IRA vrs. Al-Qaeda

[Shadow Man]

Whilst I have a rich understanding of both the IRA and Al-Qaeda, I am a little too young to reflect on the IRA with a political viewpoint.

Both had in their minds a "justifiable" vendetta against the British, for whatever reason and Britain today welcome just as many muslims in to its arms as we did the Irish in the 60's and 70's.

My question, aimed primarily at people over 40 who can recall the height of the IRA campaign on British soil.

Was the fear of the IRA the same as that of Al-Qaeda today? Also, was there any equivelent term of Islamophobia re the Irish, i.e Republicanophobia etc?

[NJOK]

I'm too young myself, but this might give you an idea of how prolific the IRA were:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1201738.stm

[Gromit]

There was no fear of the IRA. When they exploded huge bombs on the UK mainland it brighten up our drab lives. The people of Manchester, Coventry, Birmingham, Brighton, London, Warrington etc etc took it on the chin and none of us cancelled our weekend breaks in Londonderry. There was no phobia of the Irish because we could rely on our sercurity forces to regular round-up anyone with an Irish accent and put them away for 25 years without any bl00dy Human Right Act.

[rojash]

There was no major fear of the IRA - mainly because, although they caused more damage over a longer period than AL Qaeda, at that time politicians had not yet realised the advantages of whipping up public hysteria as a way of overcoming objections to totalitarian and draconian laws.

[jake-the-peg]

I grew up in London in the 70's and 80's and there was a certain fear of bomb attacks especially as I recall after the Harrods bomb - looking it up only 6 people were killed.

My wife's Irish and was frequently stopped in quite intimidating manners when she came over.

I still recall one of my fathers friends telling me that "The Irish were the world's most uncivilised white race".

Here's a cartoon from 1982

http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/images/cartoons/douglas 26.gif

Make your own mind up

[dyli795]

Simple, the IRA were just daft, and the alquaeda are thick and or stupid. Bit simplistic I know. Perhaps I should take the time and allow the opportunity to understand their grievences, allow vent to their aspirations, be fair and meet them half way and look at things from there. After all it's only a reasonable starting point as anyone with any sense of fair play and a grasp of propierty would agree.What do you think? anything?

[dyli795]

I am of the oppinion that all and any race on earth is civilised. We are all aware however of a thin strand of what I can only say is idealogical sicknes runs through just about all and any, 'though, sad to say, some more than others.

[peter johnso]

Of course their was fear created by the IRA and I never saw any Republicanophobia where i went.
I even had a staunch IRA man as a friend !
You see although i did not agree with his way I did respect his right to protest yes even attack an occupying force.
If the boot had been on the other foot I would have done what they did.
However Al Qaeda seems to have a different agenda dont you think?
The are not attacking us or other western countries because of occupation but for our way of life.
So there is a difference.
As for the British being attacked well we did kinda roam the world at one time taking what wasnt ours didnt we?

[Gromit]

"IRA were just daft, and the alquaeda are thick" -

That's a relief. He's me thinking it might have had something to do with us stealing their lands, killing their populations and generally meddling in the running of their countries.

[Whickerman]

The IRA saw their role as to free the 6 counties under British rule. As an Irishman, I can say that they had very little public support as we saw them for the thugs they were. Unfortunately, there was a groundswell of support for the internationally anytime the British troops played them at their own game and worked outside the law. This lesson was hard-learned by the British, but due to political - not military - efforts on all sides the horrific attacks by the IRA and the British forces are now dispatched to the past and thankfully you need to ask us for our memories.

Now I see the US portrayed as criminal in the media and popular opinion, due to their actions in Guantanemo bay, Iraq and Afghanistan, all of which can be argued as being illegal. And the same groundswell of support for murderous thugs like Al Qaeda comes this time from the youth of the eastern world, in particular the Muslim population. The US seems to be repeating the mistakes made by others in the past.

One big difference this time is that the West is the target, not just one country, and the war is religious, not solely political.

To put the Republicanophobia (as you call it) into perspective, an Irish comedian asked the crowd at Wembley at (I think The Secret Policeman's Ball) "Who likes Al Qaeda? I Love them."...stunned silence..."Let's face it, I can come to the UK now with no hassles. 10 years ago i was a terrorist suspect, now I'm one of the Riverdance People!"
It was a huge issue, but less so now.

[ruby27]

Is shadow man Joe the Lion?
As if it is, is this a deliberate ploy to develop an anti Muslim rant. If so I shall sign off now as it will undoubtedly get banned later.

[whiffey]

There was nothing like the fear of or feeling towards the IRA as many have towards Islamic terrorism. It's partly an emotional gut reaction, the IRA were White European and never had the creepy sinister connotations that Islam does, with its ambition to Islamise or wipe out all of the Western way of life. And people note time after time that they are young, male, black. It doesn't help, plain fact.

[mushroom25]

hey Ruby, I detected an obscure reference to Bowie as well.....

I'll give it until 9pm.

[ruby27]

mushroom25
now I wouldn't have a clue about any reference to Bowie - I know what alerted me to the presence of jtl, (if I am correct) its the opening sentence
I am very clever
I am very intelligent
I am very ..................
Not so much a question but a statement
shadow man if you are not jlt, then I apologise as it would be more of a case of
ruby27 I am so clever - not!!!!

[ruby27]

hiya shadowman, have I made a mistake or is this one of your more apt pseudonyms?

[nedflanders]

Gromit

If you are referring to Iraq we were attacked by Al Qaeda well before then so what was the justification before Iraq?

Dont let the anti war brigade fool you into thinking they are attacking us because of Iraq. These animals have no agenda other than converting us all to Islam. They hate our ways of life, our freedom, our infidel ways. If it was up to them they'd have all our women dressed from head to toe not being allowed to work be educated and have their genitals circumcised.
Ps. They also really don't care about Palestine either, that's just their recruiting cry to the undeducated teenagers they brainwash to use as human bombs.

[Gromit]

nedflanders

Al Qaeda first big gripe was that the Americans were in Saudi Arabia albeit at the invitation of the Royal family who they regard as corrupt. After the Gulf War the US stayed in KSA keeping many men there and aircraft. If it wasn't for the US the Royal family would be long gone. I could mention the Saudis appauling human rights record toward their own people but I doubt you would be bothered.
So "...stealing their lands, killing their populations and generally meddling in the running of their countries is a pretty accurate assessment.

[WoWo]

I think there are a couple of significant differences to be made.

Firstly, while innocent people were killed by the IRA on the whole their campaign was against the british esstablishment, targeting miliraty and goverment targets. They also issued warnings in most cases. Islamic terrorists on the other hand see any target as justified.

Secondly, the IRA had an agenda, the reunification of Ireland, I won't comment on the rights or wrongs of that. However when you talk about Islamaphobia this is something very different than Al-Qaeda, what we are seeing is large numbers of Muslims who wish to come to this country and change it, that was never the case with the Irish, mainly because they had a very similar culture to our own.

[Oneeyedvic]

Firstly, while innocent people were killed by the IRA on the whole their campaign was against the british esstablishment, targeting miliraty and goverment targets. They also issued warnings in most cases. Islamic terrorists on the other hand see any target as justified.

yeah those famous military and government targets:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guildford_pub_bom bing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birmingham_pub_bo mbings
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warrington_bomb_a ttacks

Another detailed study,[85] gives the following figures for people killed by the Provisional IRA up to 2004:

* 644 civilians,
* 456 British military (including British Army, RAF, Royal Navy, and Territorial Army), 273 Royal Ulster Constabulary (including RUC reserve), 182 Ulster Defence Regiment,
* 163 Republican paramilitary members (including from the IRA),
* 28 loyalist paramilitary members, 23 Northern Ireland Prison Service officers, 7 Gardai or Irish Army, and five British police officers (Lost Lives, page 1536).

[Oneeyedvic]

also:

An IRA technique used in the early 1990s was the "proxy bomb", a type of involuntary suicide bomb where a victim was kidnapped and forced to drive a car bomb to its target. In one operation in Derry in October 1990, the Provisional IRA chained a Catholic civilian to a car laden with explosives, held his family hostage and forced him to drive to an Army checkpoint where the bomb exploded, killing himself and five soldiers. Another "human bomb" killed one soldier the same day, but the driver saved his own life by jumping from the moving car. This practice was stopped due to the revulsion it caused among the nationalist community

[WoWo]

I suggest you read the links you post, often the pubs chosen were those frequented by military personnel*.

I'm not defending the IRA, far from it, I was simply making the point that the IRA and Al-Qaeda (I don't like using that term because it is very unrepresentative of the situation) are very different things.

*As you say however the IRA's "policy" of using Military and Government targets was no doubt a method used to avoid losing any public support it may have had.