Re: [Marxism] Revolution and Religious Fundamentalism

[sobuadhaigh@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

On the subject of Eire, John wrote:

>(Pearse) was also committed to the Gaelicising of 
>Irish society, its culture, >language, and education, 
>which was then, and is now, both undeniably and  
>inextricably linked to a Catholic identity.

Gaeilge is a language and not a religion. I am not now, 
nor have I ever been, a Roman Catholic as my ancestors 
were Dissenters from Donegal who emigrated in the era 
of the famine. Historically, the Catholic hierarchy of 
Ireland wanted their privileges restored but they were  
hostile to the Republican movement and uninterested in 
the nationalist promotion of Gaelic language and culture. 

The direct result of the fraudulent union of Ireland 
to Great Britain was the criminally negligent response 
to the disaster of the potato blight causing the death 
of millions. It was famine and disease that almost 
destroyed the language of the Irish people. I would 
argue that the only reason Gaeilge exists outside 
the Gaeltacht is because the nationalist movement
promoted the survival of our culture. That culture is 
not, and has never been, exclusively Catholic.

>And while the central role of the Catholic Church 
>in the Irish Free State may not have been the original 
>aim or intention of the signatories of the 
>Proclamation in 1916, it is hard to see how such 
>religious conservatism, especially in matters of social 
>policy, would not have been as rigid should they  have 
>survived to see their dream of Irish nationhood come 
to pass.

The key here is the tragedy of the Irish Free âstatelet.â  
Artesian wrote:

>It might be important to point out here that the 
>achievement of this Irish nationalism, this so-called 
>grand alliance, was an  Irish Free State thatitself was 
>a creation of imperialism, of a tactical accommodation 
>by and TO British imperialism,

The achievement of Irish nationalism is that it kept 
alive the aspirations of a people who refused to 
surrender to centuries of brutal imperialist oppression.
The achievement of Irish nationalism is the vision 
of a free, united and democratic country owned by 
all of its people. The tragedy of 1916 is that the 
failure of the Rising resulted in the destruction 
of its most revolutionary and class conscious leaders 
and combatants. The execution of Connolly and the 
crippling of the Irish Citizen Army had a profound 
effect of the course of the struggle. Compounded by 
the deal to abandon Ulster, is it any wonder that 
the âFree Stateâ would develop the way it did?

For all the twists and turns and ever present 
temptation of betrayal(i.e. Sinn Fein), the 
revolutionary tradition of Irish nationalism 
continues. This movement can not be reduced to 
"religious fundamentalismâ because that 
characterization is false and denigrates the 
sacrifice of comrades who fought then and struggle 
today for a secular republic, in all of Ireland, 
owned by all of its citizens.

In this time of sacrifice and suffering of the
Palestinian people I think about the slogans for
a Free Palestine and see in them the national
and class struggle of all people fighting for
survival against imperialism.

"Revolution until victory"
"Generation after generation until total liberation" 

--
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