Nationalists organise to challenge sectarianism
The first of a series of four conferences designed to produce a nationalist response on the issues of marching and sectarianism was held in Portadown last weekend. Caítlin Doherty looks at the ideas which emerged.
The sectarian tunes and drum beats of the Orange Lodges once again echoed against the houses on the Garvaghy Road on Saturday, 13 November. As 1,200 Orangemen and 10 bands marched solemnly to Drumcree Church for what was described as the ``biggest protest since the summer'', on the nationalist side it was time for debate and creativity. Over 100 members of community groups, political parties and individuals gathered for the first of a series of four conferences designed to produce a nationalist response to the Parades Commission and the issues of marches and sectarianism.
Political commentator Brian Feeney talked of the need for strong legislation in order to prevent expressions of sectarianism, whether they be in the form of physical attacks, language or the publication of literature.
He also compared the Agreement to the Russian communist constitution: ``No one could disagree with it, but it is meaningless as long as nothing is done to enforce it.'' He stressed the need for legislation to be passed in Westminster as it would be practically impossible for anti-sectarian legislation to be supported by unionists in the Assembly.
Sinn Féin Assembly member Dara O'Hagan raised the issue of institutionalised sectarianism and how action taken in the context of marches would be a ``good barometer of the success or failure of the Good Friday Agreement''. The SDLP's Bríd Rodgers went on to give a history of sectarianism in Portadown.
Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition spokesperson Breandán Mac Cionnaith talked of a fictional town called ``Portaup'', where lived an isolated black minority. Two hundred years of aggravated racial conflict, a lot of it caused by a white supremacist organisation, led to harassment, murder,and attacks. ``If such a community existed, people would create an outcry and
would not tolerate it,'' he said. ``Yet it has been tolerated in Portadown.''
The Portadown Councillor went on to equate sectarianism with racism and described how racial conduct was outlawed but sectarianism was not. He talked of the existing legislation that allows a victim to initiate court proceedings on the basis of what he/she perceives as a racially motivated act. ``We do not have to reinvent the wheel. There is a plethora of existing legislation that deals with racism. The same legislation should be enacted similarly to cover sectarianism''. Mac Cionnaith added that the sectarianism that arises in nationalist communities must also be confronted.
During the question and answer session, David Thompson of the UUP argued that the perception of the Orange Order as sectarian did not mean that all its members were sectarian. The remark was challenged by a participant who argued that a person who does not share the ideals and identity that an organisation projects should not join it.
Views on how to tackle the issue were presented. Among them was the need for meaningful and genuine dialogue on the issue to begin between all the groups concerned. Sanctions could be applied for those who refuse to join. Participants also felt that the issue of institutionalised sectarianism within the judiciary, the DPP, the RUC and government needs to be addressed. Practical ideas were presented on how to tackle the issue. Among them was the need for sectarianism and sectarian harassment to be defined in legal terms and equated to racism where possible.
Participants called for tough legislation and strong enforcement mechanisms. Such legislation could be inspired from the existing European, UN and British legal provisions.
The conference also called on the Dublin government and the main churches to publicly defend nationalists under threat from sectarian harassment.
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