Michael McGowan celebrates writer and activist Margaretta D’Arcy for her principled stance against war
The arrest of Irish writer and peace activist Margaretta D’Arcy at her home in Galway city, and her subsequent imprisonment in Limerick for protesting against the use of Shannon airport by US military planes, raises important issues for Ireland and the EU in a year when Irish voters will go to the polls in the first European elections since the EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Along with fellow EU member states Austria, Finland and Sweden, Ireland is not a member of the US-led Nato military alliance, and professes to being a neutral country (although this is contested from time to time and is often neither understood nor clearly defined). At the same time, Ireland has links with the alliance through the Partnership for Peace (PFP), a bilateral programme in which Irish forces take part in peacekeeping where there is a UN mandate.
The stance of the people of Ireland against war is not unclear. The Irish were among people all over the world who took to the streets in droves to protest against the US and UK invasion and occupation of Iraq, but were ignored. Lessons still have to be learnt from this disaster.
Long before, Ireland had a record of solidarity with the people of South Africa, when they challenged the laws of apartheid and racial segregation and the denial of human rights, including the right to vote of the majority of South Africans.
But back to the present day: it is widely recognised, including by the woman herself, that Margaretta D’Arcy is intent on seeking publicity for her opposition to US military involvement in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere, and that she has been highly successful in achieving this objective. Moreover, she is not prepared to sign a bond to agree to refrain from protesting against the US military use of Shannon, which she says would be a denial of her human right to protest.
Among those showing admiration for her stand is Sabina Higgins, the wife of the President of Ireland, who visited Limerick Prison in order to see her longstanding friend in an act of affection and solidarity which was widely respected, and not only in Ireland.
It has to be said that locking her away in prison appears to be heavy-handed and lacking in compassion, and is in danger of undermining Ireland’s reputation as a defender of human rights and a resource for peace in the world.
Ireland is highly respected for its work with UN peace forces, as an upholder of the principles of human rights, and for its work in conflict zones and among some of the poorest countries in the world. This stands out in the west, as despite the lip service paid to both European and UN values and principles of democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights, there is substantial evidence of the use of torture and rendition by western powers.
Ireland is a nation of words, writers, artists, and diplomats and has the potential to be a resource for peace the likes of which the world has yet to witness. In Michael D Higgins, Ireland has a president whose command of words has been consistently used in support of the oppressed and victims of conflict and for peace and human rights.
That Ireland is not a member of Nato may well be a crucial asset in helping to resolve conflict in Syria and Ukraine, and where the membership of Nato by most EU countries is often seen as an obstacle to peace and a continuation of Cold War politics.
It is surely time to debate what Ireland’s neutrality really means as we move forward in a crucial year for the EU. So let the debate begin, with Ireland taking a big leap forward in the pursuit of world peace.
I would expect that the early release from prison of 79-year-old Margaretta D’Arcy might well help to boost that debate and would command the widest support and respect both in Ireland and internationally.
Michael McGowan is a former MEP and President of the Development Committee of the European Parliament.
