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Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Ireland President Strongly Condemns Rising Cases of Racist Attacks Against Indians After Outrage
/ Aug 13, 2025, 01:17PM IST Ireland is facing a wave of outrage after a shocking rise in racist attacks against the Indian community, including the assault of a six-year-old girl by a group of children. Irish President Michael D Higgins issued a powerful condemnation, praising Indians for their immense contribution to the nation in healthcare, culture, and business, and calling the violence 'despicable' and 'un-Irish.' Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris and cricket legend Kevin O'Brien have also spoken out, declaring solidarity with India's diaspora. The Indian Embassy in Dublin has issued an advisory and emergency helpline as hate crimes surge. In the past month alone, multiple brutal assaults on Indians have been reported, sparking fears among the 60,000-strong Indian diaspora. Is Ireland facing a dangerous wave of racism, or can it stand up to hate before it's too late?#ireland #racism #indiansabroad #hatecrime #diaspora #indiancommunity #michaelhiggins #kevinobrien #irelandnews #india #breakingnews #trending #trendingnow #toi #bharat #toibharat #indianews
Irish Times
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Letters to the Editor, April 30th: On China's influence in Ireland, Spanish power cuts and Pope Francis
China and Ireland Sir, – We have noted with serious concern the article titled ' China exerts control from a nondescript office on Dublin's Capel Street ,' published on Monday, April 28th, along with related reports by Colm Keena. Regrettably, the article presents a distorted account of the facts, reflects evident biases, and risks creating unnecessary fear and misunderstanding – developments that are both undesirable and unhelpful. The article appears to suggest, without basis, that members of the overseas Chinese community are subject to manipulation by the Chinese government. It misrepresents legitimate and lawful interactions between overseas Chinese communities and Chinese institutions as efforts to 'influence local policy environments'. Such portrayals mischaracterise the nature of these relationships, potentially undermining mutual trust and hindering normal exchanges and co-operation between China and Ireland. China has always engaged with overseas Chinese communities in a manner that is open, transparent, and fully consistent with the laws and regulations of host countries, including Ireland. The so-called 'evidence' referenced in the article consists largely of speculation and misinterpretation, and we respectfully but firmly reject such unfounded claims. We are particularly concerned by the inclusion of large photographs of individual members of the Chinese community, which could be perceived as targeting private individuals and may cause unwarranted disruption to their personal and professional lives. READ MORE The Chinese Embassy has formally communicated our position to the journalist involved and provided clarifications regarding the facts. While we prefer to avoid responding to unfounded provocations, we believe it is important to uphold the principles of fairness, accuracy, and professional ethics in journalism. We sincerely hope that relevant media outlets will adhere to a spirit of objectivity and responsibility, refrain from disseminating misleading information, and work towards fostering greater understanding and friendship between the peoples of China and Ireland. – Yours, etc, GUO BIN, Spokesperson, Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Ireland Women and trans rights Sir, – Your columnist Una Mullally accuses JK Rowling of having 'inflamed [the] discourse' on discussion of biological sex and gender identity (' Let's not import British toxicity about trans people ,' Opinion, 28th April). She then goes on to spray some oil on the flames herself, notably the characterisation of Irish people who disagree with her on the subject as being kin to Nigel Farage or Kemi Badenoch or as sympathising with the ' outlandish claims of British trans-exclusionary feminism (my italics)'. In a word, she labels them as un-Irish. This is no more a contribution to furthering the complex conversation between trans people and those whose biological sex and gender identity are aligned than is columnist Michael McDowell's talk of trans 'ideology' (it's a human condition, Senator) or his simplicities about 'sex understood as a binary concept' (' Women have a right to their own events and spaces ,' Opinion, April 23rd). – Yours, etc, DAVID McKENNA, Dublin 8. Strategic housing activation office Sir, – Taoiseach Micheál Martin's 'understanding' of the concerns raised about the costs involved for the proposed new, wonderfully sounding, 'Strategic Housing Activation Office', sounds a tad dismissive (' Taoiseach understands public concern over mooted €430,000 salary for 'housing tsar' ,' April 29th). This is particularly so when, having got past the incomprehensible jargon, one notes that the Government department supposed to be responsible for housing matters currently has a Minister, three Ministers of State, a general secretary, two directors, and nine assistant secretaries. We would all be better serviced if the Government stopped building empires and built a few more houses instead. – Yours, etc, JIM O'SULLIVAN, Rathedmond, Co Sligo. The death of Pope Francis Sir, – In Saturday's Irish Times Weekend supplement, Derek Scally informs us in his cover story, After Francis , that 'when Catholics say a final farewell to Pope Francis today, the church he leaves behind has 10 per cent more members than 12 years ago, when he took over'. I would question the basis for such a statistic about membership of the Catholic Church. Scally also informs us in his article that in Europe, including the UK, those identifying as Catholics is significantly reducing. Furthermore, those identifying as of no faith is rising significantly around the world, including the United States. Scally writes 'the numbers (in Ireland) ticking the `no religion' box jumped by 187 per cent and make up 14 per cent of the population'. So how does the Catholic church count its members? My parents brought me as an infant of only a few days to be enrolled as a member into the Catholic Church. I was just an infant. When I became an atheist at least 25 years ago I requested of the Parish Priest that my name be removed from the membership of his church as I was no longer Catholic, that I rejected the Christian creed. This priest told me that there was no way this could be done. My registration as a Catholic, through baptism, remains a historical record that cannot be undone. It appears that even as a strong atheist I'm still a card-carrying Catholic. It is no wonder then that the Catholic Church can claim to have '10 per cent more members than 12 years ago'. You cannot it seems have your name removed from their membership lists once they get their hands on you as an innocent infant. MICHAEL MARTIN, Clonsilla, Dublin 15. Sir, – Robin Heather ( Letters, April 28th ) is so correct in his criticism of RTÉ's coverage of Pope Francis's funeral. The continual interviews and voiceovers spoiled it. The final straw was a voice translating the Lord's Prayer when the beautiful singing of Pater Noster needed to be just heard. Over to BBC and blessed silence to enjoy. Thanks to BBC for allowing us to enjoy the whole experience and atmosphere and beautiful singing. Utter insensitivity on RTÉ's part. – Yours, etc, MONICA POWER, Galway. Climate change Sir, – Your editorial (' The Irish Times view on the climate emergency: vital to combat toxic disinformation ', April 28th) refers to climate change as a 'hypothesis' rather than a theory or fact. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC) the influence of human activity on climate has evolved from theory to scientific fact since the 1970s. A hypothesis is a tentative explanation of some observed phenomenon or piece of research and this can be tested by further investigation. Climate science has moved a long way now from when climate change was considered to be a hypothesis. It is misleading to use hypothesis in relation to climate change because it implies that there is still some doubt and discussion about the reality of climate change. This could lead to resistance from members of the public to necessary changes in how we live which will be needed if we are going to reduce the dangerous effects of climate change. – Yours, etc, NICK ARMSTRONG, Dundrum, Dublin 16 Lifelong learning Sir, – Emmet Malone accurately describes lifelong learning as transformative (' It's been completely transformative for me, really life-affirming ', Irish Times, April 29th, 2025). That was a key message in the Department of Education White Paper, Charting Our Education Future, published exactly 30 years ago. In the foreword to that White Paper, the then minister for education, Niamh Bhreathnach, argued that: 'The ultimate objective of the strategies set out in this White Paper is an education system which will provide every student with fulfilling educational experiences at every stage in a lifetime of learning.' – Yours, etc. TOM FERRIS, Blackrock, Co Dublin. When the lights go out Sir, – I was en route through one of Spain's bigger cities on Monday when the lights went out, still having a considerable journey to complete. Very quickly another form of light began to emerge. The co-operative patience and courtesy of fellow drivers, negotiating very challenging Spanish roundabouts and spaghetti junctions, destitute of red and green signals, together with the pragmatic and understanding attitude of the quickly deployed traffic police, was impressively reassuring. This experience on the road, together with similar propriety at my destination, reassured me of just how enlightened and civilised a species we can be and especially – perhaps because – indications were quickly emerging of an unknown crisis of national proportions. – Yours, etc, MICHAEL GANNON, Kilkenny City First cuckoo of the season Sir, – What a delightful sound to hear the cuckoo yesterday in the vicinity of Moycullen. Summer is just around the corner. – Yours, etc, JOSEPH TUMMON, Circular Road, Galway. Teacher conferences Sir, – I wish to take issue with how Aileen Hooper represents the Irish National Teachers' Organisation congress debate on religious certificates for teachers ( Letters, April 26th ). I wrote the motion discussed. It generated more interest than any other motion, with seven teachers speaking in favour and four against. At least seven more were prepared to support it but were denied the chance. One principal of a Catholic school even approached me privately to say he was '100 per cent' supportive but was too fearful to speak publicly – a fear that is entirely understandable under a congress system where votes are made by raising cards for all to see. Teachers are afraid. That's why the INTO taskforce's anonymous survey revealed the truth: most teachers do not teach faith formation willingly, and only 4 per cent believe they should be preparing children for sacraments. Ms Hooper's comparison with Saudi Arabia is absurd. Irish teachers abroad are not required to teach Islam, yet at home we must teach Catholic doctrine as truth. The congress debate was not some balanced exchange of coherent arguments. It was a clear call for human rights set against a defensive plea to protect the status quo. The Department of Education cannot continue to abdicate responsibility. It is unacceptable that children are excluded during religion classes, then asked moments later to engage in 'wellbeing' lessons on inclusion and belonging. These contradictions are not just unfair – they are damaging. Already one of the least diverse professions in Ireland, teachers must not be forced to compromise their beliefs for employment. Human rights should never be left to a show-of-hands vote. A citizens' assembly would reflect Ireland's true, evolving values: inclusion, equality, and respect for every child. Perhaps this is why the government has abandoned it. It's long past time Ireland's education system moved out from under the shadow of its past. – Yours, etc, ALANA WILHELM, Education Equality Teacher Representative, INTO delegate, Blessington, Co Wicklow. John de Courcy Ireland Sir,- Your piece ( An Irishman's Diary, April 29th ) on the contribution of John de Courcy Ireland to raising the profile of all things maritime in Irish life and history was a timely reminder of his impact on so much and so many during his long life. Perhaps it could be added that the bulk of his teaching career (from the early 1950s) was at the aptly named Kingstown School, Dún Laoghaire – from 1968 a component of Newpark Comprehensive. In that school (which I had the privilege of attending from 1954 to 1963), he was an educational giant, a visionary of great enthusiasm and wisdom. Through him, we were guided to not just one but three Leaving Certificate subjects: geography, history and French. Not surprisingly, perhaps, the history period we studied was the Renaissance, while the French book we read was Pêcheur d'Islande, by the Breton writer Pierre Loti. And his geography had the added authority of a much-travelled man who gave vacation time to researching little-known Irish links with Yugoslavia and Algeria, among many other places. As the 1943 Catholic Standard article to which you refer unwittingly highlighted by its insular and curmudgeonly critique, de Courcy Ireland was ahead of his time in his outlook. He deserves to be recognised as a formative figure in modern Ireland, and as a true European in the broadest possible sense. – Yours, etc, ARNOLD HORNER, Glenageary, Co Dublin. Canada's hour of need Sir, – When we in Ireland were in deep need of friends and support during the last financial crash our friends in Canada supported us at the highest level. Mark Carney, then governor of Bank of Canada, and the late Jim Flaherty, then Canadian finance minister, supported us at International Monetary Fund meetings. Now Canada needs our support, its very existence is being threatened through tariffs and annexation by US president Donald Trump. We should now endorse the Comprehensive Economic and Trade agreement (CETA) between the European Union and Canada. We are the only EU country that has not endorsed it. Is this the way we show our gratitude for supporting us in time of need. We now need to show our support and gratitude to Mark Carney and Canada. − Yours, etc, VINCENT CARROLL Willbrook road, Dublin 14
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Co-founder of sanctions movement addresses pro-Palestine protest in Dublin
It is 'un-Irish to give up hope', a co-founder of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement has said as he urged protesters in Dublin to continue their support for Palestine. Thousands of people participated in a solidarity march through the Irish capital on Saturday, calling for the Government to impose sanctions on Israel. Demonstrators, some wearing keffiyehs and waving banners and Palestinian flags, stopped for a series of speeches outside Ireland's national parliament at Leinster House. Speakers led chants of 'free, free Palestine' and addressed the large crowd on the re-escalating conflict in the Middle East. The protesters called for the end of Israel's military activity in Gaza, for states to stop arming Israel, and the cessation of use of Irish airspace for transporting weapons. The rally, organised by the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC), is the 14th national demonstration of its kind since October 2023 and is supported by several trade unions and civil society groups. The IPSC has also called for the enactment of the Occupied Territories Bill, which would ban the import of goods from illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land, along with the Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill. The Government has committed to implementing the Occupied Territories Bill with changes limiting its scope to trade, but it is not on the legislative calendar for this term. Protesters also carried a giant sphere in the style of the logo of Ireland's Central Bank with the words 'stop funding genocide' painted on it. Israel chose the Central Bank of Ireland to be the designated authority to approve prospectuses for Israel Bonds in the EU. Pro-Palestinian supporters want the Bank to stop approving their sale. The group also wants a suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement and for the Irish Government to roll back on its adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism, which it sees as an effort to prevent criticism of Israel. Speakers at the rally included Omar Barghouti, Palestinian intellectual Ghada Karmi, and IPSC chairwoman Zoe Lawlor. Mr Barghouti, who co-founded the BDS movement which stands for boycott, divestment and sanctions, said there was a 'profound moral duty' to continue to support Palestine. Speaking to the PA news agency, he said: 'I'm here to say that given Israel's continued genocide against 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza, we need to escalate non-violent pressure on Irish Government, Irish corporations, Irish institutions to end complicity. 'Palestinians are not asking for charity, we're asking for ending complicity – to do no harm to us. 'The Irish Government continues to allow the transit of US weapons to Israel, this has to stop. 'The Central Bank of Ireland continues to profit from genocide through the sale of Israel government bonds, this has to stop.' Mr Barghouti added: 'The Government is blocking the Occupied Territories Bill and the Divestment Bill, this has to end. They have to take measures to end complicity. 'Some people in Ireland might say 'we've been demonstrating for 17 months throughout this genocide, we don't see any hope'. 'But it is so un-Irish to give up hope. The Irish have resisted colonialism for centuries under enormously difficult hardships and they've never given up hope. 'Similarly, Palestinians for 100 years, we've been resisting oppression and doing everything we can to live in peace, justice, dignity, equality and self-determination like everyone else. 'We cannot give up, it is a profound moral duty to do no harm. So we need to escalate people power and pressure to end complicity.' Senior figures in Israel's government have accused leaders in the Irish coalition of encouraging antisemitism, with the Israeli embassy in Dublin announcing last year that it would close. Israeli politicians have criticised Ireland's decision to intervene in South Africa's case against Israel, with Dublin asking the International Court of Justice to broaden its interpretation of what constitutes genocide. The protest came days after hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators staged a sit-down protest on O'Connell Bridge in Dublin city centre on Wednesday, causing significant delays to transport in the Irish capital. At Saturday's rally, there were brief scuffles between some of the demonstrators – who came from disparate groups and were not necessarily associated with IPSC – and Irish public order police. A spokesman at the event said at least one attendee had been arrested but An Garda Siochana was unable to immediately confirm that.
The Independent
22-03-2025
- Business
- The Independent
BDS co-founder addresses Palestine solidarity protest in Dublin
It is 'so un-Irish to give up hope', a co-founder of BDS has said, as he urged protesters in Dublin to continue their support for Palestine. Thousands of people participated in a solidarity march through the Irish capital on Saturday, calling for the Government to impose sanctions on Israel. Demonstrators, some wearing keffiyehs and waving banners and Palestinian flags, stopped for a series of speeches outside Ireland's national parliament at Leinster House. Speakers led chants of 'free, free Palestine' and addressed the large crowd on the re-escalating conflict in the Middle East. The protesters called for the end of Israel's military activity in Gaza, for states to stop arming Israel, and the cessation of use of Irish airspace for transporting weapons. The rally, organised by the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC), is the fourteenth national demonstration of its kind since October 2023 and is supported by several trade unions and civil society groups. The IPSC has also called for the enactment of the Occupied Territories Bill, which would ban the import of goods from illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land, along with the Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill. The Government has committed to implementing the Occupied Territories Bill with changes limiting its scope to trade, but it is not on the legislative calendar for this term. Protesters also carried a giant sphere in the style of the logo of Ireland's Central Bank with the words 'stop funding genocide' painted on it. Israel chose the Central Bank of Ireland to be the designated authority to approve prospectuses for Israel Bonds in the EU. Pro-Palestinian supporters want the Bank to stop approving their sale. The group also wants a suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement and for the Irish Government to roll back on its adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism, which it sees as an effort to prevent criticism of Israel. Speakers at the rally included Omar Barghouti, Palestinian intellectual Ghada Karmi, and IPSC chairwoman Zoe Lawlor. Mr Barghouti, who co-founded the BDS movement which stands for boycott, divestment and sanctions, said there was a 'profound moral duty' to continue to support Palestine. Speaking to the PA news agency, he said: 'I'm here to say that given Israel's continued genocide against 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza, we need to escalate non-violent pressure on Irish Government, Irish corporations, Irish institutions to end complicity. 'Palestinians are not asking for charity, we're asking for ending complicity – to do no harm to us. 'The Irish Government continues to allow the transit of US weapons to Israel, this has to stop. 'The Central Bank of Ireland continues to profit from genocide through the sale of Israel government bonds, this has to stop.' Mr Barghouti added: 'The Government is blocking the Occupied Territories Bill and the Divestment Bill, this has to end. They have to take measures to end complicity. 'Some people in Ireland might say 'we've been demonstrating for 17 months throughout this genocide, we don't see any hope'. 'But it is so un-Irish to give up hope. The Irish have resisted colonialism for centuries under enormously difficult hardships and they've never given up hope. 'Similarly, Palestinians for 100 years, we've been resisting oppression and doing everything we can to live in peace, justice, dignity, equality and self-determination like everyone else. 'We cannot give up, it is a profound moral duty to do no harm. So we need to escalate people power and pressure to end complicity.' Senior figures in Israel's government have accused leaders in the Irish coalition of encouraging antisemitism, with the Israeli embassy in Dublin announcing last year that it would close. Israeli politicians have criticised Ireland's decision to intervene in South Africa's case against Israel, with Dublin asking the International Court of Justice to broaden its interpretation of what constitutes genocide.
