Sinn Féin Senator Pádraig Mac Lochlainn commends the contribution of the Irish Muslim community in key note speech
Addressing a large gathering of the muslim community in Ireland at a
function organised by the Irish Muslim Board last night in the Maldron
Hotel, Tallaght, Sinn Féin Senator Pádraig Mac Lochlainn said;
“We
in Sinn Féin are proud to call you our brothers and sisters. We are
proud to have you as fellow citizens in this modern and diverse Ireland
and we are proud of the contribution that you make to our Country. I
want to congratulate you and all the community leaders who have created
this vibrant, embracing and inclusive Irish Muslim community, which is
an integral part of our Island’s society.”
Addressing the challenges, Senator Mac Lochlainn said:
“In
Ireland, like in so many Western nations, the actions of a tiny
minority, the extremists who carry out horrific, indiscriminate actions
against civilians throughout the world are used and manipulated by some
politicians and groups to spread hate and to try and create an abhorrent
wedge between followers of Islam and other religions and cultures.”
“We
must all stand up to and against these politicians and groups. We must
also stand firm against the extremists who carry out these murderous
acts, especially when they claim that they do it in the name of Islam,
when in fact, we know that Islam is a religion of peace.”
“The
right to equality, democracy, self-determination, and human rights is
the bedrock of our Republican beliefs and we stand over that belief
whether it is Africa, Asia or Europe.”
Dealing with Brexit and the pursuit of a United Ireland, he continued:
“Ireland,
today stands at a crossroads. The Country is still geographically and
politically divided. The ideals of our 1916 proclamation have not been
realised. Brexit however, seen as a negative by the vast majority
actually creates an opportunity for all the people of Ireland.”
“The
better Ireland that we all strive for can be delivered by the
opportunity that Brexit has provided. It is incomprehensible to even
suggest that we could have a small Island where one part of it remains
inside the European Union and another part remains outside it.”
“This
however, is the precise reality of what the British Government is
attempting to do. It is wrong. It is against the interests of all the
citizens of Ireland. The surest way of creating a better Ireland is
through a United Ireland.”
“Brexit further attempts to copper fasten partition and the line taken by the British Tory party is detrimental to all of the people living in Ireland.”
“We will enter the negotiations after the election with a proactive attitude and demands to make Ireland a better, fairer, and more equal place.”
“The United Ireland I talk about will be the Better Ireland we are seeking out tonight through this debate. It will be a chance to take the good parts of both States and transfer them between each other but more importantly, it will be a chance to fix the bad parts. It will be an opportunity to allow the political, economic, social and cultural potential of our island to prosper. We need the Irish Muslim community to help us build this new State. We want you to help shape its architecture.” “So friends, we have a job of work to do. We need to do it together. We need every community to help us build a new Republic for all.”