5 July 2001 Edition

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Mála Poist

26th Turkish hunger striker dies



A Chairde,

We would like to congratulate An Phoblacht for being the only media outlet to provide in depth reports on the ongoing hunger strike of political prisoners in Turkey.

Readers of An Phoblacht will be familiar with a picture of a young female hunger-striker wearing a red headband, which has been used to illustrate many reports.

Sadly, Zehra Kulaksiz died on 29 June 29 after 221 days on hunger strike. She was 22 years old. Her sister Canan, aged 19, died on hunger strike in April. Zehra became the 26th martyr to die in the death fast. In an interview two months ago she said ``Our prisoners are isolated and tortured. It may be hard for you to understand but that is why we have to die.''

The latest news from Turkey is that the State has this week released a number of hunger strikers who were in a very weak condition. They are continuing the death fast outside the jail. If they end their fast the Turkish state will return them to the prison isolation cells. In this way the state hopes to avoid blame for future deaths. Obviously, the Turkish state has learned this cruel ploy from the old British `Cat and Mouse Act' of 1913, which was used against suffragettes and Irish republicans.

We urge republicans and all those concerned about human rights in Turkey to become active in support of the Turkish Hunger Strike. Regular activities take place in Dublin and support groups have also been set up in Belfast and Derry. More information can be obtained from our website at www.geocities.com/turkishhungerstrike or by e-mailing [email protected].

Mags Glennon

For `Solidarity with Hunger Strikers in Turkey'


Ongoing Oldham debate



A Chairde,

Contrary to Fern Lane's reply to the `Understanding Oldham' letter (AP/RN 14/6/01), it wasn't AFA that got the facts wrong. Radio 4's Today programme highlighted ``disturbing evidence that Asian youths in parts of Oldham are trying to create no go areas for white people'' on Thursday 19 April. This story was widely covered in the media on Friday 20 April; e.g.. Guardian - ``No go for whites in race hotspot'', Telegraph - ``Police fear Asian gangs may set up no go areas''.

Walter Chamberlain, the 76 year old white pensioner, was attacked by an Asian gang on the following day, Saturday 21 April, and as we said seemed to confirm the `no go' stories rather than initiate them. Similarly the police statistics claiming 60% of racial attacks in Oldham were carried out by Asians on whites were aired on the Today programme, two days before the attack on Mr Chamberlain.

Why is the chronology of events important? Because if the `facts' are wrong the conclusions will be wrong. The evidence has been ignored for years because it shows the official `anti-racist' strategy isn't working; the riots proving that the promotion of `cultural diversity' at the expense of the white working class is a recipe for disaster.

The Walter Chamberlain incident followed the attack on Wayne Cross, a 16 year old schoolboy, badly injured in an (Asian) gang attack (and only saved from worse injuries by an (Asian) taxi driver), and that was preceded by the attack on 23 year old Mark Clayton who lost 5 pints of blood after being stabbed by an (Asian) gang in another unprovoked attack. Which is why The Independent columnist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown is surely right when she comments: ``I am not one of those hypocrites who cry foul when white racism is in the news but crawl under rocks when they are called upon to criticize their own.''

A year earlier Darcus Howe predicted serious racial violence in his `White Tribe' television series, and police statistics claimed that 71% of racist attacks in Oldham were carried out against whites as far back as 1993.

The reason we consider these facts important is because, like Fern Lane, we do not seek to justify support for the BNP, but to understand the issues and come up with solutions.

Phil Woolas, MP for Oldham East, said in an admission that existing anti-racist strategies are not working: ``Our campaign against the racists will involve a faster strategy of integration. This however will only work if the discontented white population can see that all receive tangible benefits from policy, that all are equal before the law and that where British Asians are given a hand up it is because of real disadvantage not because of race. The traditional tactic of the anti-racist movement must change. We are dealing with a deep discontent in both communities. The political class must deal with the situation as it is, not where we would like it to be.''

Finally, I never said Fern Lane justified the attack on Walter Chamberlain; the criticism was directed at the ``British Left''.

Terry Mitchell

(Anti-Fascist Action, Britain)


Orange RUC



A Chairde,

I am very concerned about the RUC's unwillingness to do anything about the loyalist blockade of Catholic school children in Ardoyne. If it was a Protestant school being blockaded the RUC would use everything at their disposal to keep the nationalists back.

What this summer will show is that they are as Orange as they ever were. No one who calls himself an Irishman or a Catholic could even remotely consider joining this pro-Union and anti-nationalist paramilitary force. Ardoyne should teach us that decommissioning would be crazy while this terrorist police force remains largely unchanged.

Nationalists have never been given any political power in this colony. Any `concessions' given have been taken by military and political struggle. I fear this summer the loyalists etc will attack more than in recent years to try to show that the IRA is incapable of defending their own people. I do not think the republican movement can sit back and say people must not be provoked, hold your nerve etc! What use is a GFA or assembly if your kids cannot even go to school by the front door!

Jim Downey

Newry


An honest Orangeman



A Chairde,

I saw Nelson McCausland, the Orange Order's Education Officer, on UTV's Holy Ground programme on 2 July. For once, we received an honest portrayal of the Orangemen's creed from an authoritative source.

McCausland characterised Catholics as non-Christians and as ``unbelievers''. He also defended the ban on an Orangeman marrying a Roman Catholic, on pain of being expelled from the Order.

He claimed Biblical authority for the ban and for `parading' about the place ad nauseam during the summer months. McCausland also reiterated his support for the Protestant British Crown (but did not in this instance claim that he had read this particular instruction in the Bible). He looked a bit stuck though, when asked if he understood why the unbelieving Catholics might find it offensive to see him and his band of `super-duper' Protestants demanding to march down their street.

McCausland said he prayed that the Catholics would one day leave their delusions and un-belief behind them. Considering the way the Orangemen are going about it, such a transformation truly would be a miracle (albeit a non-Biblical one).

Another welcome development on this programme was seeing a Church of Ireland clergyman and a C of I layperson vigorously attack the Orange Order and its sectarian portrayal of Protestant beliefs. If we saw more of the latter, Orange bigotry would lose its authoritative voice.

Mick Finnegan,

Cabra,

Dublin 7


SDLP must respect nationalist consensus



A Chairde,

On Good Friday 1998, after negotiations an agreement was reached between what have become known as the pro-Agreement parties. It was then ratified a number of weeks later in referenda by the vast majority of the people of Ireland.

No sooner was the ink dry on the Agreement than David Trimble embarked on his mission to renegotiate it in more favourable terms for unionists. He cannot be allowed to succeed and I am disgusted to see how the SDLP once more seem more intent on attacking republicans than insisting that the Agreement be implemented as ratified by the people of Ireland.

Is the SDLP going to aquiesce in the denial of the democratic wishes of the Irish people by allowing the unionists to succeed in using the well worn threat that if nationalists demand too much equality it will topple the leader of unionism, only to have him replaced by a more hard-line one? They have used that tactic with every unionist leader since Terence O'Neill.

Its about time that those who put themselves forward for election as nationalists deliver what the nationalist people want, not what is politically expedient. The nationalist people want complete equality. The SDLP should not be capitulating to unionist threats by sending out signals that they will accept less than 100% equality.

We don't need the Stormont Assembly to get equaluty so long as all of those who put themselves forward as guarantors of nationalist rights (SDLP, Sinn Féin and the Irish government) stick together.We have been let down too often by our political leaders. The nationalist consensus brought us this far. It will take us all the way if the representatives of nationalist Ireland stand together.

M Doherty

Derry City

An Phoblacht
44 Parnell Sq.
Dublin 1
Ireland