally around our United Kingdom. There seems no doubt that this is a matter that will undoubtedly require governmental action at some time in the fairly immediate future: my own instinct is that it is acceptable in Scotland, but should really be kept there.

I also agree that while this was once something we could probably cover up, with today’s wayward youth the carpet is as clear as the curtains. God preserve us from the Tinder you described so eloquently! But what (or who) is Snapchat? or Grindr? I remain at a loss.

It is probably too late, as you pointed out, to institute compulsory blood tests to trace the ginger gene to its inevitable source, but, in the meantime, I like your suggestion that, in the meantime, we should show greater support for red-heads of all description. To this end, might I suggest that my former sister in law should represent our country abroad as Ambassador of the Scilly Isles. It would be important to ensure that she receives the proper equerries and staff – do make sure you check out their feet. (Fergie seems to have a thing about people’s feet.) And do make sure she receives proper guidance, almost on a minute by minute basis because she is inclined to go rapidly off-message.

I do not wish to press the point about our family, but it seems that Chancellor Merkel is warming to the idea of restoring the hereditary monarchy in Germany and I would be keen that Britain is fully represented in such an effort. Might I put myself forward as a possible candidate in the absence of any foreseeable employment? It would be like a homecoming of sorts for my family and a tremendous aid to your undoubted efforts to keep Britain in the EU if we could also, at the same time force our own dynastic links across the continent. You might be aware that my father also has strong ties to Greece and might be prevailed upon to solve the current economic crisis with a few well-chosen words.

Regarding your suggestion that Jeremy Clarkson should take over as our man in Argentina, I am afraid, on reflection, that I have never heard of Jeremy Clarkson, or of his erstwhile programme, “Top Geer” which you mentioned with affection – might this be one of those travelogues about journeys through the EU? Was Michael Palin not available perhaps when the series began? But I am afraid I am a loss as to what even the mighty Mr Clarkson might have had to say about Greer. It is a dull place in Liege somewhere up the river Jeker. I am certainly impressed he has managed to talk about this for 10 years. It gives fuel for thought and suggests he is a man of astounding talent to have made so much of so little. As for Argentina! Of course, I know of Argentina! I went there in the late 90’s and my younger brother regales us often with his deeds of aeronautical daring-do as does my son, and if the said Clarkson might help to quieten down any further attacks on our diminished territories in the Southern Hemisphere, so much the better. Did you enjoy the cranberries? They are from our own garden, and I knew each personally – each almost as a thought in the mind of God. They are plumper because they grew with affection.

The black spider strikes again

A while ago, I did a book cover for a Greek friend who wrote about his experiences as a student here in the UK. It was an opportunity to do some political cartoons.

Recent letters have been published that make me think that it is time for a new incarnation of “Spiderman” to start penning letters to the Prime Minister. Maybe the Guardian will have another go at exposing them to the daylight – or maybe I will cash in on it first: I think there might be a book in it. Of course there would be the serious issues to write about like the preservation of the water rat, the extermination of american (signal) crayfish, the removal of the grey squirrel, the rose ringed parakeet, and the american mink or maybe just the establishment of a concentration camp for unwanted migrant lifeforms from our former colonies-

There are reports of the Signal Crayfish advancing towards our Nuclear deterrent, Prime Minister. On the way, they eat fish eggs and destroy river banks. I myself found an infestation someway up the River Kelvin. The Crayfish is a more serious threat to Scotland than any referendum, Prime Minister. They have already taken over Dumfries and Galloway, all the Borders, Fife and are advancing towards Grampian, Tayside and Lothian. By the time of the next election, they will have completely taken over Scottish waters.

It would be foolish, Prime Minister, to overlook all these predatory species- the crayfish carries a worrying plague, the grey squirrel has the pox and the Rose-ringed parakeet makes a devil of a noise in Regents’ park, a place I know well. I gather that some animals were purposely introduced here from the Americas, like the Coypus, and were almost eradicated in a purge on foreigners probably championed by some sort of Nascent UKIP army in the late 1980’s, but you can’t keep these migrants out. I have heard of Coypu as far north as Durham now. Like the badger, the Coypu must be culled. (The badger is native- so “culled, not wiped out”, please, Prime Minister)

We have had some successful immigrations of course. Our native islands have always welcomed industrious species. The domestic cat has adapted well, as have rabbits which provide much needed fast food for our native birds of prey and I do not forget the nourishing dormouse all of which animals, I believe, came here with Julius Caesar so it would also be churlish to call them foreign after so long. They are almost British. In the same way, I salute the golden Pheasant, essential for fly fishing, and the red-legged partridge both of which have graced our table. I draw the line at the Ruddy Duck, another American import, and the American bullfrog. While I wrestle with Giant hogweed and Canadian pond weed- a necessity of the former Empire, I have also come across American Willow herb and Japanese knotweed. There is even something seriously misnamed the “Oxford” ragwort. This little squalid seed came from Sicily and should have stayed there. It seethes with threats to the rest of my garden. Just when I think it has gone, it springs up again behind me like some diabolical manifestation.

I would not want to sound prejudiced, Prime Minister, because some foreign plants, like the red-squirrel nurturing conifer and the buddleia, beloved of our butterflies, have been particularly valuable in protecting and promoting our native wildlife. There’s the glorious rhododendron, whose ancestors, like mine, are a bit Greek. Its foliage and roots encourage the activities of rodents in our garden, despite what the naysayers in the Forestry Commission who have argued so unconvincingly (in my opinion) about its effect on ecodiversity. Apparently, its thick leaves snub out the chance for competing shrubs, but that’s why we have garden shears, eh, PM?

I think it is time that we championed our own British wildlife, and our own particular personal rodents. The corgi, for instance, is a breed of Welsh dog that I am surprised to find is almost unknown outside Royal circles. This should be challenged and we should institute a corgi-breeding programme across the islands. Maybe we can place a statutory limit on canine leg-length to encourage a healthy breeding programme?

It has struck me of late that I might also write about more vacuous things like whether I should pay proper taxes, how much popularity my doing so might engender. Is it legitimate for me to marry my long-term partner? Would the public accept such a move? And so on. Or maybe I have already done all that and more. Who will ever know now? Future correspondence will be more circumspect and more tightly controlled. Prime Minister, we need a proper privacy bill.

Finally, forgive me for being blunt, Prime Minister, but I was having dinner last night with (redacted name) who asked me to see what could be done about championing the David Brown tractor for export to Chinese landfill sites? It’s such a nice little machine and well-suited to serious work. There we are, I said I’d raise the issue and I have.

The Presbyterian Church of Scotland goes multicolour

In the 1970s, I studied Theology in St Andrews. I then went on to Oxford and did pretty much the same thing there. It is interesting, therefore, to see that the Kirk is now poised to accept gay clergy. I think this is a great step forward but it is also a step I could not possibly have imagined happening back in the 70s. Then, this austere, and rather imposing Church was also quite censorious and puritantical about homosexuality.

In those days, there were three oddly named prelates of distinction in St Andrews- Principal Black who ruled the St Mary’s college, Cardinal Gray and the moderator of the Church of Scotland, also called Gray. There was someone called White. In other words, we lived a monochromatic life in the Divinity faculty, as the messenger would have whined in “A matter of Life and Death” devoid of technicolour.

History

The process of acceptance has taken about 20 years, beginning in the 1990s with the commissioning of two documents to the Board of Social Responsibility. This led to the formation of some panels, one of which reported back unanimously confirming that gay marriage was not sinful. This in turn, not without some popular dissent, led to a decision to allow same sex religious blessings and later to admit to the clergy those who were in same sex relationships – but there was a fudge. Rather like the marriage of Orthodox clergy, the partnership needed to predate the ordination. Today, that fudge will be gone! Things are more progressive in the States, of course. Which makes me wonder why anyone would think that God’s law should be so limited geographically. Either something is wrong or it is right. And we surely cannot be “in communion” with people who are doing something wrong. As (with some mild exceptions in the US which I will come to) the Church of Scotland has not fractured at the agreed advances in social reform, it makes sense that the Scottish mother-church should hurry up and assent lest the whole thing crumble. The same might be said of the Church of England. What is right in America cannot be wrong in England – when it comes to basic morality in the church. This is not a traffic rule and we are not discussing whether to drive on the left or the right.

Exceptions

Now, I mentioned exceptions and these are important- the associate church, the “presbyterian church in America” and the Orthodox presyberian church have all condemned any acceptance of same sex relationships or of gay clergy. The Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa in New Zealand confirms that “marriage is between a man and a woman” as does the Presbyterian Church in Brazil, and in Mexico. More worryingly, there is an organisation sponsored by some of these churches called “OnebyOne” which seems to still advocate aversion therapy.

Politics

While we in the UK, therefore, get into a flap about widening the State definition of marriage, it is remarkable and encouraging that some of the Churches are looking at the religious options available, and have been doing so for some time. Personally, I think the legal definition of Same-sex marriage still has a long way to go, but contrary to the anxiety of some MPs who saw fit to “quote scripture” out of context, this should be an issue about equality and not about religion.

Quotas

Yesterday, there was a statement in the media that the UK parliament has more LGBT MPs than any other Political assembly. Many new SNP members are openly gay. But the UK establishment has long recognised that homosexuality is no bar to high office. If the rumours put out by a member of Monty Python are to be believed, and I suspect they are true, then certainly one of our former Prime Ministers was gay.

The presbyterian Church today is advancing the gay debate and setting forward a framework whereby, when the law comes back to the House of Commons in a few years’ time, as no doubt it must, no one dare stand up and make reference to a so-called prohibition in Leviticus or what they think Jesus might have meant. The religious bit of this debate is over.

Johnny Depp and Mobutu of Zaire

The fate of Johnny Depp’s dogs has made me think of another celebrity who sneaked his dogs into a country without proper clearance. Now, I thought that the dog-smuggler was Nicolai Ceausescu, but when I checked, I found I was actually wrong. When the Romanian dictator visited the UK in 1987 on a State visit, the Queen apparently had taken some precautions but they were not canine. The sunday express claimed that she removed fittings and ornaments from the official rooms where they were staying in Buckingham palace. The newspaper headline read, “Lock Up the Crown Jewels, Here Comes Light-Fingered Nic”. I don’t know whether that was true, but more alarmingly, and more accurately, in 1973, the president of Zaire, Mobutu, arrived with his dog. The queen’s response was to send her corgies immediately to Windsor in case they got rabies. She then sent word via her private secretary that the offending dog must go at once to the quarantine kennel at Heathrow.

I fancy the Depps have done quite well to negotiate passage for Boo and Pistol back to the US. They leave today.

Chuka chucks in the towel and Farage issues a warning

I cannot really claim to do much more than comment on stories as they appear, but every so often the gossip machine gets out of control and people telephone me with information they assume I must already have. They assume the information is in the public arena. It is not quite. Yet.

Chuka

So this evening, I want to focus on two further resignations, or withdrawals. The first is Chuka Umunna who has withdrawn his name from the list of labour front runners. I cannot see why unless some pressure was applied – and by whom? There is no one with the weight to do it. He said he did not want the level of scrutiny or pressure that came with the job – but surely that is something he had to accept when he first got into politics – and just because he says he no longer wants the top job will not make that scrutiny go away. That his team has said there is no “unwelcome press story” behind the announcement will surely further flame the speculation that really there is something to hide. So, no doubt the press is camped around his house scenting something big this evening. Backing away on those terms, I am afraid Chuka, is like a red rag to a bull. I wish him well in his quest for privacy, but I think he will not get it now and neither will he get the security that would have gone with high office.

That said, I sympathise with what he has said: “this is not right for me or people close to me. I’m human, the rest of my life is more important to me than politics.” More than that, my instinct is that, whatever speculation might be rushing around Fleet street, there really is no dark secret. Chuka Umunna is as clean as they come.

So, let me put my cards on the table: I like Chuka Umuna. I have said so a few times before in this blog. I do not share many of his political views but I like the fact that he is forthright about opposing and identifying racism, and I like the fact that he is an enthusiastic but not uncritical European. I would also be interested to see whether he runs for mayor of London…

Ben

Ben Bradshaw has said that Chuka’s withdrawal is a “terrible loss”. I like Ben Bradshaw too!

Anyway, as we now know, a Resignation or a political withdrawal is now a fairly vague term. It could be another word for “summer Holiday” or indeed it could be overturned by your friends on the NEC. What Ben Bradshaw now needs to do is to get lots of those people who stood for election on May 7th, I suppose, to write letters of support to Mr Umunna. It worked a treat for Mr Farage.

Douglas

That brings me to the second resignation and to the silence of Mr Carswell, who my sources tell me is the mysterious figure behind Mr Farage’s veiled warning. “He hasn’t had the courage to break cover but he must make his mind up,” he said. “Is his future with UKIP or not?” I certainly know that people have been writing to him urging him to challenge Farage for the leadership and at least to champion the libertarian side of the party. But has he received enough of these letters and emails to give him the sort of confidence Mr Farage enjoys? Emails, after all are so much more tangible than the votes that might elect a politician to Westminster. You can touch an email after all- you can print it out. In a way, it is “yours”. You cannot touch a ballot paper.

There has been huge support for Mr Farage – so claimed the leader on Question Time and he referred to the barrage of supporting emails he had just received – the barrage that was so overwhelming as to rule out any possible leadership contest. But he said nothing on Question Time about the campaign in head office that forced people to write these letters, nor that when the decision was taken by the UKIP NEC to overturn his resignation, apparently Nigel was himself also in the room – no doubt to ensure fairplay.

There is a distracting story about whether Mr Carswell should accept the “Short money” offered bizarrely on some sort of Proportional; representation based on the numerous votes given to the party, but that could well be a moot point if, by the end of next week, Mr Carswell is no longer in UKIP or representing those 4 million UKIP voters.

Nicola

Oh, and what I would not give to have been a fly on the wall in Bute house!

Scotland the Brave

Let me suggest something- if Scotland could issue its own Tier 1 visa, how many current non-EU students in the UK would move to Scotland to work in Edinburgh after their graduation? I think that would be a wonderful demonstration of just how valuable the Tier 1 visa has been to the UK and how valuable it could be again. It is a potent diplomatic weapon that was abandoned because of some silly rhetoric about immigration fears. Come on, Mr Cameron- that rhetoric is no longer necessary: UKIP is in tatters and the argument is won. Scotland is brave enough to take this risk and it’s time to try something different.

Religious processions

An old friend has drawn attention to a religious procession in Italy that was disrupted by youths shouting abuse. Ironically, the procession was taking place in a small town whose only significance seems to be that it was host to a thriving underground press during World war II. The report is accordingly not published in the mainstream media but appears in “Breitbart”, an outlet with a reputation for stirring up trouble. Nevertheless, the report seems factual enough and we certainly don’t want any cover-ups. Not when we are talking about a town that so valiantly championed free speech.

Dr Alexander Lucie-Smith, however, has taken a slightly alarming stance and invoked the memory of the battle of Lepanto. “May the Blessed Virgin Mary intercede for them…. as she did at Lepanto”. The battle took place in 1571 and is famous for two reasons- the first is that it was the last galley-battle, and certainly as impressive and decisive as the Battle of Actium which ushered in the reign of the Caesars, and the second is that it stopped the European advance of the Ottomans.

I would certainly second Alexander’s appeal to prayer but it must be a prayer for peace, not for victory. I cannot see that there really needs to be a conflict between Christianity and Islam and I think we should work harder to ensure that such conflicts as emerge do not take on this tone. In an increasingly secular society, Christianity and Islam are actually in the same business and should support one another.

Lepanto

The details and reasons for the battle of Lepanto are interesting. Setting aside the conflict between Christianity and Islam which I am sure is the main point of Alexander’s appeal, there were very good moral reasons to engage the Turkish commander who had broken his word. When the Venetians surrendered on Cyprus in 1750, and Nicosia was captured, the Ottoman commander, from Bosnia, Lara Kara Mustapha Pasha broke his word and first imprisoned and then tortured and executed Marco Antonio Bragadin, Astorre Baglioni, Alvise Martinengo and Gianantonia Querini. He had their heads hung around his own galley as he advanced towards Corfu where he lay waste to local villages.

Here is a picture of Lala Mustafa Pasha. His tomb is in the courtyard of one of Sinan’s mosques, the Ayub Mosque in Istanbul.

So far, the moral high ground, but this seems lost when we learn that in the Gulf of Patras, it is the Christian ships led by John of Austria who attack first. Odd, because they did not have the advantage and nor, incidentally was there a favourable wind. There was, however, a measured success with 210 Ottoman ships destroyed, though the Christian fleet also suffered significant losses. The commander of the Ottoman fleet, Uluç Ali at some point captured the Maltese flag and 6 galleys. He made it back to Constantinople with the flag which he gave to Sultan Selim II and was rewarded with the title kιlιç, becoming thereafter Kιlιç Ali Pasha.

A number of flags were taken from the Ottoman fleet and for many years hung in Catholic Churches around Italy.Next to the tomb of Pius V in Santa Maria Maggiore there was one flag which was returned to Istanbul as a gesture of friendship. We need more of these gestures, frankly, and less whipping up of stories involving silly uninformed children calling out names. More kindness and better education in other words!

While the ships were fairly easily replaced, the Ottoman navy struggled to make up the men to staff a new fleet. By 1574, they had, however, retaken the cities of Tunis and Fez, giving access to Morocco which led to the ascent of Suleyman the Magnificent. So much for history.

Now to the Miracle: Just before the fleet set sail, the Pope, Pius V presented the commander of the Christian fleet with an icon of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It was placed in the chapel on the admiral’s ship. At the moment when the Christian fleet attacked, the Pope was leading prayers of the rosary in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. The prayers continued throughout the day as the battle raged near Greece.

The Rosary

It is because of the battle of Lepanto and the perceived efficacy of the rosary that Pius V decreed the Rosary should be part of the Vatican Mass on every 7th October, to celebrate the Victory of Lepanto. His successor established the feast of the Most Holy Rosary in local Italian churches. The rosary was invoked again as the reason for the failure of the Ottomans to invade Vienna. That and the skill of John Sobieski, the King of Poland. In 1683, following the siege of Vienna, Pope Innocent XI consecrated Sept 12th to the Holy Name of Mary. The further defeat of the Ottomans by Prince Eugene on August 5th 1716, the feast of Our Lady of the Snows, encouraged Pope Clement XI to extend the Feast of the Rosary to the whole Church.

Telling beads

There is more that unites Islam and Christianity than divides it.

Simply dealing with the Catholic traditions of the Virgin Mary and the Rosary reveals a few telling facts. Mary is mentioned 30 times in the Koran and described as “Virgin, ever Virgin.” The icon presented to Don John is named after a Spanish river, which in turn follows the Moorish name of Wolf river. the image is further complicated by a series of visions in Mexico and confusion by the Conquistadors between the unfamiliar Aztec “Te Quatlasupe” and the familiar “Guadalupe.” The traditional image shows the Madonna standing on a Crescent moon, the symbol of Islam. Our Lady appeared at Fatima in Portugal, a name that was taken from the Moors, and, indeed, is the name of the Prophet’s daughter. Of her, he said, “She has the highest place in heaven after the Virgin Mary.” Today, there are numerous Muslims who visit the shrine at Fatima. In Fatima, the virgin said, “I am the Lady of the Rosary.”

The use of prayer beads, however, is not specific to Catholicism. Indeed, the Catholic rosary of 59 beads dates from around 1520, so the Islamic rosary, the Tasbih, Misbaha or subha/ supha of 33 or 99 beads, which traditionally goes back to the time of the Prophet, certainly predates the Catholic Rosary. The name Supha comes from the arabic to announce, and the rosary beads announce the glory of God whose name is invoked either at the end of each chain or indeed with every bead. The prayers, though, are less formal.

However, the Orthodox prayer rope, κομποσκοίνι, from which we get the word “Komboloi”, is said to go back to the origins of Christian monasticism in the desert and to either St Pachomius or the founder of Monasticism himself, St Anthony. this is a rope of 100 knots and is today linked to the practice of the “Jesus Prayer”, a repetitive meditation made famous by perhaps by Gregory Palamas and certainly by Russian mystics in the 19th century.

In other words, rosary-beads have a fairly universal significance. We should make use of that fact!

Here is the original article:

On Sunday morning, a group of young Muslim immigrants interrupted a Catholic procession in honor of the Virgin Mary with verbal insults, shouting, and threats as the group passed in front of the Islamic Cultural Center in Conselice, a small town in lower Romagna.

In predominantly Catholic Italy, the month of May is dedicated to the traditional processions carrying a statue or image of the Madonna, usually accompanied by the singing of hymns and praying of the rosary.

The Marian procession is a tradition in Conselice, and every year, the faithful gather at the Piazza Foresti and then proceed along a number of streets including the Via Dante Alighieri, which also passes in front of the Islamic Cultural Center. On Sunday, after the 9:30 a.m. Mass, a group of 100 faithful, including several small children preparing to receive their first Holy Communion, began the procession as usual.

Apparently understanding the procession to be a provocation, a group of Muslim youth from the Islamic Center began hurling verbal abuse and threats at the passing procession.

According to an eyewitness, “During the slow procession of the sacred image, some kids on the ground floor of the building of the headquarters of the Attadamun Islamic Cultural Center began shouting a kind of chorus like ‘Get out of here’ and ‘Go away from here.’”

The participants, especially the children, were reportedly stunned and confused; they halted the procession before regrouping and hurrying past the Center.

After receiving complaints from members of St. Martin’s parish, the mayor of Conselice, Paola Pula, met with representatives of the Attadamun Islamic Cultural Center on Tuesday morning.

Following the meeting, the Islamic Center prepared a formal letter of apology and delivered one copy to the mayor and another to the members of the parish.

In a statement, the mayor said that “the incident, even if it concerns the behavior of minors, is intolerable and must not be underestimated.” She also said the youth involved have been reprimanded by representatives of the center.

“We reaffirm our commitment to respect all sensibilities and religious affiliations,” she said. Breitbart May 13th “Islamic Youth Bullied, Insulted Christian Group in Northern Italy,” by Thomas D. Williams

Forging a relationship with Scotland

The most brilliant politicians are not those who say what we like to hear, or even what we want to hear. They are the ones who convince us to like what they say, even when we might have been disinclined to do so. I am not in favour of Scottish independence but Nicola Sturgeon is nevertheless one of the most spectacular and dynamic politicians we have ever seen and she is likely to press for a Scottish solution: we cannot leave things as they are. She pretty well embodies a Nation today and floats into 10 Downing street tomorrow morning like some 21st Century incarnation of Mary Poppins- she carries with her a giant carpet bag of unknown knick-knacks, the threat of referendum, a smile that packs a pretty mean punch, and slogans that say “don’t mess with me”.

For the record, here is my drawing of her.

I believe that Nicola Sturgeon is someone Mr Cameron must take seriously. I am also convinced that Scotland can teach those of us in England quite alot. The policies of racial and Religious integration, the campaign to promote the cause of refugees are impressive and the approach to education, particularly with respect to the Tier 1 visa campaign and university fees, is something we should notice with respect. I am less convinced by the “Curriculum for excellence” but more on that another time. For now, welcome to Downing street, First Minister! (or rather, the other way round)

Just so you can compare the two, here are some pages from my sketchbook of caricatures of the original Mary Poppins, Julie Andrews-

Juststeve

“juststeve”, Canadian singer songwriter

juststeve cries, “ I am Taking You Home” on his new extended E.P. Recorded in sunny Athens Greece with Greek American Producer Manolis Vlachos. This project contains 6 acoustic rock songs as juststeve flirts with sounds of previous decades containing ballads to uplifting grooves.

“Seventeen years after my last recording project – I am recording a new set of original songs that mean a great deal to me; songs I have wanted to record for some time. The project with NumberNine Productions contains songs that were written between 1997 to 2013, which brings me to the present. I have returned to my first love: writing songs. I hope you enjoy them.”

Digital EP label: NumberNine Music.
YouTube album link:

More about juststeve

juststeve, ( born Nov. 12, 1966 in Canada ) studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto at the same time as conductor Stefanos Karabekos, Director of New Canadian Symponic Orchestra. In 1991, juststeve lept into the Greek music scene with a variety of projects- an alternative rock band, a Prime Time Television series and a Rock Opera with Pop diva Anna Vissi & Baritone John Modenos. The 1990’s Polygram artist later performed in Beatles’ tributes with the Colours Symphonic Orchestra, Volos Symphonic and Kamerata Orchestra.

More about juststeve on his personal web-site http://www.juststeve.eu

A slip of the tongue

Today another remarkable slip of the tongue with reference to Nigel Farage. The journalist Norman Smith on live TV called Farage a C*** . Is it the most shocking word in English? (It’s probably middle english btw) It may have been an accident or he may just have given up and given in to something base. Interesting TV though.

Wheeler dealer

Almost as interesting as what he was describing- the gathering clans of back-biting folk eager to score a victory over a leader they feel has been mortally wounded. Patrick O’Flynn’s attack was remarkable- calling Farage “snarling, thin-skinned [and] aggressive” and ruling UKIP as an “absolute monarchy” with questionable aides. I cannot question any of that, of course. But does this leave room for Carswell to step into the breach? I fear not even though Stuart Wheeler, a Carswell backer, and substantial donor to the party has called for Farage to “step down”.

Resignations

Two of the questionable aides have gone: Raheem Kassam and Matt Richardson, but that still leaves plenty who I would regard as thugs and bullies. It also leaves his agent Martyn Heale, his agent and the chairman of South Thanet, who is alleged to have a NF background.

Mr Kassam ‘no longer works for Ukip’ we are told, though he believed he was on holiday and would continue to support the party “under the leadership of Mr Farage”

Of course, these are UKIP resignations, so barely worth the paper on which they are written, and I am sure if Farage survives, Kassam and Richardson will be back.

Godfrey Bloom again

The “C***” word has also been used elsewhere in connection to remarks made by Godfrey Bloom, who said that Farage was capable of “abusive behaviour” but I am not sure whether the “c” word was describing Mr Farage or Mr Carswell or indeed who used the word. The fact that the word was being bandied about like this probably explains whey it popped out on the news. O’Flynn briefed sky news:

‘The advisers he’s got around him have got an awful lot to account for, because this risks giving the perception of turning us into a personality cult where you have a leader resigning and then unresigning.’ This was exactly the issue over which I resigned. Or rather, I resigned over racism and then found myself under such attack that I had to talk also about the bullies in the party.

Prediction

If I have to predict what will happen, I imagine Farage will stay. First of all, there has been a huge effort, certainly by David Soutter, the head of Candidates who has enlisted emails of support from all the former and failed parliamentary candidates. (“Thus is the most important thing you can do today”, he says). But secondly, Farage says he is a man of his word; I assume the “word” is not that anglo-saxon or middle english word that began this blog. No, when it comes to Farage’s “word”, it is my opinion that that “word” is unlikely to be so vulgar but nor would it do with truth, or honour. Instead, I think that word is “power”, and he believes he still has access to it. Maybe he is right. We should never underestimate the ambition of this man nor indeed the brilliance of his oratory or the determination of his friends.

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