Nazi Slur Hides Ireland's Shame

Forgetting Ireland's Real Shame

Published on January 30, 2005 By theknitter In Current Events

Nazi Slur

SUMMARY: QUEEN IN A FURY OVER NAZI SLUR - SUNDAY MIRROR - Jan 30 2005 - She axes historic trip to Ireland - By Paul Gilfeather Political Editor And Deborah Sherwood ---- THE Queen has pulled the plug on plans for an historic trip to Ireland after the country's President compared Protestants to Nazis. Her Majesty is said to have told advisers that Mary McAleese's remarks were a "slap in the face". And she was so offended by the claim that Protestant kids were taught to hate Catholics in the same way that Nazis hated Jews,that she scrapped the state visit.

It would have been the first time the Queen had visited Ireland. The tour was set to include Northern Ireland. A senior palace aide said: "She feels it was a gratuitous insult to her Protestant subjects in Ulster." During ceremonies to mark the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp last week, President McAleese suggested that Catholics in the province have suffered like Jews during Hitler's war on Europe. McAleese said: "They gave to their children an irrational hatred of Jews in the same way that people in Northern Ireland transmitted to their children an irrational hatred of Catholics - in the same way that people give their children an outrageous and irrational hatred of those who are of different colour."

Within 24 hours she had apologised, insisting she was "deeply sorry", but her words have stunned the royal household and been condemned elsewhere. "It came like a slap in the face," added the royal insider. "By implying that Catholics in Ulster were persecuted as the Jews had been by the Nazis is a gratuitous insult. These remarks by President McAleese have thrown everything up in the air. "Years of work have gone into this by both Conservative and Labour governments." Palace officials, along with British and Irish civil servants, have spent years drawing up elaborate plans for the visit. Security chiefs were finally satisfied the Queen would be safe during the visit. Tony Blair was also anxious to bring about the state visit during his leadership.

Although a formal date had not been fixed, huge security plans have been made as the Queen has an open invitation. But the President's outburst has torpedoed the trip - and sources say it could be years before it is re-scheduled. President McAleese said she was devastated by the reaction which her remarks generated, and acknowledged she had been "clumsy". The Queen has good reason for wanting to steer clear of the Nazi row. Earlier this month her grandson Harry was forced to apologise after being photographed at a fancy dress party wearing a swastika arm-band.

Kathy Ferguson Comments on : Are Unionists justified in their criticism of the President's comments on religious intolerance?

I would like to remind Mary McAleese about Irelands recent past about the Heinous crimes that were committed by the Religious Orders that ran the Irish Industrial Schools. These places were all Catholic. A lot of children that were in these places were not born in Ireland and were not Catholic. The Irish Government even gave the bill to the British Government, and they paid. Some children were used in Vaccine Trials . Ireland should hang their head in shame. What about my Criminal Conviction that is still with me today. I was a Baby when I was taken to Court and charged. Look at your own past first and try and put things right with the people that have been left with this Legacy. The Child Abuse Commission would be a good place to start . After all I have now been waiting over 5 years to go to this Commission and still have not been given a date.

by Kathy Ferguson

Comments

Solitair

on Feb 01, 2005

While a very stupid comment to make, I think it is being blown out of proportion.

She was legitimately expressing an understanding of how hatred can be fed by parents to their children and create a society fed on such hatred. Her mistake, and it was a big one, was to give a one sided comparison of protestant v catholic as oppossed to indicating that both sides of the north have been guilty of spreading such hatred.

No one disagrees with the basic sentiment, but her delivery of that sentiment was reminisent of the verbal blunders prince phillip is well known for. She has however made an immediate, public (more than prince Harry did) and deepfelt apology and should be forgiven. She will need to work on building the relationships she damaged by her foolish comments though.

Paul.

O G San

on Feb 02, 2005

What Mary McAleese said was deeply offensive to the Protestant people in the north. Many Protestants (and Catholics too of course) gave their lives to defeat fascism. I am a northern Protestant and the idea that I was brought up to hate Catholics would certainly be news to my parents and teachers.

The President has quite rightly apologised for the offence she caused.

In my opinion, this comment is not indicative of her attitude towards Protestants. She has made great efforts to reach out to the Protestant people in the north, especially the marginalised loyalist working-class. It would be a shame if all this good work were to be undone by one comment.

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