Sir, - On Sunday last I heard a North of Ireland preacher asking his congregation in St Patrick's Cathedral to stand up and be counted against the evil that happened in Omagh on Saturday. As one of that congregation on the day (though not professing any religious beliefs of my own), and as a pacifist, I would like you to allow me an opportunity to register my protest against this renewed act of barbarism. I will be glad to confront any of its perpetrators, or any of those who supported it, face to face, either in public or in private, at any time to dispute with them their arrogated divine right to murder. And, I believe, in whatever corner of Ireland they may find adherents, these should be confronted in the same open manner.
But they are faceless and in the shadows. Some of them may be young enough to regret at some future date the horrors of disfigurement, dismemberment and murder that they helped to wreak on innocent shoppers and their children in Omagh on Saturday. Some may be old enough to have become immune to their own savagery, still sending out young women and men to bully, rob, maim and kill in order to have their own selfish, ill-defined dreams fulfilled. Their dreams and theirs only. Insignificant individuals like the rest of us, except for neck and ruthlessness. Are these the attributes that have kept a screen of fake heroism surrounding them? Are these the attributes that have allowed them to hold democratically elected governments to ransom? To flout the will of the very people whom they purport to "fight" for?
They cannot but have known what they were about. They have seen all this happening again and again and again on this island over the past 30 years. Whatever genius inspires them to repeat such injustice, whatever philosophy they live by, whatever twisted view of history they are fed, should be examined home.
But there is also a caveat at this time of high emotion, justified indignation and plain, raw anger. The word "internment" has been mentioned and I am sure that it will be one of the options considered. "Internment" in this context means internment without trial. I am opposed to this for two reasons:
1. Internment without trial is itself an injustice.
2. It can create martyrs for a cause which, before its introduction, may have few sympathisers - as it did in Northern Ireland.
Let our system of justice identify and bring them to justice - but by fair trial only. - Yours, etc., Justin Morahan,
Scholarstown Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16.