For God and Ulster’ ! the Vow of Those Who Reject Violence
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‘FOR GOD AND ULSTER’ ! THE VOW OF THOSE WHO REJECT VIOLENCE ULSTER REPUBLIC OF IRELAND GREAT BRITAIN SOUTH EAST FERMANAGH FOUNDATION "SEFF# SOUTH EAST FERMANAGH FOUNDATION !SEFF" Core messages explained from the front cover of the book Victims & ‘For God and Ulster’ - The vow of those who reject violence. Survivors The Queen’s Award Service The ‘For God and Ulster mantra’ has been assumed by a terrorist organisation. But how could murdering your fellow for Voluntary Service neighbour possibly be viewed as God’s will or how could those actions be viewed as advancing this Country? In reality ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS this ‘mantra’ belongs to the courageous borderland people a" ected by terrorism. These individuals live for God, this This Experiences Capturing Project - ‘For God and Ulster’ - the vow of those who reject violence was developed by country and the community. South East Fermanagh Foundation with Financial assistance from the Victims and Survivors Service. These individuals reject violence, they refused to bring to another’s door that which had been brought to theirs’. This All copyright for the book produced in 2015 is owned by South East Fermanagh Foundation (SEFF) book is a testament to their courage and self-sacri! ce. All copyright for the DVD connected to this Project is owned by South East Fermanagh Foundation and Lyons Digital Productions. All rights are reserved. This can further be borne out through the scripture reference “Eye for eye, tooth for tooth” which does not mean No part of this book may be reproduced in writing without prior written permission from South East Fermanagh that someone is entitled to seek retribution or revenge rather it was spoken by God as a ! gurative command in the Old Foundation and no part of this DVD may be reproduced in writing or electronic format or stored in a retrieval system Testament (Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21) and was never intended to be taken literally. Before God or transmitted in any form, or by any means, without prior written permission from South East Fermanagh Foundation ! rst spoke this, He established a judicial system to hear claims and determine penalties (Exodus 18:13–26), and that and Bob Lyons of Lyons Digital Productions. system would not have been necessary if simple “eye for eye” retribution were proper and adequate. Book contents were compiled and edited by SEFF, Bob Lyons of Lyons Digital Productions and Emma Edwards (nee Stewart) The DVD for this project was ! lmed, recorded, directed and produced by Bob Lyons of Lyons Digital The three times in the Old Testament where the phrase “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth” is mentioned all relate Productions, South East Fermanagh Foundation and Emma Edwards (nee Stewart) to a civil situation, something being judged before a duly constituted authority: a judge, a magistrate, etc. “An eye for This book was printed by The Print Factory, Enniskillen an eye, and a tooth for a tooth” is not a statement that is in any way related to personal relationships. However, that’s precisely what the Pharisees had done with it. They took a divine principle for the courts, and they made it a matter of SEFF would like to thank every person who contributed to this project; we appreciate the emotional journey that you made in trusting SEFF to support you in sharing experiences which are deeply painful and personal to you. daily vendettas. We recognise the e" orts of Kenny Donaldson (Director of Services) Joy Aiken (Projects O# cer) other sta" members and How many people in this wee Country of ours have done likewise? Volunteers who have in any way assisted the delivery of this Project which was a signi! cant study spanning a period of almost nine months. Yours, Eric Brown (Chairman of SEFF) “This publication has received support from the Victims Support Programme for Groups Working with Victims and Survivors, which is administered by VSS on behalf of the O! ce of the First and Deputy First Minister. The views expressed do not necessarily re" ect those of the Victims and Survivors Service”. - i - - ii - CONTENTS Foreword Core messages ‘For God and Ulster’ - the vow of Chapter 4 by Professor Henry Patterson those who reject violence ...................................................i No Uniform, No Mercy Acknowledgements .............................................................ii David Temple ...................................................................... 62 Contents...................................................................................iii Joy Bingham ........................................................................ 65 What is the role that victims of terrorism should play in Northern Ireland today? In the aftermath of the Stormont Foreword..................................................................................iv Cyril Liddle ........................................................................... 68 House Agreement there remains considerable uncertainty over how the past will be dealt with and the role of victims A word from Emma Edwards (Book Facilitator) ........vii Laura Kirkpatrick ................................................................ 70 Chapter 1 Gabrielle Olorunda............................................................ 72 within any process of ‘truth recovery’. In straitened !nancial circumstances will the resources be available to support Service to the Crown Annabella Johnston .......................................................... 74 Albert Brown .......................................................................... 2 the proposed new institutions and to ful!l commitments like the very welcome one of a comprehensive mental trauma Chapter 5 Brent Weir ................................................................................ 4 service? Can any agreement on paper really address the profound di"erences that exist over such fundamentals as the Brian Johnson ........................................................................ 5 Over my dead body Christine Collum ................................................................... 7 Dianne Woods ..................................................................... 77 very de!nition of a victim? Gordon Lee ............................................................................. 9 Edna Simpson ..................................................................... 79 Ivan Humphreys ................................................................. 11 Joan Bullock ......................................................................... 80 In his presidential address to the Sinn Fein ard fheis Gerry Adams declared his solidarity with all the victims groups John McClure ...................................................................... 14 Chapter 6 Sean Gallogly ...................................................................... 16 Injuries which changed our lives campaigning for truth and justice and hoped that the Stormont House Agreement ‘will bring closure to victims’. Insofar Wesley Armstrong ............................................................. 18 Alan Spence ......................................................................... 83 Gordon McGowan ............................................................. 20 Je" Smith .............................................................................. 85 as some of the themes listed for possible consideration by the Independent Commission on Truth Recovery include Noel Dunlop ........................................................................ 21 Ruth Patterson .................................................................... 87 ethnic cleansing and attacks on o"-duty members of the security forces, this possibility should not be ruled out. Chapter 2 Chapter 7 However, what we can be sure of is that if these issues are to be put on the agenda then it will be done by the e"orts of Service given by the Family Those who cared and continue to care William Dunlop ................................................................... 24 Breda Hickey ........................................................................ 90 grass roots organisations like SEFF and IVU and that they can expect, for all Adams’s rhetoric, that Sinn Fein will do all it Andrew Kells ........................................................................ 27 Canon Walter Quill ............................................................ 92 Joyce Greaves ...................................................................... 29 Anonymous ......................................................................... 94 can to oppose and delegitimize these e"orts. Phyllis Clarke ....................................................................... 31 Kenny Douglas ................................................................... 96 Ruth Armstrong....................................................................33 Michelle Nixon .................................................................... 98 There is an on-going struggle to dominate the narrative of what caused the ‘Troubles’ and the role of the major groups Chapter 3 Sara Beattie ........................................................................ 101 ‘Legitimate targets for terrorists’ - cherished loved Sharon Gault ...................................................................... 102 and organisations involved. Although the focus of such a struggle is what occurred in Northern Ireland the stakes ones to us Florence Creighton ..........................................................