Funeral of murdered Catholic boy taking place - PSNI criticised

by Jim Gibney Mon May 22, 2006 11:17

Irish News May 18 2006 Thursday

The Thursday Column - Catholic rights are secondary to unionist needs

Jim Gibney

The most disturbing aspect of the comments attributed to Ballymena DUP councillor Roy Gillespie about the murdered school boy Michael McIlveen is that they are widespread although usually unspoken among sections of the unionist and Protestant people.

Gillespie's reported remark that 15-year-old Michael "will not get into heaven" is sourced in his biblical belief, which is reflected in the same statement that, "the Pope is the antichrist and is head of the Catholic Church, which is not a true church or faith".

Although such views are outrageous, insulting and insensitive to the murdered youth's family, friends and the Catholic community of Ballymena and beyond, Gillespie is unlikely to face censure before the law for incitement to hatred or be disciplined by the leadership of the DUP.

Michael McIlveen was hunted down as if he was little more than an animal on a savannah who wandered into a gang of predators hungry for a 'kill'. He was pursued relentlessly, separated out from his friends, his only source of protection, harried for half-a-mile, surrounded, cornered and then bludgeoned.

Michael was killed because he was a Catholic.

Although to many within the unionist and Protestant population Catholics are every bit as threatening as nationalists or republicans.

There is a danger that negative influences can be received through political parties, churches and organisations like the Orange Order and loyalist paramilitaries.

Sectarianism weaves its way insidiously through sections of the unionist and Protestant population.

It emerges publicly in an attitude which sees Catholics as less than full human beings.

Sectarianism, in its most extreme theological form, exists inside the Bible-based Free Presbyterian Church led by Ian Paisley. It is politically expressed by his party, the DUP, which is an extension of his church.

Ian Paisley did not create this mix of politics and religion. It exists among Protestants and can be traced back through various firebrand clerics for at least two centuries.

Paisley inherited this mix and shaped it into a formidable political force.

Sectarianism in its rawest form kills and the death of Michael McIlveen is the most recent example.

He is the third young Catholic killed in as many years by gangs of Protestants.

Fifteen-year-old Thomas Devlin was stabbed to death on Belfast's Somerton Road and James McMahon (21) was kicked to death outside Lisburn Council offices.

Sectarianism also exists among many Catholics, nationalists and republicans and has resulted over the years in Protestants being killed and attacked.

Partition and the consolidation of the unionist and Protestant population into the six counties led to sectarianism being institutionalised and legitimised with state authority.

This led to a prevailing attitude that Catholics lives are expendable in the face of the denial of perceived Protestants' rights such as marching down Garvaghy Road.

It matters little that several Catholics including the three Quinn boys were killed because the Orange Order insisted on marching this road.

Other Catholic children such as those in Holy Cross felt the fury of sectarian abuse from Protestants while David Trimble spoke about Sinn Fein needing to be "house trained".

This week the UUP covered in a cloak of unionist respectability an organisation of dedicated Catholic killers, the UVF, when they absorbed the PUP leader into its Assembly ranks.

This UUP-UVF alliance confirms the experience of northern Catholics - their rights have always been secondary to unionist needs.

Although there are many individual unionists and Protestants challenging sectarianism in their own community Catholics like Michael McIlveen will always be in danger until that sectarianism is rooted out of mainstream unionism and Protestantism.

by Ciarán Barnes 17 May 2006 - Daily Ireland www.dailyireland.com Wed May 17, 2006 15:06

[Part of story not published above in bold below]

A senior member of the PSNI has been criticised for claiming sectarian attacks in a Co Antrim town where a Catholic teenager was murdered have been a “two-way affair”
Superintendent Terry Shevlin made the remarks during questioning yesterday over unsubstantiated reports that republicans in Ballymena may retaliate for the murder of Michael McIlveen.

The 15-year-old was beaten to death by a loyalist gang last week. A total of seven people have been charged with offences connected to his death.
Michael McIlveen is due to be buried today.
It emerged last night that Democratic Unionist Party leader Rev Ian Paisley will not attend his funeral.

Dr Paisley had been invited by the McIlveen family to attend the funeral.

But it is understood he travelled to London last night to attend the House of Commons today.
It is understood Dr Paisley visited the McIlveen family at the weekend.

It also emerged last night that a loyalist band have agreed to re-route a weekend parade away from the area where the teenager was murdered.

Mr Shevlin yesterday sparked anger after he claimed sectarian attacks in the Ballymena area were not a “one-way affair”.

He said: “It wouldn’t be fair to the whole community to suggest that it was one on the other – this has been a two-way affair.

“Sectarianism has to have two parties to be involved in it and this is what has been happening in Ballymena.”

Sinn Féin councillor Monica Digney said Mr Shevlin’s comments were a “disgrace”.
“I accept that some Catholics have been involved in sectarian incidents, but nowhere near the same scale as loyalists,” said Ms Digney.

“Catholics in this town are terrified. They are afraid to go out in case they are targeted. Terry Shevlin should hang his head in shame.”

SDLP councillor Declan O’Loan said Mr Shevlin has given a wrong impression that sectarianism is primarily a two-way problem in Ballymena.

“It is a fact that in recent years and months the nationalist community has borne the brunt of attacks,” he said.

“There is a history of misrepresentation of this central reality which is not constructive in finding solutions.”

According to the latest PSNI statistics, between April 2005-06 a total of 47 assaults and 15 cases of sectarian intimidation took place in the Co Antrim town. There was also one attempted murder and three incidents of conspiracy to murder.

This averages out at more than one serious sectarian attack per week. Only Belfast, which has ten times the population of Ballymena, has a higher rate of sectarian incidents.