Secret Sectarianism - John DC Gow

[ian1964 10,390]

In the Franz Kafka novel The Trial, a man is prosecuted by an obscure authority that fails to state his crime. I haven�t read it since my Existentialist teenage years, but memory is of a bizarre, claustrophobic fiction showing the evils of faceless bureaucracy.

 

Of-course I would be hysterical if I said this was in any way modern Scotland. We are still part of a wonderfully free society that should make us proud. But we are still not past condemning others with labels ââ?¬â?? with no thought given to what that label actually means.

 

We now habitually call others ââ?¬Å?Sectarianââ?¬Â without telling them what they have done wrong and then refusing any defence. Labelling someone ââ?¬Å?sectarianââ?¬Â is the new fashion, yet most assume their personal definition of sectarianism is the actual definition. The truth is that there is no agreed definition, and that is a major part of the problem.

 

And don�t assume that those in authority are even aware of this. When people like Margo MacDonald MSP say the difference between Hearts/Hibs fans and Rangers/Celtic fans is that you will never see a family who supports both Old Firm teams, is to become aware that those making the decisions are sometimes scarily ignorant.

 

This ignorance and reliance on ââ?¬Å?Groupthinkââ?¬Â can lead to a state where myth and lies becomes accepted as truth. The majority take the path of least resistance and rely on shallow statements and surface details, and never thinking of scratching below the surface.

 

Over the past six months this has led to Politicians, Police and anti-Sectarian organisations so determined to stamp out sectarianism that they will flatly refuse to tell us what it is, or participate in any project to ease discrimination in society. It�s all slogans.

 

In fact there is so little action to ease sectarian discrimination in Politics, Law, the Media, Housing and Employment that you could say no-one believes it exists in these fields.

 

Instead, the sole focus is on singing songs. Yes, the great fight of sectarianism that has so many people outraged is of a few football fans. When First Minister Alex Salmond wants to publicise an anti-sectarian initiative he goes to a football stadium.

 

I am sure many readers will know of FARE (Football against Racism in Europe) who in their determination to stop Sectarian chanting from Rangers fans refuse to tell Rangers fans what is sectarian. (A cynic might think they are uninterested in preventing sectarianism so Rangers can be punished again.)

 

What would happen if Scotland fans were accused of racism by FARE and UEFA punished the SFA without telling anyone what was said? There would be uproar among the SFA, Media and Parliament. The reason why this hasn�t happened in Rangers� case is that most in the aforementioned chattering classes are enjoying it. It�s human nature that we accept accusations against those we dislike without much care.

 

The Rangers FC must take some of the blame for not stamping out certain songs among some Rangers fans quicker, and for being weak in not defending the vast majority of the overwhelmingly decent supporters from attacks by obsessed pro-IRA supporting ââ?¬Å?journalistsââ?¬Â, who spend their existence on blogs and twitter making all the worlds ills the fault of a Glasgow football team.

 

Deranged bloggers and murky UEFA bodies aside, we should expect different standards from our political class and Police. How is it possible that Central Police publicly state in a recent match between a Rangers XI and Stirling Albion, that Rangers fans sang sectarian songs, yet cannot tell us what the songs are or why there were no arrests? Why the secrecy and lack of action?

 

Yet, for all the recent fuss, Central Police, like Strathclyde Police, are aware of and defend the right of openly pro-IRA bands to sell concert tickets to sing songs about Surface to Air Missiles downing British Helicopters in Northern Ireland; IRA snipers executing young British soldiers as they plead for their life and blatantly racist lyrics like, ââ?¬Å?The Brits will never leave us until theyââ?¬â?¢re blown away.ââ?¬Â

 

The truth is that Scottish Police, like other British police forces, are highly political. There is no political capital in senior officers stopping songs about murdering British people for no reason other than they are British.

 

Why go after pro-IRA bands that are supported at concerts by high-profile people like Billy McNeill, Bertie Auld and John Hartson and others who have been authorised in the past to make pro-IRA song videos at Celtic Park? They know the fallout would be immense.

 

However, there is plenty of career-advancing opportunity in being strong in condemning sectarianism among a few hundred young Rangers fans. Sectarianism that was so bad there were no arrests and the Police can�t even tell the public what happened.

 

Take a moment to let that sink in. The Police are so confident that an offence has taken place that they publicise it, but refuse to arrest anyone and wish to keep the offence a secret.

 

The new ââ?¬Å?Secret Sectarianismââ?¬Â at work.

 

http://johndcgow.com/2011/07/14/secret-sectarianism/

[Frankie 8,136]

John's blog is always worth following - he writes some excellent stuff.

 

BTW mate, when we go out for a beer; your good lady is to go to ours if she fancies sharing 5 bottles of wine with the missus as per usual.

[ian1964 10,390]

John's blog is always worth following - he writes some excellent stuff.

 

BTW mate, when we go out for a beer; your good lady is to go to ours if she fancies sharing 5 bottles of wine with the missus as per usual.

 

Only the five???

[Bluedell 5,329]

I am sure many readers will know of FARE (Football against Racism in Europe) who in their determination to stop Sectarian chanting from Rangers fans refuse to tell Rangers fans what is sectarian. (A cynic might think they are uninterested in preventing sectarianism so Rangers can be punished again.)

 

 

 

Keep a wee eye out for some criticism of FARE's operations in the press over the next couple of days.

 

Edit: not this w/e unfortunately. Watch this space.

Edited July 16, 2011 by Bluedell

[Super_Ally 0]

One of the best things i've read in ages, particularly on this topic. Oh to see that in our published press.

[Stimpy 0]

Outstanding article.

[pete 2,494]

Outstanding article.

 

Agree a fantastic article.

[chilledbear 16]

Keep a wee eye out for some criticism of FARE's operations in the press over the next couple of days.

 

 

They haven't commented on the shellic have they ?

 

Nah can't be that.

[Gingerger 0]

Very well put over article. I've been saying for a number of years now that this whole sham cannot end without a definitive list of acceptable and unacceptable songs but that such a list is impossible to be agreed upon. The detail of what is or isn't sectarian is left to the subjective interpretation of individual bobbies who are often undereducated and ignorant. Want an example? My mind goes back to Tugay's debut at Easter Road a good number of years ago when I had a long argument with a copper after his pal burst into our row to confiscate the hankerchief size Turkish flag being flown by the guy beside me. His explanation? "We've been instructed to remove any obvious sectarian flags!"

[Super_Ally 0]

The detail of what is or isn't sectarian is left to the subjective interpretation of individual bobbies who are often undereducated and ignorant.

 

Tims with an agenda?