Anti sectarianism now a sham

Employers and workers need to do more to tackle sectarianism in the workplace, according to a new report. The study, commissioned by the STUC, found "real progress" has been made in reducing sectarian prejudice, it claims the problem has evolved into a "more subtle and disguised form".

Among the report’s finding’s is that clear guidance is provided to eliminate the passing off of sectarianism as banter or humour. The report says: "By this device verbal abuse of another, or others, can be disguised or deflected, and then more opprobrium can be heaped upon the target by blaming them for their lack of a sense of humour."

Employers should have effective procedures for protecting anyone making a complaint and create an environment in which all employees see it as their duty to fellow workers to report any form of sectarianism and support those who become targets for prejudice.

Firms should also be legally required to monitor sectarian incidents at work, the report said, and this should include examples of direct discrimination. Titled, "Sectarianism and the Workplace" by Professor Gerry Finn, Fatima Uygun and Andrew Johnston of Strathclyde University, the report says "although increasingly rare in its most heinous forms, sectarianism is still expressed in a variety of levels of behaviour" from the "relatively trivial to the relatively serious".

Here is one of the authors Fatima Uygun's My Space page http://www.myspace.com/475412867 You will notice she signs herself as FatimaCeltic67, hardly impartial, don't you think? In case you think the above would not cloud Fatima's judgement, here's another link for you to look at http://www.talfanzine.com/apps/profile/profilePage?id=39241389

Talfanzine is an IRA supporting fanzine where numerous pages are devoted to Irish Republican groups and issues. Are we really to believe that Fatima conducted this report with an open mind? Are we really being told to believe what Fatima says about bigotry, when she in fact is a bigot and member of bigoted groups herself?

The anti sectarian researcher Fatima Uygun is a hypocrite and exactly why Protestant's in this country do not trust these groups one iota. This is a concerted attack by anti Protestant bigots with an angenda, who will use any method to further their sectarian aims.


The research by bigoted Fatima also included the use of focus groups and interviews with union officials, finding claims of sectarianism from the finance sector to the building industry.One example given by a participant was said to have taken place in the past five years in a well-off area where a house was on fire.

The report said: "Initially the houseowner refused to allow all personnel of the fire service to enter because he did not allow Catholics in his house. The leading fire officer in attendance, who was a Protestant, insisted that unless all of his crew were allowed to enter, no-one would go in to extinguish the fire." STUC general-secretary Grahame Smith said the report was a significant contribution to the ongoing debate about sectarianism .

As someone who agrees we should eliminate bigotry in all shapes and forms, regardless of which side of the fence the perpetrator comes from. It appears this report is another half-baked, one-sided attack on the Protestant community. I’m sure we could find thousands of sectarian incidents, which have occurred over the past few years in this country.

Yet the report singles out a Protestant who would not allow RC firemen to attend a fire in his house. Are they honestly telling us, someone’s house was on fire and the chap in question refused entry to Catholic fire crews? How did he know which religion they belonged to? The anti sectarian debate in Scotland is nothing more than a sham now I’m afraid. Since wee Jack McConnell and his Bhoys became involved, it’s become a concerted attack on the Protestant majority of Scotland.

If these people really are serious about tackling bigotry, why not look at the consequences of dividing children aged 5 into religious groups and educating them through their school years and most impressionable period of life? How much is the taxpayer having to spend on an apartheid system of education which tells children they are not to be educated with their next door neighbours, simply because they are Protestant?

What about the Protestant teachers being refused promotion, for no reason other than they are not RC? Would this same discrimination be allowed in any other place of work? If RC schools, which most non Catholic’s object to paying for are left out of the sectarian debate on the orders of the RC church, then you can’t expect most people to take the campaign with any seriousness.

In fact the much sought after expert on bigotry (Aye Right), Professor Tom Devine  gave the game away recently when he stated, it is time to call the problem for what it is. "It isn't sectarianism, it is anti-Catholicism"

Of course, we know fine well the cowardly politicians of Scotland will never question the ethics of religiously divided schooling, as they don’t want to upset the RC church and lose the so called green vote. No one will question Devine or his masters in the RC church, simply because they know the backlash will follow soon after. If the so called anti sectarian groups wish to be taken seriously, then they must call for a study to be carried out on the costs, effectiveness and consequences of the apartheid schooling system in Scotland.

Most decent minded and fair thinking Scots want sectarianism eradicated from society, of that there’s no question. However most non-Catholic’s now see the campaign as a sham and an excuse to smear and attack the Protestant community.  Fairy tales like the house on fire above and the constant smearing of one section of society, whilst allowing another section to act without fear and hindrance, only breeds more resentment and a suspicion that in fact, the people who claim to be anti sectarian, are as ill judged and as they are bigoted.

The Government should halt all financial payments to any group such as this now.