[Marxism] Revolution and Religious Fundamentalism

[sobuadhaigh@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

John wrote:
> James Connolly understood this when he  brought his
>volunteers into alliance with Irish Nationalists, 
>Catholic  fundamentalists to the core, in his struggle 
>against British imperialism in  1916.

Not surprisingly, Johnâs uninformed comments on 
Ireland are deeply offense. The only people I 
know who allege that the Irish nationalists of 
1916 were âCatholic fundamentalists to the coreâ 
are the religious bigots in the Unionist strongholds 
of Ulster. That was the rationale then for threatening 
a civil war over home rule legislation and it is their 
rationale now for the tight embrace of British 
imperialism. 

Connolly did not âallyâ with Irish nationalists 
because he was an Irish nationalist, to the core, 
as well as being a revolutionary socialist. 
Remember the PFLP document I shared with John that 
discussed the class struggle that occurs simultaneously 
with the national struggle? Read it again.

Modern Irish nationalism arose in the era of the 
French Revolution largely initiated, and lead, 
by Protestants. The tri-color of the Irish Republican 
movement is patterned after the flag of revolutionary 
France. There are no religious symbols on it. 

If you were to examine the 1916 proclamation, 
read by Pearse, on the steps of the GPO, you 
will note the first person to sign it was Thomas Clark. 
Clark was not religious and he met his fate, 
in front of a firing squad, without confessing and 
reconciling himself to the church. His name was first 
because it was he, and not Pearse, who
was the driving force behind the Easter Rising, and without
him it would not have happened.

Now that you have the proclamation of the Irish Republic
in front of you, read the whole thing and prove to me
it is the program of a Catholic fundamentalist movement.
Letâs see, it does use the word âGodâ twice, once in the 
beginning and once at the very end, but there is no 
overt religious dogma anywhere. Connollyâs socialist 
influence  is clearly evident in the famous phrase,

âWe declare the right of the people of Ireland to 
the ownership of Ireland, and to the unfettered 
control of Irish destinies...â

As to the division of the Irish people between Catholic
and Protestant, these so-called âfundamentalists" 
proclaim equality and complete religious liberty.

â The Republic guarantees religious and civil liberty, 
equal rights and equal opportunities to all its citizens, 
and declares its resolve to pursue the happiness and 
prosperity of the whole nation and all of its parts, 
cherishing all of the children of the nation 
equally and oblivious of the differences carefully 
fostered by an alien government, which have 
divided a minority from the majority in the past.â

It was an inspiring call to arms and worthy of 
unqualified revolutionary support.

Stiofan

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