The late Holocaust survivor, Tomi Reichental, performed an invaluable service to humanity.
Instead of allowing himself to be consumed by hatred, he devoted much of his time to reminding us that the racially motivated murder of millions by an evil regime really occurred, despite the best efforts of certain groups and individuals to deny that unassailable fact.
Awareness of the Holocaust, and how it happened; is more vital than ever now, with racism making a comeback, even in parts of Europe where, many believed, it had been consigned to history.
Denying the Holocaust is essential for those who seek to promote the very hatreds and prejudices that gave rise to it in the first place. Racism has always been around, in one guise or another, but the Holocaust changed the perception of any high profile attempt to denigrate or dehumanise people because of their ethnicity, skin colour or country of origin.
Since 1945, racists have had to spread their hatred in the shadow of that ghastly event that stands as an eternal reminder of what happens when one set of people decide that another is less than human or just shouldn’t exist.
The reality of the Holocaust is an impediment to the ambitions of all up and coming racists. It undermines and shames them before they can even get their hate show on the road.
We should all reflect on the origins of the Holocaust. We should think twice before pushing our national flag in the faces of non-nationals, denying the right to worship, or screaming “Get Them Out” at people huddled in fear inside a tent or accommodation centre. They are human beings like us, as were the people burned out of their homes in the North last week.
Tomi Reichental spoke at schools nationwide to share his memories and his warnings.
Teachers in all schools need to drive home the message that racism is never acceptable…whether as an attitude recklessly displayed, or as part of any so-called political strategy “Never again” should be more than just a slogan.
John Fitzgerald, Callan, Co Kilkenny
Neely’s victims deserve answers
On June 9, BBC Spotlight broadcast serious allegations of abuse and safeguarding failures against the Church of Ireland.
Canon WG Neely, who abused boys in his Mount Merrion parish in east Belfast and in the scouts organisation, was the subject of new allegations.
Francis Bostrom, who now lives in England, bravely spoke of his experience of Neely’s twisted sadistic sexual appetite directed at young boys.
The Church knew of Neely’s abuse at least since 1974, two years prior to his being silently and without explanation moved over the border to a rural Tipperary parish. Neely was kept there for eight years before being moved back to Armagh.
The Church of Ireland protected the perpetrator and cared nothing for Neely’s victims. It still does not.
Visual confirmation is available to those attending services at St Patrick’s Cathedral Armagh. They may look to the right of the entrance and see a grave closest to the entrance. It is Neely’s.
Despite paying compensation to two victims, the Church of Ireland has not once named Neely as an abuser.
Pious synodical declarations about safeguarding have not heard a sentence about Neely or other members of the clergy convicted of crimes against children. Compensation payments are buried in accounting footnotes and unspecified bishops’ expenses.
In the Spotlight programme, the Church of Ireland continued its policy of refusing to supply a spokesperson on camera.
The Church hopes that awkward questions can be blown away on winds of hoped-for media indifference. The media might also ask why Neely’s last will and testament, worth nearly £200,000, is missing from Belfast’s Probate Office.
Neely’s victims and all those abused demand accountability.
Niall Meehan, Journalism & Media Faculty, Griffith College Dublin
Is Israeli bill ‘a waste of time’?
The Government’s approval of its Israeli Settlements Bill to replace the Occupied Territories Bill 2018 has attracted much comment in your columns and elsewhere.
A majority still support Senator Frances Black’s bill, though some have concerns about possible repercussions for Ireland. One correspondent’s minority view is that the Occupied Territories Bill is “a waste of time”. In a sense she may have a point.
The predominant waste time wasted in the Occupied Territories Bill saga has been that of ordinary people all over Ireland. Over six years, in their hundreds of thousands, they took part in massive peaceful protests. These included families with buggies, with older children carrying home painted signs. There were and are, vigils in many suburbs and villages countrywide. Since 2020, they have voted in two general elections, producing large majorities for parties and deputies committed to enacting the Occupied Territories Bill.
Senator Black’s Occupied Territories Bill (20I8) is a patently peaceful, innovative legislative proposal. It can be applied to any invaded country. It would not sanction ordinary Israelis, only those involved in illegal occupation of Palestinian houses and land. Such sensitive legislation, meticulously drawn up did not deserve its six years of delay. Thiat diminished public confidence in our representative democracy.
Was this the mentioned “waste of time”? Had the Occupied Territories Bill been enacted and taken up worldwide, as so many Irish initiatives have been, many of the innocents in Gaza and southern Israel, might have been spared.
Nobody wasted the time of the Irish shop workers in 1984, in their impacting against South African apartheid. Successive Irish governments had made it clear that they would not be imposing sanctions against that country. Aged from 17 to 24 years, the workers were not deterred. Though suspended on £26.50 (€33.65) strike pay, they maintained their picket until April I987. By then the Irish government had agreed to ban the importation of all South African goods, the first in Europe to do so..
If only, the present Irish Government had advised their citizens that, no matter what electoral mandates, or approval from the International Court of Justice they obtained, they would not be implementing the Occupied Territories Bill (2018). With such knowledge, the public could have diverted their efforts to other peaceful methods of effective advocacy for Palestine and the Middle East. Early and frank clarification by Irish governments of their policies and constraints is essential for Ireland to maximise its impact on urgent humanitarian situations.
Philip Powell, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin
Coverage of GAA games
I fully concur with Senator Michael Kennelly when he recently said that: “GAA football and hurling fans cannot be subjected to another season of not being able to watch their county teams compete in the Provincial and All-Ireland Championships on TV.”
I believe that taking Gaelic football and hurling out of the homes of the ordinary people of this country is not in the interest of promoting our Gaelic and our national games. Over the weekend, there were eight games scheduled in the championship. Five of those games were reviewed on RTÉ and GAA plus.
I note that there were three significant games as well that were not on RTÉ or GAA plus.
One could posit the notion that the recent success of the GAA on reconfiguring some of the Gaelic Football rules, has meant that these games are much more attractive to watch, ergo the fans are now wanting to watch football in their droves. It’s emboldening to learn that GAA revenues are up and the venues are full.
However, it’s reported that fans are now unable to procure tickets.
John O’Brien, Clonmel, Co Tipperary
Length of school holidays
Regarding Stephanie Park’s article ‘Ireland’s long school holidays don’t suit the modern family — but who’s going to change them?’
I live in France now. I went to school in Ireland, as did my children. I worked full-time. Yes, here they have approximately a six-week summer holiday but they have Wednesdays off, same difference. It’s grandparents who help with childcare when parents work. To me, it’s not fair. Summer camps are expensive. Some people don’t have the money for them. What happened to children having to entertain themselves? I would prefer the long summer holidays rather than a four-day week.
Re the summer savings hours, Ireland needs to join Europe
in having the same time. We all need to have the same time. Most of Europe, except Portugal are one ahead. It would make travelling
easier.
Mary Gallagher, Brossac, France
