Open letter in relation to Dieter Reinisch's article 'A Fatal Attack in Dundalk, Racism and Irish Republicanism'

 Dieter Reinisch
Researcher, Department of History & Civilization

European University Institute

  A Fatal Attack in Dundalk, Racism and Irish Republicanism
Published by Dieter Reinisch on 5th January 2018
 A stabbing by an Egyptian teenager that left a Japanese man dead and two Irish men injured has reignited debates on immigration in Ireland. Irish Nationalist sentiments all too often turned into anti-Muslim racism as news spread that the attacker was a former asylum seeker to the United Kingdom who migrated to Ireland through the British North. People considering themselves as Irish Republicans were not immune to this. But is the ideology of Irish Republicanism even compatible with racism?
 In the past two days, since the fatal attack in Dundalk, a rural town in the Republic of Ireland, just south of the inner-Irish border, sections of the Irish population have used anti-migrant sentiments to attack Muslims and asylum seekers, preferably online.
 The racist and anti-immigration backlash is an abhorrent but commonly observed phenomenon in the aftermath of such attacks. This is not even stopped by the fact that the Irish police has found no evidence that links the recent attack in Dundalk to international Islamic terrorism.
 The past years have seen a rise in Neo-fascist and racist activities in Ireland. British First activists are frequent visitors to Ireland and a small bunch of people aimed but horribly failed to establish an Irish-branch of the German anti-Muslim movement Pegida.
 The timing for this racist outburst might be surprising. While the years of the Celtic Tiger brought a huge number of cheap labourer, particularly from Eastern Europe but also from the Philippines, the number of refugees applying to Ireland are low in recent years. In 2016, there were 2,245 applicants in Ireland, a decrease 32% from 2015. Those who arrive are usually well-integrated.
 Nonetheless, over the course of the past two days, observers criticising racist outbursts in the aftermaths of the Dundalk attack have been met by racist bigotry. The racist abuse thrown towards an Irish academic for tweeting an anti-racist message is disgusting.
 Some users use the anonymity of the Internet even to go that far to link their anti-British attitudes with sectarianism and anti-Muslim racism, calling for “Troubles 2.0” – however, this time their supposed enemy is not Britain and militant Loyalism but migrants:
 In their world-views, the people fleeing poverty and war in their own countries are the new settlers bringing with them a new Plantation. The migrants are equalised with British colonialists in the 17th century. What is forgotten – or rather ignored – is the fact that the majority of the people fleeing to Ireland nowadays are fleeing social, political, and religious oppression and poverty in former British (and French) colonies themselves.
 While all sorts of trolls use Social Media and online platforms for spreading their racist worldviews, it is most disappointing to see publicly known members of Irish Republican organisations voicing similar opinions on political forums in the past days – but also before at other occasions.
 The developing of racist, right-wing, or anti-Semitic expressions is not a new phenomenon among Irish Republicans. While Irish Republicans remember the fight of their comrades for the Spanish Republic, many Irishmen fought also on the side of Franco. One of the figures in the Irish Republican pantheon, Seán South was an outspoken anti-Semite. Nonetheless, these politics could never take hold of the movement as such.
 To be sure, Irish Republicanism has always been more anti-imperialist than Nationalist. In an interview I conducted with former Irish Republican prisoner and Blanketman Tommy McKearney, he told me that the Nationalist rhetoric came into the movement in the early 1980s when Sinn Féin started contesting elections. According to McKearney, in a populist move, the Sinn Féin leadership started to departure from a Republican position in order to embrace a broader Nationalist constituency and gain votes from the SDLP. (Interview with Tommy McKearney, Monaghan, 5. August 2015) In other words, while post-1981 Sinn Féin is characterised by constitutional (Left-)Nationalism, pre-1981 Provisionals were driven by anti-colonial Republicanism.
 While many readers might disagree with that analysis, it’s fair to say that Gaelic Nationalism is not a foundation pillar of Irish Republicanism. Gaelic Nationalism made its way into Irish Republicanism from the late 19th century onwards. The Gaelic Revival was in line with the similar National cultural resurgence in other European countries such as Germany, Italy, and the Slavic regions in the Habsburg monarchy. It was later popularised by the writings of 1916-leader Patrick Pearse. Nationalism truly played its role in the anti-colonial struggle.
 However, while nationalism played and still plays its part in the Irish separatist movement, it was not there from the beginning and, thus, it is not characteristic of the ideology of the movement. While individual Republican activists use Gaelic Nationalism to justify their anti-migrant and racist parochialism, they shall be reminded that Irish Republicanism itself is a “foreign” ideology, originating in North America and France and brought by Presbyterians from Pennsylvania and Paris to Ireland. The man remembered as the founding father of Republicanism in Ireland, Theobald Wolfe Tone, was himself a descent of 16th century French Presbyterians. Moreover, the founder of Irish Marxism, James Connolly, was born in Scotland, and the first Chief-of-Staff of the Provisional IRA, John Stephenson alias Seán MácStiofáin was English. I wonder if these activists would throw their racist bigotry at these men as well if they would have been their contemporaries.
 The American and French revolutions are the two most progressive events in pre-industrial human history. It was these two events that sparked the flame of Irish separatism for the decades and centuries to come. On 14 July 1789, the populace stormed the Bastille, replacing the tyranny of “Lex Rex, Rex Lex” with the slogan of “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity.” This slogan is as progressive as inclusive – right-wing Nationalism and racism, on the other hand, are reactionary and exclusive.
 The first Republican organisation on the island of Ireland was the Society of the United Irishmen. Seán Ó Brádaigh was not only the first Editor of An Phoblacht after the reorganisation of the Provisionals and one of the masterminds behind Irish federalism, he is also a Historian of early Republicanism in Ireland. In his biography of the Irish rebel Robert Emmet, he writes:
     The United Irish movement represents a coming together of various progressive forces at a period in human history which is now regarded as one of the pivotal epochs in the development in civilization. The American War of Independence and the French Revolution were concerned with national rights and human rights. The groundwork for these changes was prepared by thinkers and writers who proposed a change in our view of people and their place in the world.
     Irish separatism was always a strong force in itself and it continued to assert itself, sometimes at great cost, over the centuries. The leaders of the United Irishmen were people who infused this Irish assertion of identity with the ideas of democracy, republicanism and the rights of man. They thus put the Irish freedom struggle into the mainstream of progressive forces in the world.
 Irish Republicanism has over the centuries resisted all attempts to be removed from its place among the “progressive forces of the world.” During the 1930s, Irish Republicanism resisted to be taken over by Fascism; again, in the 1970s, it resisted the embracing of sectarianism. Today, Irish Republicanism must fight anti-immigration and anti-Muslim sentiments within its ranks and Irish society.
 Racism, Fascism, and sectarianism are not only incompatible with Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity, since the birth of Irish Republicanism, they are even used to weaken and eventually diminish its progressivity. Again, Ó Brádaigh explains:
     Irish Republicanism first flourished among the Presbyterians of Ulster and Belfast in particular. They found common cause with their Catholic neighbours and were joined by equally idealistic members of the established church. Belfast became known as “the Athens of the North” during the 1790s because of the lively debates and discussion about all the new ideas. Athens was “the cradle of democracy” and Belfast could have become another cradle of democracy. Instead of that, the generous human ideals of the United Irishmen were suppressed and silenced and the flames of sectarianism were fanned, until the “Athens of the North” became a cauldron of bigotry.
 These are the challenges Irish Republicanism faced in the 1790s and these are the challenges it faces today. Irish Republican activists and the leadership of their organisations need to understand that they will only achieve what they aim for if they deliver it for all people on the island of Ireland.
 In another speech commemorating the founding of the First (All-Ireland) Dáil Éireann on 21. January 1919, the same Seán Ó Brádaigh said:
     We are children of Ireland, but we are also, as Irish Republicans “enfants de la patrie” because the school of Irish Republicanism is a Franco-Irish school and we have all been there. Liberty, Equality, Fraternity are noble ideals which still inspire us and for which we still struggle, both North and South of the British-created border.
 The understanding of French influence in Irish Republicanism has resisted all attempts to drag Irish separatism from French Republicanism towards right-wing Nationalism in the past 225 years. It is the duty of the various leaderships of contemporary Republican organisations to educate their activists and future generations in these ideals. Irish Republicans need to fight racism and xenophobia actively in their communities because only a progressive and inclusive Republican movement can call itself the true heir of Wolfe Tone.

Dieter Reinisch is austrian fella that works in the EUI. He had produce articles and a book of quotes of RoB to put a example of his work. Now to the point.

The article in the beginning seems very reasonable. Photos against Islamophobia ans so on. But after a second and third read many red lights appear and McT thinks that some points have to be address.

You can't make a case with some twitter post and some observer's observations. Yes, many observers this days and not many of them working in the ground properly anyways.

He says:

over the course of the past two days, observers criticising racist outbursts in the aftermaths of the Dundalk attack have been met by racist bigotry. The racist abuse thrown towards an Irish academic for tweeting an anti-racist message is disgusting

In the ground apart of some posh people talking about it while shopping and a two lads nothing really special. 

By the way, people should talk carefully about academics this days, because in their side lays a lot of blame in the actual political, ideological and cultural disastrous situation of the general public.
Yes, a lot of comfortable positions, ideological and physical, a lot of subsidies from colleges, multinational and so. The betrayal of the academic world of the People, the betrayal of the intelligentsia towards the really critical spirits of the masses, towards the freedom's fight like the Irish, the fighting for justice and so, is astonishing.

Been and academic does not make you better than a rail worker, a bus driver, a supermarket workers or a unemployed young man.  

Some users use the anonymity of the Internet even to go that far to link their anti-British attitudes with sectarianism and anti-Muslim racism, calling for “Troubles 2.0” – however, this time their supposed enemy is not Britain and militant Loyalism but migrants:

Would be laughable that he use some twitter posts but this is serious. 

By the way, that someone that talks about Troubles 2.0 as if was a PlayStation game and have so much credibility to him makes to wonder and think.

One of the figures in the Irish Republican pantheon, Seán South was an outspoken anti-Semite. Nonetheless, these politics could never take hold of the movement as such.

When something like that is said should be always be accompanied by examples of what was said, by ideas, by a develop thought.
Let us talk about Karl Marx for example, and that he was pretty racist. Or that he was really antigay by the way. Or about how many socialists and communists became fascists and nazis in the '30 and '40 of the XX century. We can talk about Germany and Austria, about so many  communists and socialists than end in the SA and SS.
Something like that said like that is not culturally and ideologically mature to say the best. or he is trying to score some point?

While individual Republican activists use Gaelic Nationalism to justify their anti-migrant and racist parochialism, they shall be reminded that Irish Republicanism itself is a “foreign” ideology

Well, trying to be ideologically and politically smart is something that then you have to do with everything. What about saying in the same tone that Christianity is a foreign religion that at a point was fomented by the Roman Empire? Can we compare the Catholic Church and all they have done, with Irish Republicanism?
Republicanism is one thing, be it French, NorthAmerican or whatever he want to say. IRISH REPUBLICANISM is ...Irish. By the way, the Germans, Austrians, french, spanish, bristish (europeans in general and many of central europe) for centuries had been copying Native Nations, their customs, traditional ways, their traditional medicine (be them irish, cantabrian, african, asian and so)...Because sometimes it seems that there are only Native Nations outside Western States. And this goes to the westerners and the so call immigrants.

The Irish, as anyone else, they will be doing good if they take good examples and advices to further the case for Independence and Freedom. Nations like the Irish (or smaller sister nations) they had so much of they own, they have so many times been copied and robbed, by enemies and suppose friends alike, that is not that they can do it, they have a right. For sure unlike the Europeans they are  more thankful, even in this times of  selfishness and ungratefulness.

By the way, this comment have to taken in account:

What is forgotten – or rather ignored – is the fact that the majority of the people fleeing to Ireland nowadays are fleeing social, political, and religious oppression and poverty in former British (and French) colonies themselves.

 Many people came to Ireland because ideological and political problems that affects their lives in their native nations. And they don't came from really far away. And like some examples that can be made, they don't found things so easy as the people that you talk about. Quite the contrary. And some of this people even can face problems with the kind of migrants that he talks. And of course, we talk of everyone, regardless colour or religions, be them nigerian, egyptian, polish, lituanian, spanish, or whatever. Funny that people that don't care really about Ireland will found things easiers that other ones.

And excuses or arguments of the '50, '60 , '70 and even '80 regarding human migrations are not longer appropriate. Is not fair. Is not good and is not really the reality.
Why he don't say that nowadays and for some time now most of the people came for money. Really, the vast majority. The real refuges because political causes or religion problems are in fairness the minority. Their numbers are really low. People truly persecuted because politics and so should found refuge, but the reality is that more than 90% of the people came for money. Or are we going to compare someone that go a more industrially develop country to make more money to someone that found real problems in his or her land because the ideology, beliefs and so.
And by the way many of the people that came from other continents are not poor.  Many of the immigrants came from middle classes and even upper classes.
And, regardless of the class, even of upper working class origins, they have a high western mentality influence.

The understanding of French influence in Irish Republicanism has resisted all attempts to drag Irish separatism from French Republicanism towards right-wing Nationalism in the past 225 years. It is the duty of the various leaderships of contemporary Republican organisations to educate their activists and future generations in these ideals. Irish Republicans need to fight racism and xenophobia actively in their communities because only a progressive and inclusive Republican movement can call itself the true heir of Wolfe Tone.

Yes, is an influence. An influence, not a root, not the origin.  Before french republicanism as you say a Native Fighting People, the People of the Irish Nation was fighting and resisting already the english. Enough of people from ouside places going to the places and telling them how much they have taken from the outside. And more so when that people came form place that had and are really taking many things for many places and making them theirs.

The first and principal aim of Wolfe Tone was to break the connection with Englabnd (or call it now UK). I mean, the good thing of Irish History in general and particulary of the Irish Republican history is the so many written testimonies of the actors, so many works, letters and quotes by the actors themselves, like Pearse, Connolly, Liam Mellows, Bobby Sands. 

The Irish Republican Movement , the real and true one is a fighting one. Many people call themselves Republicans but when work or fight has to be done they have golden mouths and the most revolutionary excuses.
And if you don't fight or do any other political and so on work... at least have solidarity and don't try to confuse put mud in the ideological side of things. First of all because is not good.


To finish for now, the egypcian came from Britain.

Many, many of the immigrant population this days in Ireland, they don't came directly. They came from UK and they most important thing they came with a pretty english mentality.
A mentality that influence many native people of Ireland that are not much ideological and politically prepared. Then they are a tool in spreading englishness, even britishness, something that is detrimental to the Irish Nation and spirit and of course to the cause of Irish real Freedom and Independence.

The system use migrants against native peoples like the Irish. The trick us, they had and they still do.
They target for the soft spot and the introduce their global and english mentality.
The reality is not the same if some white brit fella come saying something, or that a black, pakistanis or mix fella says the same thing or mostly the same. The rejection in the first case probably wont happen in the second. To put and example, an agent or a traitor is not going to came to you with ugly face. he will be your best friend. And by the way, what about the racism against travellers of so many immigrants?

The globalisation continues and progress. All of this have to take to account, and more in a prepared academic like him.

And what about all the nazis and fascits immigrants (many of them of central east europe, or spanish) in Ireland?

And the facts that even the non-fascist ones are very much antirepublican? Some points to develop and talk about maybe...