IRISH RESPONSE TO THE 2007 IRFR AND OTHER

UNCLAS DUBLIN 000737 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DRL/IRF FOR NANCY HEWETT DRL/SEA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KIRF KPAO OPRC PGOV PHUM EI SUBJECT: IRISH RESPONSE TO THE 2007 IRFR AND OTHER RELIGIOUS ISSUES REF: STATE 128772 Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) POLOFFS delivered the 2007 International Religious Freedom Report (IRFR) to John Kennedy, Principal Officer, Office of the Secretary General, Department of the Taoiseach on September 18. Kennedy expressed concern regarding the focus on anti-Semitism in the 2007 IRFR. He said that many of the anti-Semitic incidents in the report were caused by the same individual. In a related topic, Kennedy countered recent reports of children denied access to schools because of race, noting that the problem was one of capacity not discrimination. Finally, he commented on the recent controversy regarding the police's (Garda) refusal to allow a Sikh police reservist to wear his traditional turban while on duty. Kennedy said that maintaining restriction of headgear is a question of uniform policy, not of religious expression. Concern Regarding Anti-Semitic Focus -------------- ¶2. (SBU) During a September 18 meeting with John Kennedy, POLOFFS delivered the 2007 International Religious Freedom Report (IRFR). (NOTE: Kennedy is the main contact for the Taoiseach's religious outreach program. End note.) Kennedy commented that, as in previous IRFRs, the 2007 report overemphasized the anti-Semitic problem in Ireland. Many of the examples given in the report, he said, were the actions of a man currently receiving psychiatric treatment. He added that several of the other incidents cited were examples of anti-social behavior, but because the victims were Jewish, the acts were incorrectly deemed anti-Semitic. Kennedy said that the Irish authorities do not view anti-Semitism as a major social problem in Ireland. Schools Not Racist Just Overburdened -------------- ¶3. (U) Kennedy said that recent reports of discrimination against African children in the school system were actually issues of capacity. Local papers reported that an estimated 60 African students in the Balbriggan (County Dublin) school system were denied admittance because of their ethnicity. Kennedy clarified that schools give preference to children of the school's religious denomination and to siblings of current students. The school district reached capacity with 60 children unaccommodated, he said, and due to the demographics of the Balbriggan area, most of the remaining children were of African descent. He reiterated that the children were not denied admittance based on their race. (NOTE: According to the Equal Status Act of 2000, providing preference in primary or post-primary education to students of a particular religious denomination in an environment that promotes certain religious values is legal if it is essential to maintain the ethos of the school. End note.) Garda Sikh Debate -------------- ¶4. (U) The recent controversy over a Sikh police reservist who was denied permission to wear the traditional Sikh turban while in police uniform is the first time such an issue has been raised, according to Kennedy. He added that the restriction was unique to the police department and was solely a question of uniform policy, not religious expression. Kennedy said that it is necessary to maintain the uniformity of the police headgear so that any citizen of any nationality, religion, or ethnicity feels comfortable asking a police officer for assistance. He pointed out that there are no other public service positions that have similar restrictions. For example, he said, Catholic nuns who work in the public libraries often wear a full habit, including a head covering, while working. FOLEY