Emma Little-Pengelly says funding for victims’ group should be suspended over attendance at IRA men’s anniversary Mass

Posted By: September 08, 2017

IRISH CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING

Distributed by the Irish National Caucus
Emma Little-Pengelly is determined to establish herself as the new poster woman for anti-Catholicism in Northern Ireland. … In July, she defended the effigy-burning of the late Martin McGuinness and other insulting desecrations of Catholics in Orange Bonfires. Now, she wants to bring back a version of the Penal Laws—under which Catholics used to be executed, along with the priests for celebrating the Eucharist (going to Mass).
While Ms.Little-Pangelly does not call for execution, she does call for an economic penalty: the government should withdraw funding from the Relatives for Justice ( a group that has testified before the U.S. Congress!) for attending Mass to pray for families that Ms. Little-Pangelly does not approve of. … I know it’s hard to believe, but read the article below from the Irish News of Belfast.Even the late Rev. Ian Paisley in his worst anti-Catholic days ( before he mellowed) did not advocate economic punishment on Catholics for going to Mass”—Fr. Sean Mc Manus



Irish News. Belfast. Friday, September 8, 2017 

Relatives for Justice (RJF) attended an anniversary Mass for IRA men Brian Mullin and Gerard and Martin Harte last month
A DUP MP has said a victims’ group should have its funding suspended after it attended an anniversary Mass for three IRA men shot dead by the SAS in Co Tyrone.

Relatives for Justice (RJF) tweeted last month that it was “privileged” to be at the 29th anniversary Mass for Brian Mullin and brothers Gerard and Martin Harte.

The tweet included a photo of a commemorative plaque which said they were “killed in action.”

The three were killed by the SAS near Drumnakilly on August 30, 1988 – 10 days after eight British soldiers died in the IRA Ballygawley bus bombing.

South Belfast DUP MP Emma Little-Pengelly said there should be an “immediate suspension of funding” for Relatives for Justice and called for “an urgent and full investigation.”

Mrs. Little-Pengelly told the News Letter the men were killed while “lying in wait to ambush a part-time UDR soldier during his work as a coal man.”

She later tweeted: “Even by their own admission & referenced in plaque, they were IRA ‘killed in action’ – victim makers, not victims.”

RJF receives Executive Office funding through the Victims’ and Survivors’ Service.

A spokesman for the victims’ group later tweeted: “We support all victims and survivors without fear or favor.

“RFJ’s vision and mission and values are inclusive and respectful of all experiences of conflict.”