Sectarianism in Scotland

[Chil1234]

Parcel bombs to Celtic connections today & a Scottish link with the murder of a N. Ireland policeman a few weeks ago. Religious sectarianism has always bubbled under the surface in Glasgow but what's caused the current escalation? Miserable lot.

I don't think it's escalating, it has always been there, but there are a couple of big stories kicking around which makes it seem like there is a sudden escalation.

Sectarianism in Scotland is stoked by the big football clubs, the media, poverty, politics and parochialism.

I feel sorry for the people whom the letter bombs were aimed at. It must feel sickening to think they or a member of their family could have opened one.

I am ashamed to say I did not realise it was even an issue until the Celtic/Rangers clash a few weeks ago and now this bomb... Can someone please explain me or point in the direction of a good quality analysis of what exactly is going on there.

fill yer boots

Oh, thanks a million!

I say 'escalation' because, I may have missed it (and put me right if it has happened in the past), but I didn't think the Scots had stooped to actual terrorist tactics like parcel bombs before. Namecalling at football matches, Orange Lodge marches, punch-ups and so forth I'm aware of. There are obviously some sick people in Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland for whom the prospect of peace is a little too dull for their tastes....

I don't think a lone nutcase constitutes a terrorist threat from the Scots.

I think the latest wave of sectarianism started when many Catholic Irish people came to Scotland after the potato famine in the 19th century, so no, it's not recent. The Scots were very Protestant and so they clashed.

Do you remember when kids and their parents at a Catholic school in a Protestant area on the West coast had to run the gauntlet of abuse and the threat of physical attacks on their way to school?

What's interesting is that I think it's the Catholic population of Glasgow in particular who are voting for Labour and keeping them powerful in Scotland. I wonder if the publicity generated by this will benefit the Labour party or the SNP (mainly Protestant) in the next elections.

Even going out in a football shirt can be seen as a provocation. Very sad.

But it's only a couple of nutters, at the most, who are sending the bombs to people.

Mellow, I think that was in NI.

Am thoroughly disgusted at the recent development re NL though - the man has lived and worked in Scotland for years and deserves a bit of a break. I wonder how these idiots would have felt if he had been killed by their cowardly bomb.

Agree about NL. But I'm sure the school thing was in Scotland. I remember being surprised at the strength of feeling ... At that time I thought it was just to do with football.

I've lived in Glasgow all of my life, and I do think sectarianism has escalated a lot recently. It used to be very bad years ago, then I think it calmed down, but I think it is getting out of control and there is not really enough being done about it.

I think the police are taking things seriously now, as there have been 4 (5?) letter bombs over the past few weeks, but before now NL and his family, including children, were getting death threats and his address was all over the internet encouraging people to harass/attack/whatever him.

I don't know what the solution is, but I really do think is a nations (or west of Scotland) shame, and without a doubt there will be a huge amount of trouble on Sunday

The clubs need to do more. The old firm fuels all this nonsense and benefits directly from the hatred (dare I say my first controversial mnet comment). Its bubbled under the surface for too long and its pathetic. Whatever has happened in the last few football matches has really caused it to escalate.

That certainly happened at Holy Cross primary in Belfast in 2001, but there may have been a separate but similar issue in Scotland. There wasn't a football connection at Holy Cross as far as I remember.

It's a shameful thing, with narrow minded bigots at the centre of it. And it will never go away, it will quieten down then bubble up again, time and again.

I'm so glad we left Glasgow before we had kids.

I'm absolutely certain the school thing was in NI and not in Scotland. There are some numpties in Scotland and, obviously, some of them are dangerous but the majority of people are able to conduct themselves with more sense. Outwardly, at least.

I am a Scot and it appals me that stuff like this can happen here.

Great that an entire nation is being known for this.

Sectarianism will not end until Catholic schools are banished and all children go to one school. My dts were upset when a few of their nursery friends had to go to the Catholic school and that was the end of that in terms of school friends. I can remember when I was little and the fights between my school and the Catholic school next door and not being able to play with some kids because of the animosity. It starts then, the whole thing, schools should be entirely secular. No one should be surprised that the problem continues.

As long as separate schools exist then we will forever be stuck in the last century.

Mellow - the school thing was definitely Northern Ireland.

Agree with CurlyMama about the clubs benefitting from the 'rivalry'.

They are not taking responsibility.

Zero tolerance could make a difference. Having no sanctions, no consequences, no stadium bans for Sectarian singing is pretty pathetic.

And did they ever catch the people who sent Neil Lennon a bullet in the post? It was to him and someone else but I don't remember who, or if they caught the person/s.

Also agree with TwoIfBySea regarding Catholic Schools. I know people will argue that people in other countries can have faith schools without such problems but not Scotland it would seem.

My DD goes to a catholic school and meets up regularly with friends out side of school who go to the local non-denominational school, so I really don't agree that children who go to different types to school have to stop being friends.

My daughter's school and the non-de school are within a few minutes walk of each other and they regularly meet up for events/share coaches etc. Both schools have also attended stomp out sectarianism workshops at both Ibrox and Parkhead too.

No TwoIfBySea, they haven't caught anyone yet.

IME, it's a problem in Glasgow and in some areas on the West Coast, but not in Scotland as a whole. I have lived in various areas all my life, and it's not an issue, unless you are in a pub when an old firm game is on, which I wouldn't do in a million years.

I think the old firm should be penalised heavily for the behaviour of the fans. Quite frankly, if they can't behave, the teams should be disbanded.

Oh, and OP, calling us a miserable lot, and suggesting that "we" have stooped to terrorism is pretty offensive. It's pretty ironic to sound so prejudiced when complaining about sectarianism.

It isn't about stopping friendships Aimsmum. It is about the message it sends out.

My dts miss their friends at school. One goes to Cubs so they see him there but schools should be secular, children should be around all faiths otherwise how are they to understand. It is ridiculous that in this day and age they are not!

A lot of these idiots are not even season ticket holders, so I feel the sanctions and publicity against the behaviour needs to go further. My disgust was recently heightened when strathclyde police highlighted the increase in domestic violence attacks around old firm games. Drink and sectarianism are a scurge on the west coast. I just hate the attitude that Glasgow is "Belfast lite haha" as if thats ok then.

To add, I grew up in a town outside Glasgow where this was rife. Before moving to where I live now I stayed in a town closer to Edinburgh but the divide was there. It was a very Rangers town, Orange marches etc.

I was so glad to get out of there and didn't send my dts to local school. I had thought I'd moved far enough east.