Irish community united against racism

IRISH community and cultural organisations have spoken out strongly against organised attacks against immigrant communities in Scotland, and against fascist-style assemblies which have taken place in both Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Having welcomed members from a variety of ethnic origins and family backgrounds, the Irish community organisations have functioned not only as expressions of Irish identity in Scotland but as a vehicle to share Irish culture with other and to offer a welcome home for those seeking to build new lives in Scotland.

Signed by Scotland GAA and LGFA on behalf of Scotland’s GAA clubs, Comhaltas na hAlban, Conradh Na Gaeilge Glaschú, 1916 Rising Centenary Committee (Scotland), Call it Out, Glasgow St Patrick’s Festival, Coatbridge St Patrick’s Festival, Cairde Na Éireann, An Gorta Mór Commemoration Committee, The Fáilte Network, the Little Ireland Project Edinburgh, the James Connolly Society, the Irish Diaspora in Scotland Association the Irish History Group (Govanhill Baths Community Trust) and The Irish Voice, the statement delivered a call for the Irish community to reject hatred and intolerance and to use the experience of our community to behave with compassion and respect towards others.

Firm and unequivocal stance

“The Irish community in Scotland stands firmly and unequivocally against racism, fascism and bigotry in all their forms,” the statement said. “Recent fascist-style gatherings and the spread of anti-immigrant agitation on Scotland’s streets demand a clear response. Hatred does not become acceptable because it is dressed up as patriotism, concern for communities or the defence of national identity. Fascism must be confronted, racism must be named, and the scapegoating of migrants and minority communities must never be ignored, excused or normalised.

“We speak, together, as a community shaped by generations of migration. Hundreds of thousands of Irish people came to Scotland throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, many of them driven from their homes by poverty, political oppression and An Gorta Mór (the Great Hunger). They arrived seeking safety, work, dignity and the possibility of a better life. They were not always welcomed.

“Irish migrants and their descendants endured slum housing, workplace discrimination, bigotry, racism, political exclusion and open hostility. They were portrayed as dangerous outsiders, blamed for social problems and told that they did not belong. The language used to dehumanise migrants today has disturbing echoes of the language once directed at our own families.

“Yet Irish people helped to build modern Scotland. Across generations, our community laboured in its mines, hydroelectric dams, factories, construction sites, hospitals and public services. We contributed immeasurably to Scotland’s physical development and to its social, cultural, sporting, trade-union and political life. The Scotland we know today would not exist without migration and it would not exist without the contribution of Irish migrants.”

Historic responsibility

Given those experiences, the signatories spoke of their rejection of attempts to use Irish ethnicity and identity as a vehicle to attack other communities.

“That history places a responsibility upon us,” it continued. “As a community that has experienced racism, bigotry and exclusion, we must stand in solidarity with those who now seek safety, opportunity and a place to belong.

“We reject unequivocally every attempt to draw Scotland’s multigenerational Irish community into movements that divide working-class communities, scapegoat minorities or foster fear and hostility between neighbours.

“Those who attempt to recruit Irish people or invoke Irish identity in support of anti-immigrant politics speak neither for our history nor for our community. There is no contradiction between taking crime, violence or pressure on public services seriously and rejecting collective blame, racial intimidation and mob justice.

“We are committed to ensuring that younger generations understand the history of Irish migration to Scotland, the hardships faced by those who came before us, and the values of solidarity, compassion, inclusion and mutual support that enabled our community to survive and flourish.

“Our cultural, educational and sporting organisations exist not to retreat behind walls, but to strengthen the communities around us. They are open to everyone. We warmly encourage anyone with an interest in the Irish language, music, song, culture or sport to become involved. Our traditions are strongest when they are shared—confidently Irish, proudly rooted in Scotland and welcoming to people of every background.

“The lesson of our history is not that the door should be closed behind us. It is that no community should be subjected to the prejudice, exclusion and hostility endured by those who came before us. We will not be divided. We will not be used. We will not stand silent. The future we seek is one built on friendship, dignity, inclusion, respect, solidarity and our shared humanity.”