Barack Obama to be interviewed live on stage at London and Dublin events
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BreakingNews.ie
an hour ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Priests call on Catholic Church to cut ties with Allianz over Israel links
Priests have called on the Irish Catholic Church to cut ties with Allianz over its links to Israel and "the appalling human rights abuse being inflicted on the Palestinian people". The insurance company was among a series of companies listed in a report by UN special rapporteur on Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese. Advertisement In a statement, the Association of Catholic Priests cited the pressure on the GAA to cut ties with Allianz, and urged the Catholic Church to sever its ties with the German insurance giants. The statement reads: "A similar demand is likely to emerge when the long and close commercial relationship of Allianz and the Catholic Church in Ireland becomes clear. For decades, Allianz has been the trusted friend of the Catholic Church – even to the extent of enjoying representation on the Allianz Board – with Catholic Church properties in Ireland including places of worship, schools, cars, etc almost all being insured by Allianz as a matter of course." The priests cited this coming Sunday's 'Day of Prayer and Reflection for Gaza', which will be led by Archbishop Eamon Martin. They added: "In the light of that 'Reflection' and because the present sense of outrage in the Irish Catholic Church at what's happening in Gaza will be increased exponentially by the revelation of the Irish Catholic Church's connection with Allianz and Allianz's connection with the state of Israel, we ask that the response of the Irish Catholic Church should be immediate and far-reaching in cutting our links with Allianz. Advertisement "Nothing less is acceptable as Irish Catholics will now be conscious of the Allianz connection – albeit by extension – and of our connection with the plight of the children we see on our television screens. "The ACP also encourages all Catholic religious Congregations and dioceses to exercise high levels of due diligence in carefully scrutinizing their investment portfolios to determine if any part of their investments is helping to sustain the appalling human rights abuse being inflicted on the Palestinian people."
Western Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Western Telegraph
Diane Abbott advised Jeremy Corbyn against founding new party, event told
Ms Abbott, who served as Mr Corbyn's shadow home secretary when he was Labour leader, said she had spoken to him before its launch, and said it was not a good idea. Speaking at an event at the Edinburgh Book Festival, the current longest-serving female MP said: 'There were people around Jeremy encouraging him to set up a new party, and I told him not to. 'It's very difficult under first-past-the-post system for a new party to absolutely win. If it wasn't first-past-the-post, then you can see how a new party could come through, but I understand why he did it.' Ms Abbott said she thought the party, formed by her long-time friend Independent MP Mr Corbyn (Islington North) alongside Independent MP Zarah Sultana (Coventry South), would outperform people's expectations. It was launched last month, but is still without a formal name. She said she believed it would take advantage of a broader discontent with politics in Britain. Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and then-shadow home secretary Diane Abbott during a visit to Finsbury Park Mosque in 2019 (Victoria Jones/PA She paid tribute to Mr Corbyn and Ms Sultana but said: 'At this point in time, it's difficult to see how a brand new party wins. 'However, I think Jeremy's party is going to do a lot better than people think because a lot of people who are not necessarily terribly left-wing people, are a tiny bit disappointed about the way we've gone in the past year.' The MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington indicated her disappointment with the Labour Government. She had the whip withdrawn for the second time in two years in July, after she expressed a lack of regret about comments to the Observer in 2023 that suggested that Jewish, Irish and Traveller people experience prejudice, but not racism. However, she implied she would not join Mr Corbyn's party. Ms Abbott said: 'It's a tricky state of play. I wouldn't have thought that you'd have a Labour Government and they'd be cutting winter fuel allowance for the elderly and benefits for the disabled.' She was also critical of the Government's proscription of Palestine Action and labelled the decision 'a complete disgrace'. Diane Abbott in 1986 when she was Hackney North and Stoke Newington Labour election candidate (PA) 'What they are seeking to do is proscribe protest as such,' she said. 'I mean, we all saw the pictures of the people in Trafalgar Square – 500 people? Half of them over 60. Come on, these are terrorists? I think this is an attempt to bear down on (protest).' She added her more than 40 years in Labour meant it was too late to leave it. She was elected to Parliament in 1987, and was the only black female MP in the Commons for a decade until Labour's landslide under Tony Blair. In response to a question about whether she thought she would ever be accepted 'at the heart' of the Labour Party, she replied: 'I think I am at the heart of the Labour Party, it's other people who aren't.' Ms Abbott, whose book A Woman Like Me, was the subject of the interview in the Scottish capital by campaigner Talat Yaqoob, also told the audience of her anger at not being called by Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle in the aftermath of racist comments by Conservative Party donor Frank Hester in 2024. She said she had stood during a Prime Minister's Question session more than 40 times to be called to speak, after Sir Keir Starmer, Rishi Sunak and Sir Ed Davey had all spoken about the incident. Mr Hester was reported to have said Ms Abbott made him want to 'hate all black women' and that she 'should be shot'. The remarks brought widespread condemnation, including from Sir Keir, but she told the event her office was used to receiving racist abuse. 'I've been an MP for 38 years, and custom practice in the chamber is if you're being talked about, you get called. It's just a courtesy. I was so shocked that I wasn't called. 'But I heard later from someone who had reason to know, that what happened was that Rishi didn't want me called, because (Hester) was a Tory donor and it would look bad for them, and I'm afraid Keir Starmer didn't want me called because he wanted to milk the issue (for) political advantage, without mentioning me.' She said Sir Keir had approached her after the questions session and asked what he could do to help. 'I said, 'Yes, you can restore the whip'. And as if he hadn't heard, he said, 'Is there anything I can do for you?' It was like he was deaf. And I said, 'Yes, you can restore the whip', and he realised I wasn't going to play that game and he went off.'
Edinburgh Reporter
2 hours ago
- Edinburgh Reporter
Survivors moved by play Our Brothers in Cloth
A hard-hitting Fringe production about clerical child abuse has earned praise from survivors. Inspired by true events, Ronan Colfer's Our Brothers in Cloth has also won critical acclaim for its depiction of a family dealing with rumours that their deceased son was abused by the previous parish priest and the fallout among them when sides are taken. The production has had a profound impact on audiences who have shown support in their numbers at this year's Edinburgh Fringe, stressing the importance of non-biased thought-provoking productions. One audience member said: 'The message is crafted with nuance, the actors' pain is palpable, and when you watch it you feel similarly outraged, like you're bearing witness.' Twenty years on from The Ferns Report – a landmark government inquiry in allegations of clerical sexual abuse in the diocese of Ferns in Co. Wexford, Ireland – this bold production showcases the impact that this kind of abuse has had not only on the victims, but on the families and the communities as well. Our Brothers in Cloth is backed by Irish activist and survivor, Colm O'Gorman who said: 'Lives have been blighted and families have been torn apart. For many, the struggle to survive and move beyond such trauma is ongoing.' Other survivors of clerical abuse, such as Sean Faloon, have also supported the show. He said: 'It educates people on how families can be broken so easily by any type of abuse presented to the family.' The play highlights the catastrophic damage done to families and communities, and the reluctance of the Catholic church to take accountability and apologise for the heinous actions of their ministers of the faith – heinous actions which were clearly proven in The Ferns Report and similar reports which have followed. Our Brothers in Cloth is running until Monday, August 25 at the Edinburgh Fringe, and is proudly supported by survivor charities including The Survivors Trust, Nexus NI, and ICAP. Director, dramaturge, and producer Ryan McVeigh says: 'Our audience are taken on a journey of bravery, heartache, and loss in this memory play. Poke the Bear Productions' mission is to rattle the cages of our audience, provoking them to rethink their moral and ethical position, and to spark debates within themselves and with one another after the show. 'Our Brothers in Cloth leaves them to contemplate their relationship with the church, their families, and how essential it is to speak for the silenced and abused.' Actor and producer Oli Fyne says: 'It has been a profoundly moving experience bringing this important story to my home town of Edinburgh, we've all worked hard getting this production to audiences and have been deeply moved by the passionate reception. We are excited to continue with this momentum, taking the show forward to audiences around the UK and Ireland.' 'Every character is played with nuance and skill' – ★★★★ The Edinburgh Reporter – read the review here. Tickets Like this: Like Related
