Reid Nazi remark stokes up political storm

FATHER Alec Reid, one of the churchmen who witnessed IRA decommissioning last month was at the centre of a political storm last night despite his apology for comparing unionists to Nazis.

The Catholic priest apologised profusely for his words but was condemned by unionists and by North Secretary Peter Hain on the floor of the House of Commons. Challenged by Democratic Unionist MP Sammy Wilson to admonish the Redemptorist priest, Mr Hain responded: “Although Father Alec Reid has apparently apologised for those remarks, of course I condemn what he said.”

Ulster Unionist Party leader Reg Empey said Fr Reid had destroyed confidence in the decommissioning process. “How can the word of somebody using that sort of language be taken seriously,” he asked. The apologetic priest said he lost it in the heat of the moment during angry exchanges at a public meeting on IRA weapons decommissioning in a Belfast church last night.

Father Reid said: “I was deeply provoked and offended by comments, many comments, about my church, my integrity and Clonard Monastery.

“In the heat of the moment I lost my temper and I deeply regret what I said. I have the highest regard for unionists and I regard them as a gifted people.”

During clashes with some audience members at the Fitzroy Presbyterian Church hall he blurted out: “The reality is that the nationalist community in Northern Ireland were treated almost like animals by the unionist community. They were not treated like human beings. It was like the Nazis’ treatment of the Jews.”

Father Reid said yesterday what he had been trying to say was that nationalists had not been given the respect they were due by unionists. “I didn’t put it very well,” he conceded.

William Frazer, of the victims group Families Acting for Innocent Relatives, who claim Protestants were butchered by Catholics during the Troubles, walked out of the public meeting in disgust after Fr Reid’s comments.