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A6 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 19 January 2023

Mufti’s talk of women’s duties angers some Turkish Cypriots

By MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS took to the streets of the
Associated Press northern part of the divid-
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — A ed capital Nicosia to voice
Muslim religious leader’s in- their anger at Unsal.
struction to women to duti- The protesters chanted
fully accept a husband’s “Onsal go home, what do
“invitation to bed” to pro- you care about Cyprus.” A
create has sparked out- joint statement read at the
rage among many Turkish event said there would be
Cypriots, who saw the re- no stop to efforts to block
marks as an imported en- “”all those who are trying
croachment of fundamen- to change our way of life.”
talist Islam on their secular Turkey has for decades
community. tried to fit Turkish Cypriot
“We don’t live in a theo- society into its own mold,
cratic regime. This is neither which has become more
Afghanistan nor Iran, sir!” religious under Turkish Presi-
said Dogus Derya, a promi- dent Recep Tayyip Erdo-
nent female lawmaker with gan. Although the Religious
the left-wing CTP party in Affairs head is technically
ethnically divided Cyprus’ appointed by Turkish Cypri-
breakaway Turkish Cypriot ot authorities, Ankara has
north. final say.
Derya has led a chorus of A woman wearing her headscarf walks with her child past a Turkish flag on a print board, Cyprus was split in 1974
condemnation against Ah- in a street in the old city of the Turkish occupied part of the divided capital Nicosia, Cyprus, when Turkey invaded fol-
met Unsal, the Turkish-ap- Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023. Associated Press lowing a coup aimed at
pointed head of the Turkish union with Greece. Only
Cypriot Department of Re- to safeguard their men’s “He has exceeded his au- they’ll do, whether they’re Turkey recognizes a Turk-
ligious Affairs. Unsal report- property. In turn, men are thority and area of respon- going to divorce or not,” ish Cypriot declaration of
edly told women during a obliged to pay for their sibility,” Durya said of Unsal. she said. “We won’t allow independence and keeps
lecture earlier this month on wives’ food, shelter and “He considers women as you to impose your funda- more than 30,000 troops in
marriage obligations under clothing, he said, noting incubators and men as mentalist way of life on us the north.
Islam that it was essential that Allah abhors divorce. money machines. He sees women or on our country.” Nazim Cavusoglu, the Turk-
for women to marry without Derya blasted Unsal as pre- women not as human be- Unsal defended his re- ish Cypriot education minis-
delay and have children senting “his fantasies about ings but as ‘goods’ subju- marks, saying his expressed ter, said many Turkish Cypri-
because matrimony “isn’t subjugating women as the gated to men,” the law- views were in accordance ots who are faithful Muslims
about having fun.” word of Allah” and insisted maker continued. with the teachings of Islam. seek religious instruction
Unsal also said women that there’s no place for re- “We want him to know that Several hundred protesters as part of their children’s
must stay away from men ligious diktats in a state that Cypriot women don’t ask from 46 trade unions and education but parents can
except their husbands to functions under the rule of their men how many chil- other organizations braved opt students out of such
“protect their virtue” and secular law. dren they’ll have, what job the rain on Monday and instruction.q

Church of England refuses to back

same-sex marriage

By SYLVIA HUI unions between one man and not nearly far enough
Associated Press and one woman will not for others.”
LONDON (AP) — The change. “This response reflects the
Church of England said However, same-sex cou- diversity of views in the
Wednesday it will allow ples would be able to Church of England on
blessings for same-sex, civil have a church service questions of sexuality, re-
marriages for the first time with prayers of dedication, lationships and marriage. I
but same-sex couples still thanksgiving or for God’s rejoice in that diversity and
will not be allowed to marry blessing after they have a I welcome this way of re-
in its churches. civil wedding or register a flecting it in the life of our The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby walks in
The decision followed five civil partnership. church,” Welby said. Westminster on Sept. 14, 2022.
years of debate and con- Same-sex marriage has “I hope it can offer a way Associated Press
sultation on the church’s been legal in England and for the Church of England,
position on sexuality. It is Wales since 2013, but the publicly and unequivo- Friday for the “rejection, ex- Archbishop of York Stephen
expected to be outlined in church did not change cally, to say to all Christians clusion and hostility” they Cottrell apologized for “the
a report to the church’s na- its teaching when the law and especially LGBTQI+ have felt from within the way LGBTQI+ people and
tional assembly, the Gen- changed. people, that you are wel- church. those they love have been
eral Synod, which meets in Archbishop of Canterbury come and a valued and It said it would issue pasto- treated by the church
London next month. Justin Welby, the spiritual precious part of the body ral guidance to its ministers which, most of all, ought to
Under the proposals, leader of the Anglican of Christ,” he added. and congregations and recognize everyone as pre-
the Church of England’s Church, acknowledged The church said bishops urge them to welcome cious and created in the
stance that the sacrament that the proposals “will ap- plan to issue a formal apol- same-sex couples “unre- image of God.”q
of matrimony is restricted to pear to go too far for some ogy to LGBTQ people on servedly and joyfully.”