Ruane inflicted an insult which NI public should not be expected to put up with
The Irish Times reports that a complaint has been lodged with the PSNI regarding Catriona Ruane’s loathsome address delivered at a West Belfast school prize giving. Certainly her remarks, praising terrorist hunger striker Bobby Sands, would fall foul of legislation aimed at eradicating the glorification of terrorism by any normal application of such criteria. It is unfortunately highly improbable that any charges will be brought.
Ulster Unionist education spokesman Basil McCrea summed up the incident rather neatly.
Ruane turned film critic at this gathering as well, heaping opprobrium upon those advancing the notion that ‘The Wind That Shakes the Barley’ was not a feat of wonderful impartial film making.
A SF spokesman defended Ruane, describing Sands as ‘an iconic figure, respected around the world’. Unfortunately the IRA’s terror campaign is often portrayed as a romantic struggle. That is a despicable fact with which the group’s victims have had to learn to live. Sinn Féin has always been in the vanguard of rewritten history as regards republican atrocities.
It is clear, however, that a line must be drawn somewhere, and praising perpetrators of terror in the execution of ministerial duties is some way beyond what Northern Ireland’s public should be expected to put up with. As First Minister Peter Robinson should instigate measures to discipline her.
Ulster Unionist education spokesman Basil McCrea summed up the incident rather neatly.
“It is a matter of profound shame that an Education Minister of the Northern Ireland Executive stood in front of schoolchildren and lauded a terrorist hunger striker. It is also incredibly disturbing that the Education Minister revealed frightening authoritarian tendencies by attacking those who dared to criticise a film that gave a historically inaccurate account of the Civil War.”
Ruane turned film critic at this gathering as well, heaping opprobrium upon those advancing the notion that ‘The Wind That Shakes the Barley’ was not a feat of wonderful impartial film making.
A SF spokesman defended Ruane, describing Sands as ‘an iconic figure, respected around the world’. Unfortunately the IRA’s terror campaign is often portrayed as a romantic struggle. That is a despicable fact with which the group’s victims have had to learn to live. Sinn Féin has always been in the vanguard of rewritten history as regards republican atrocities.
It is clear, however, that a line must be drawn somewhere, and praising perpetrators of terror in the execution of ministerial duties is some way beyond what Northern Ireland’s public should be expected to put up with. As First Minister Peter Robinson should instigate measures to discipline her.
Comments
Considering that Peter Robinson can't sign his own name without the agreement of Martin McGuinness, I would imagine that no action is going to be taken.
In the same way that Martin McGuinness couldn't instigate action if another member of the Executive was to praise the Security Forces.
The NI Executive comprises quite a number of the most bizarre bed-fellows indeed.
To put it another way, if a Muslim Education Minister was to praise Al Qaida, their P45 would arrive in the post with a swiftness, and rightly so.
Ruane should be treated in exactly the same way.
Safiya, both the majority of people who vote for Sinn Féin, and ultimately, the majority of people in Twinbrook, consider Bobby Sands to be a great man. To most people there is a difference between the Security Forces and the IRA. But not to Republicans who consider the IRA and the Security Forces to be each others equal.
"To put it another way, if a Muslim Education Minister was to praise Al Qaida, their P45 would arrive in the post with a swiftness, and rightly so."
Not if the person whose job it would be to sack her was a former member of Al-Qaeda. It also wouldn't be that much of a deal if said Education Minister was a member of the party that is alledgedly the political wing of Al-Qaeda.
"I think Seamus is quite aware of the difference. He simply likes to leave the odd provocative message every once in a while."
And most people are aware that there is a difference between Al-Qaeda and the IRA yet you weren't as quick to point that out to Safiya.