Courtney McGrailDear Editor, I was glad to see how your foreign news section this week highlighted the warnings of Westminster’s Cardinal Vincent Nichols about politicians “trading in fear” about migrants (IC 10/11/2016).
In his comments, the London prelate cautioned against “a kind of popular leadership which is basing itself on fear…almost trading in fear”, warning of how in connection with asylum seekers and with England’s Brexit vote for the UK to leave the EU, “the rhetoric is getting worse and more widespread”, with the media stoking these flames.
The cardinal’s concerns were clearly directed at the UK, where the xenophobia unveiled or enflamed by the Brexit campaign hasn’t abated, with attacks on and abuse of immigrants on Britain’s streets being matched by an incessant media cacophony about the wicked, cunning foreign politicians who wish to remain in the EU and protect the interests of the people in the union the British have voted to abandon.
However, with similar comments made by Pope Francis ahead of the US presidential election, it seems the Church realises the dangers posed by encouraging a kind of ‘white nationalism’ in the countries of the West.
Warning against surrendering to the politics of fear by building walls, the Pope called for us to work instead to build bridges, saying, “Because fear – as well as being a good deal for the merchants of arms and death –weakens and destabilises us, destroys our psychological and spiritual defences, numbs us to the suffering of others.”
Despite the Pontiff’s warning, Donald Trump was of course elected, and elected while threatening to deport immigrants, to build a wall to keep out Mexicans, to ban Muslims from America, and to compel all Muslims already in the country to register with the Government.
Perhaps not all Trump voters were racist, but they were clearly willing to accept racist policies as a price for the prospective President’s help.
Yours etc.,
Philip O’Toole,
Lucan, Co. Dublin.