Decommissioning churchman criticised over 'Nazi' remark

One of the churchmen who witnessed the final act of IRA decommissioning has been criticised by unionist politicians after he compared the unionist community to Nazis for past treatment of Catholics.

Father Alec Reid made his comments at a public meeting in south Belfast also attended by Reverend Harold Good, the Protestant decommissioning witness.

Fr Reid told Wednesday's audience at Fitzroy Presbyterian Church that "the reality is that the nationalist community in Northern Ireland were treated almost like animals by the unionist community. They were not treated like human beings. It was like the Nazis treatment of the Jews".

Fr Reid later apologised, saying he had lost his temper when he had been provoked by comments made in the audience.

However, DUP MP Nigel Dodd's said the remarks were "appalling" while UUP leader Sir Reg Empey said the comments damaged Fr Reid's credibility as a witness to IRA decommissioning.

Rev Good said that while he wanted to disassociate himself from the comments he could "identify fully with the hurt and anger felt by many within the audience and within the wider community".

Fr Reid's comments are likely to stir further anger within the unionist community and mirrors remarks made by Irish President Mary McAleese earlier this year when she claimed some Northern Ireland children were taught to hate Catholics in the same way Nazis despised Jews.

Talking of the Nazi regime, she said: “They gave to their children an irrational hatred of Jews in the same way that people in Northern Ireland transmitted to their children an irrational hatred of Catholics, in the same way that people give to their children an outrageous and irrational hatred of those who are of different colour and all of those things.”

A subsequent planned visit by the Irish President to Belfast's Shankill Road had to be cancelled as a result of the remarks. Mrs McAleese later apologised for the remarks and said she was deeply sorry for any offence caused.

(MB/SP)