Anti-Sectarianism

Part of the debate – in the Northern Ireland Assembly at 2:45 pm on 10 September 2002.

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Photo of Robert McCartney Robert McCartney UKUP 2:45, 10 September 2002

The tabling of the motion by members of IRA/Sinn Féin represents a new height in monumental, gut-wrenching hypocrisy. Mr Adams might like to tell the House what contribution he made against sectarianism when he carried the coffin of a man who murdered nine innocent people in a fish shop. The Minister of Education might like to inform the House of the part that he played in the death of Mr Gillespie at a checkpoint in Derry. Various others could make contributions about the La Mon House Hotel, Kingsmills, the Droppin’ Well and countless other atrocities.

The truth is that every party in the Assembly has its own definition of sectarianism, and every party thinks that sectarianism comes from the other side. Therefore, no party has any difficulty in condemning sectarianism, as the various shades of condemnation in the motion and the three amendments demonstrate. The only dispute is about the exact form of words to be used in that condemnation.

The truth is that the Assembly is a cathedral of sectarianism. That is shown in the institutions, the communal designations of Unionist, Nationalist and Other, the d’Hondt principles for the selection of Ministers, and the ritual and dogma of the sectarianism that is practised in the Assembly. The truth is that no one wants to admit that the Assembly is founded on institutionalised sectarianism. No one should be surprised that a political system that is based and built on sectarianism encourages and magnifies that sectarianism throughout society. That is happening on the streets as the relationship between the two communities deteriorates.

The Belfast Agreement has not brought peace. It has not brought reconciliation. It has brought into being institutions that are guaranteed to increase division and community hatred, and to foment the sort of confrontation that is seen on the streets. The public is entitled to be dissatisfied with the efforts of a political class that aggravates a problem and then blames everyone else because things are getting worse. I referred to that yesterday in a question to the Deputy First Minister during Question Time.

Mr Attwood spoke about purging and prosecuting everyone, including parties and Members. What has the SDLP done about Sinn Féin? It has protected Sinn Féin on every occasion that an attempt was made to purge it.

What have the Ulster Unionists done about the PUP? They utilised their votes to have the First Minister — an Ulster Unionist — elected. The truth is that sectarianism is rife and manifest throughout all the institutions of the Assembly.

An American politician was once asked, "What is your position on sin?". He readily replied, "I am agin it." In a similar way, all parties in the Assembly are piously queuing up to condemn sectarianism.

Mr Ervine, whose usual performance is an amalgam of Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa and the local probation officer, tells us of dreadful sectarianism in the drawing room while the organisation that he fronts is shooting, murdering, beating, exiling and intimidating its own co-religionists. Exactly the same thing is happening among the party and Members of the group represented by that other newfound member of the piety association, Gerry Kelly.

The truth is that the Assembly should be leading the way by purging those representatives in the Assembly who front the paramilitaries, who in turn benefit from the exploitation of the people on the street. That must be our first step.