The Long Good Friday

Some time after The Good Friday Agreement (between the IRA and The British Government) I rekindled some long lost links.

I say 'long lost' because during 'The Troubles' we were at political loggerheads – on opposite sides of the political divide – to be more precise.

Even the many times I visited Dublin I 'held my counsel' as a word out of place could have meant a death sentence. I just did not move in any circles I knew to be Republican and stayed well away from (known) Republican 'haunts' (and 'Hills' - which certainly had eyes and ears!) on the North side of the City.  Tony Baker, a childhood friend, long deceased, kept me informed of what was happening and of  local gossip.  

[I had been 'schooled' in Republican values and ideals but the Marxist-Leninist-Trotskyist side of politics was never very appealing to me. I had access to a wonderful Marxist-Leninist-Maoist Bookshop from the age of about 11 and had read Mao's 'Little Red Book' by the age of 13.

I had read several of such booklets in my spare time - including Gadhafi's Little Green Books – so was quite versatile in politics by the age of 15.]
My mother was not a staunch Republican but on the mantelpiece of what was her and my aunt's bedroom, apart from candles and holy water from Lourdes, were pictures of St. Martin de Porres, Jesus Christ, The Blessed Virgin and Gerry Adams.  It was a typical Catholic household. 
In their active years they both went to church at least once a day - so I have never been disrespectful of people with religious values and ideals.
[I often used to taunt the kids - once by extracting a lithograph from a book over a hundred years old where it shows veiled women ( wearing niqabs, hijabs, al-amiras and shaylas) all together (separate from men) in a house of prayer.  Unanimously they would say 'Arabs in a Mosque' then I would show them the full quote describing the situation as ''veiled women in a synagogue'' with the words underneath: ''Is it comely that a woman pray uncovered''? 1-Cor.xi.13. The book was a faithful graphical representation of a situation encountered or known to exist either in the Middle East or North Africa around the turn of the last century.]

I had friends who went off to Kibbutzim in Israel but all seemed to return pretty weird - re-programmed like Nazis with an obsessive racial hatred of Arabs. Other than in the history or geography books, I didn't know until then what an 'Arab' was.    So I made up my mind there and then I would never be 'Kibbutzed'(!); and have always maintained a distance from active involvement in Israeli lobbies.

Apart from anything else, my work often placed me in a difficult situation.

Dublin is a very small place not somewhere you can easily 'disappear' into and 'outsiders' stand out like a sore thumb (something like Mossad - which is why they had chosen to live - in a derilict - at number 6 Elgin Road - whilst planning their Gulf caper – rather than 'mix' with the general population. They chose this road I presume because it is the only one where they could find a derilict property in what is a well-to-do  Embassy quarter where it's impossible to find empty units - much to the consternation of all the neighbors! )

So with the Good Friday agreement in place I met up with Martin McGovern, the United Kingdom Representative of Sinn Fein (the political wing of the IRA) at a very open 'private' club in Central London - near to Marble Arch. [The only reason I am refraining from mentioning the name of the Club is because I don't have their permission and it is a 'private' venue.  I was, through NATO's Atlantic Council, then a member - and it's always an advantage to have places you can meet away from the prying eyes and ears of 'mainstreet' to have a heart-to-heart chat.

Marble Arch or 'Tyburn' was indeed an apt location for our meet-up.  The venue was very familiar because at that time myself and R (a Home Office Consultant) used to meet with a senior diplomat from the Russian Embassy (just down the road) intermittently, ostensibly for a 'working lunch'. The meetings were not in any way covert and enabled R to exchange views and ideas with our counterpart, who always came by himself from the Embassy.

The 'Decommissioning' Process

To come back to our meeting in Great Cumberland Place, I had, of course, given advance notice of booking a table and put down as my invited guest 'Mr Martin McGovern, UK Sinn Fein Representative' to find the main dining room completely cleared of guests so we had the grand room all to ourselves.  I am not sure to this day whether the clearout was deferential, done in panic or just 'in protest'(!); but in any event it afforded us the opportunity to 'decommission' several bottles of really fine wine along with a very tasty meal.

It started during the era of Margaret Thatcher (whom I met socially on many occasions, and, I actually liked her the more I got to know her) and concluded during the Blair administration (I have never had any contact with the Blairs on any occasion.)

Prime Minister Blair did conclude what were historic negotiations which have brought about peace in Northern Ireland. I personally put it down to Margaret Thatcher's longer-term vision (when contacts were secretly initiated with the IRA) but Blair is rightly credited in the history books as having concluded the deal.

Nothing But Doom and Gloom – Give Up On the Arabs and Israelis – They Are Both Lost Causes!; A Waste of Time and A Waste of Space!

My previous but one blog was very negative about the Middle East – Israelis and the Arabs and the prospects for 'eternal' war and possibly world war started by one or other party.

Tony Blair was an excellent choice as a Middle East Peace Envoy in the aftermath of his success in Northern Ireland.

The problems were, however, of a different dimension in the Middle East than in Northern Ireland.

They were then and still are today.

Sinn Fein have always been supportive of other revolutionary groups worldwide struggling to free themselves from the shackles of servitude – the Palestinians being no exception.

Their greatest historical success was the African National Congress which they had always supported from amongst the diaspora Irish Republican communities – especially in the United States.

You need to appreciate that during this era of Apartheid in South Africa, Sinn Fein were themselves a small financially struggling politically powerless movement so to even give vocal let alone a modicum of active support was a considerable commitment on the part of the Irish Republican movement.

I think the photographs during Nelson Mandela's historic visit to Ireland say it all – compare the much more relaxed Mandela with Adams and McGuinness, as brothers in arms, to the more formal with Irish Parliamentary representatives - the only 'war' most of latter had ever seen, up close and personal, was that while downing the last of an evening's black gold - with a white froth on the top - without having to run back and forth for relief (!)

Back to our meeting.  'There's no doubt about it'' said Martin ''it's the real thing – and it will stick....................................................''

So after centuries of conflict against the 'British Imperialism' the wars in Ireland were finally coming to an end.  The road ahead would not be without it's obstacles – but at least everyone was now on the same talking page – and saw that they were all human beings with the same desires for their future, that of of their families, their communities and were now ready to share in a common future for the destiny of their country.

I contrast this with the Middle East.   If you read my last but one post you'd might as well just give up – that is how you would interpret my language – which was dark , gloomy, with no hope of reconciliation, peace, nor forgiveness.

Don't Give Up On us Baby!

[Walking In Memphis]

The message should have been – don't give up – but proceed with extreme caution(!)

I have spent some time anaylzing the Arab and Israeli mentality and discussing with others so this is why I am more pessimistic than most about a 'final solution' to the Arab-Israeli problem.

Sometimes, 'holding solutions' for particular points in time (such as Cyprus, Israel-Palestine,

the Shia versus the Sunni) maybe more appropriate than absolute definitives.

I still maintain that if Tony Blair could not move the peace process forward, even with the advice and input of Senator George J. Mitchell, who, being of Christian Lebanese Arab extraction, understands the mentality better than most, then the prospects for the road ahead do not look very promising.

Just to digress for a minute, I can't understand the tsunami of jealousy which the Blairs are continually under - essentially for 'making good' financially.  It seems that British Labour Socialists have an obsessive hatred for any Christian who breaks the financial sound barrier and still retains social values and ideals.

To come back to our lunch.  The 'decommissioning' was a total success and we both departed with a lot of optimism for the future. 

 

Sadly for the Arabs and Israelis, they will never (jointly) share the elation of such a process (!)

©Patrick Emek, 2015

updated 17th and 19th February to correct typographical errors