Irish are ‘letting ourselves off the hook’ over right-wing extremism AN IRISH anti-racism organisation has warned political leaders “not to assume” the atrocities in Norway cannot happen here.
Catherine Lynch, co-ordinator of the Irish Network Against Racism (formerly ENAR Ireland), said European political leaders needs to consider the attacks in Norway – which appear to have been fuelled by racist and anti-Islam ideology – as “an urgent wake-up call”, and noted that the tragic events in Oslo show how “extremism can impact on the whole community”.
Reported racist crime in Ireland has been decreasing in recent times – from 214 in 2007 to 122 last year – but Lynch said there is a “clear sense” on the ground that racism is actually increasing, with an apparent “growing tolerance for and acceptance of racism”.
The Irish Network Against Racism is renewing its call for the introduction of aggravated sentencing, which would require increased sentencing where there has been a racist motivation. It is also calling for tougher measures to combat internet racism.
“The 1989 [Incitement to Hatred] Act has long been under review,” said Lynch. “We now need to see results including assurances that racism on the internet shall be explicitly covered within the scope of the legislation.”
She said a suggestion that right-wing extremism is not a concern in Ireland is “letting ourselves off the hook”.
Indeed, in recent months a group called Democratic Right Movement (DRM) Ireland – a self-described “white, nationalist political movement” – has been developing a street presence in Dublin to complement its website, where it propagates its extremist views.
Founder Michael Quinn told Metro Éireann that the group “definitely wouldn’t support” the actions of xenophobe Anders Behring Breivik, whose killing spree claimed at least 76 lives on 22 July – including many young people at a Labour Party youth camp on the island of Utoeya, near Oslo – although their views mirror some of those in Breivik’s diaries and ‘manifesto’ discovered in the wake of the tragedy.
“I don’t condone him going and slaughtering children,” said Quinn, who nevertheless indicated that politicians were ‘fair game’.
Quinn said the main aim of DRM is to “reclaim our country” and restore the “white Irish nation”.
He added: “We’re realists more so [than racists]. We want to see eastern Europeans gone as well... I’ve no problem with the Muslims – or whoever you want to mention – as long as they stay in their own countries.”
Quinn said Nigeria, where most African immigrants in Ireland are from, has “incredible natural resources and yet the country is a shithole. They [Nigerians] are like children in need of parental guidance, they just can’t get their shit together.”
Quinn would not indicate the membership figures of DRM.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Embassy in Dublin has said that e-mails and letters have been “streaming in” from people in Ireland offering sympathy following the bomb and shooting double attack, with hundreds signing a book of condolence.
The embassy’s charge d’affairs Carl Christopher Gjerpen told Metro Éireann the nature of the messages comprise “expressions of shock and supporting the Norwegian people in this time of crisis”.
He said there are around 200 Norwegians in Ireland registered with the embassy but “thankfully” it is not aware of any Norwegians here having been directly affected by the tragedy through the loss of loved ones.
- People can report racist incidents online at enarireland.org or at their local Garda station.
