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.

Sorry TwoIf, I think I misunderstood you. I have to say that although my daughter goes to a catholic school, out of 132 pupils only 28 of them are actually Catholic, I wonder how this compares to other Catholic school. (realise this has nothing to do with the issue!)

I was also disgusted about the rise in domestic abuse after old firm games, however, after the last old firm game, whilst walking to work through town the early the morning after I passed someone who had a bottle smashed in their face (was with police waiting for an ambulance) a group of "fans" being rounded up and bundled into a police van and 2 other unrelated "fans" being led towards a police car in handcuffs.

We don't know who sent the bullets or the parcel bombs.

No-one has admitted to it.

All the police have disclosed is that they know where one of the parcels bombs was posted.

The 'terrorost threat' may not be as a result of a Scottish person.

Orange marches, should also, in my opinion, be banned, there is no need for them in Scotland in this day and ages. The amount they cost in policing and the disruption to the city is outrageous.

At the very least they should be limited to one march a year, not ever weekend during the whole summer (especially as they pass right outside my front door!!)

I love Glasgow, love living here, but I hate the sectarianism that is very much present.

Orange marches are bigots in bowler hats! There is no reason for them and no reason for them in Scotland especially!

I live in glasgow ds and dss support opposing teams as do many of their friends we like many parents strive to stamp out sectarianism in our kids by pointing out its football not religion. The schools are also going to great lengths to show this.

Unfortunately the few bigoted idiots who conduct themselves in such a stupid manner have brought a bad name to Scotland. But I think the same could be said for football hooliganism in general, let's face it countries all over the world have had riots etc relating to football and religion.

I think its very insulting to say scots are terrorists. The narrow minded bigots who are targeting a sole person|family need to be locked up but I don't agree all scots or even all glaswegians should be tarred with the same brush.

Regarding the marches, there are hibs|black|orange and st patrick marches therefore all draining our economy and all should be banned.

Was it posted in ayrshire yama or is that an urban myth made up to make it look like someone jumped a boat over to post it?

Agree re the orange walk. But banning that in itself will not stamp it out.

I am Glaswegian and object to be referred to as 'miserable lot'. I lived there for the first 26 years of my life and accepted the sectarianism as part of life - used to get asked 'what school did you go to' in my late teens meeting new people, that would be them trying to establish if I was prod or catholic.

It's horrible. Only now I'm living away from the west coast I can see it for what it really is. Actually sickening.

However, there is an inference in some of these posts that things are escalating 'out of control'. Let's get a handle on it. It's a couple of total nutters who are behind the letter bombs, and the majority of Glaswegians hate sectarianism in all its forms.

Curlymamma - jumped a boat??

BBC News said it was posted in Kilwinning (Ayrshire) on Friday Curlymama.

The Scottish National was held on Saturday in Ayr and many, many Northern Irish people attend.

I can also confirm that sectarianism is alive and well in Scotland as during the last few Rangers matches I have had to suffer my next door neighbours chanting "fuck the pope" at the top of their voices at 8pm on a Sunday night then drinking all night and fighting in the street at 2.30am. What I did notice was there were three generations of people in the house - the grandparents, parents and kids. Hatred breeds hatred.

Oh and when I was in Ayr not that long ago I came across a girl about three years old singing "would you like a chicken supper Bobby Sands".

Total embarrassment to all normal Scots!

Jesus Christ 8Ace - that's awful.

Malibustac - Yes, ban them all.

I think that it is indeed a few nutters that have sent the letter bombs, but I think that will lead to more trouble and an escalation in other incidents.

I think to an extent it is already happening, even on facebook etc over the last few weeks I have seen horrible things written that have caused me to defriend/confront people I have known for years and have thought of as decent people.

Aimsmum I was just saying that to dp about fb people joining ridiculous pages spouting crap.

8ace that's is disgusting, as you say hate breeding hate. Who is it helping? Do they realise in the long run its the hate their breeding which is making our streets unsafe for our kids to walk around in?

I agree its getting worse was just trying to point out that responsible parents don't want their kids brought up were this exists.

Yes, they are all miserable sectarian bigots who are madly posting bombs throughout the nation. Yanks are all a bunch of gun-toting, racist, thick lunatics. French are all idiots.

Another ignorant sweeping generalisation about an entire country from Chil.

[rolls eyes]

Oh, and the man arrested in Scotland for alleged connection with the murder of Ronan Kerr in NI has been released unconditionally.

Interestingly this is the first time my home town has received a mention on the national news. And it isn't particularly bad for it!

@expatinscotland. 'Miserable lot' refers to the miserable lot that send parcel bombs intending to kill innocent people. It's your own 'ignorant sweeping generalisation', I'm afraid, interpreting my comment to include the entire nation and trying to make me out to be racist in the process. WTF?

My question is 'why now'? Is it linked with the election? Indicative of a change in the level of local dissatisfaction? Sympathies with the more active extreme groups in NI? Or just some lone nutter (as previously suggested) and nothing to be worried about?

I worked in Ayrshire for a while, and in some of the towns (kilwinning etc) it was like going back in time. I went into a house once that had a mural of king Billy on his white horse taking up one whole wall of the living room!

I don't know what the causes are, but if I were in charge, I'd ban marches from towns an cities - if they want to march, let them march over Fenwick Moor. I'd also separate education and religion, and make the non-denominational schools completely irreligious -ie, no end of term church service. Finally, if rangers and Celtic fans continue with their vile songs, I'd demote both teams to the second division and make them play behind closed doors for a season.

I don't think it's nothing to be worried about. It's just that sectarianism is all around in the west of Scotland and interconnected with so much social life there - it's just on a continuum. It might seem new to you Chil, but to people who live here it's just the same old story.

My personal view is that there is a lone nutter grabbing the headlines, and it has brought other aspects od sectarianism in Scotland to the attention of the London media and consequently the rest of Britain

I think it is linked to Ireland's resurgence in sectarianism following its economic problems and as there are many familial and cultural ties to NI, it comes acrss to here. Frankly, people get ferries and planes to Old Firm games specifically for a ruck - that' not to say there aren't plenty here who also enjoy a bit of old fashioned sectarian fun.

There is also, as others have said, a social and cultural divide between Catholic schools and non denominational schools and Scotland has its own economic difficulties - poverty and ignorance also have their parts to play.

I would make the football clubs change their badges and colours and start again. I would ban Orange walks and make all schools non denominational. But hell will freeze over before that happens.

The sectarian aspect is absolutely not a new phenomenon to me but the parcel bomb thing just seemed a different tack & out of character, if you will.

The parcel bombs etc is a new thing - I do wonder if it's connected to 2 things
1 - Lennon bleating on aobut the refs hating celtic
2) Rangers bleating on aobut being "picked on" by EUFA or whoever it is who have claimed they are (and let's be honest, they are) still singing sectarian songs.

I am not a fan of football,a dn even less of a fan of the bigots who claim to be fans of Celtic and rangers (I know not all fans are bigots) but this is shocking behaviour.
I grew up in a town where the rangers and celitc fans share buses to Glasgow and sit in the pub next to each other watching old fimrs debies on tv.

Also my italian catholic uncle had a shop in a place in Lanarkshire and used to get bricks with "Finian b$%&*£"d" writtne on them. His crime ? Being a catholic in a predominately protestant area

I have to admit that I used to be terribly naive about all of this: despite being brought up in Glasgow, my parents brought me up to be blind to people's religion.

I was nearly 30 before I found out that you could "tell" if someone was/might be Jewish by their name and/or how they looked.

I was over 30 before I found out why, in Glasgow, they so often ask which school you went to, when applying for jobs - and might ask which primary school you went to, in order to find out if you are Catholic My dh (who I met when I was 31) is a (lapsed) Catholic who opened my eyes to some of the bigotry that still exists. :(

Having said that, I think that the parcel bombs are the work of a lone nutter - even though I think that there has been an increase in sectarianism recently.

I do think that some of the escalation has been fuelled by Lennon and the Celtic chairman going on about referees' and the SFA's supposed bias against Celtic.

That is all part of why I am so against the separate State Catohlic schools - and why ds was never allowed to support either Celtic or Rangers (he ended up supporting Glasgow Queens Park) and why we have encouraged him to play (and support) rugby rather than football.

Interestingly, the last Glasgow Warriors (rugby) game we went to, they were playing Ulster. Not only were there flags with the Red Hand of Ulster being waved, they were singing Ulster songs......

....... and even worseshock], the fans were not segregated and they were allowed to buy alcohol and take it with them to their seats.

And there was NO TROUBLE (....despite a dubious referring decision which meant that Glasgow lost 'cos of a penalty after the clock had gone red - but that's a whole different story )

The moral of the story seems to be that the "troubles" seem to be more linked to the type of people who follow football - or is it just that the troublemakes will find something to latch on to :( , ie that they are not true fans of football.

I agree about the refereeing debacle. I think John Reid was playing a hard headed political game and the SFA were totally on a back foot.

Again an example of how the media and big football clubs fan the flames.

DP is a season ticket holder but will never, ever take his children to a game. Which is quite sad really.