Unionists should not approach Irish language from a position of insecurity
In your newspaper last week there was discussion about a proper attitude to the Irish language.
It was argued that the Orange Order’s attitude on the subject was currently different from its historical attitude and also that the Ulster Unionists took a different line from the DUP.
Underlying everything was the argument that Sinn Fein was politicising the use of the language.
But I concluded some time ago that language anywhere is a political issue.
Like Rev Brian Kennaway, one of the columnists writing last week on the subject, I have served the Lord – and my service took me, for some years, to India.
I remember being on a bus in a major south Indian city when the bus conductor sat down beside me.
He had recognised, by my point of departure from the bus, that I was most likely a genuine follower of Jesus – and he wanted me to get him some literature on Christian faith.
I went to a very major book store to try to find literature for him.
It had none in the local language, Telugu; but it did have material in English and Hindi.
His written reply to me led me to see that it was okay to have sent him material in English, but not in Hindi.
I felt that the Hindi language had all sorts of political associations with north India that he, as a south Indian, did not feel happy about.
Sinn Fein may, indeed, have an agenda in relation to the Irish language.
They will make demands on the issue which are unreasonable, and cannot be met. But the way forward for unionism on this issue is not to operate from a position of insecurity.
My illustration from India shows that language anywhere can be a political issue.
Those from the unionist majority in Northern Ireland will recognise that the Irish language is bound up with political aspirations towards a united Ireland.
But not everyone who has those aspirations will have been a supporter of violence.
Generosity towards the nationalist community, including respect for Irish language and culture, is likely to signal that sensible unionism, while disagreeing with Irish nationalism, treats those of a different political hue with respect.
And that may decrease the enthusiasm of many for Sinn Fein.
Rev Brian Wilson, Kilrea, Co Londonderry