Daily
Dispatch Tuesday 24th October 2006
MAGINNESS:
DODDS IN DENIAL ON RACIST ATTACKS
SDLP North Belfast MLA Alban Maginness said the people of his
constituency would be better served if their MP gave leadership
on racism instead of denying the reality.
He said: “Racism is a problem everywhere in our society,
and if we are going to tackle it we must all recognise that reality.
Unfortunately, Nigel Dodds of the DUP prefers to deny it, and
actually tries to turn the level of racist attacks into a sectarian
blame issue instead.
“The facts as demonstrated in the Observer survey at the
weekend are frankly incontrovertible: 28 out of 31 racist attacks
surveyed occurred in loyalist areas and the pattern was consistent
from Portavogie to Portadown.
“I take no comfort from the relatively low incidence in
nationalist areas, because one racist attack is one too many and
there may indeed be a problem of under-reporting. But we must
confront the racists, all of them, everywhere. It is clear to
all fair-minded people that loyalist paramilitaries in particular
have moved with ease from sectarian attacks to racism.
“Unfortunately, it seems that the DUP has moved with them,
from denial of the extent and viciousness of sectarian attacks
on Catholics to denial of the prevalence of racism. That is not
what we need. Nigel Dodds should be working with us and all other
community leaders to defeat racism, instead of arguing that loyalist
areas are not getting their fair share of it.”
