Letter: Bombs reveal extent of anti-Catholicism

The first I knew of this was Tuesday night, on returning to my hotel room after a rehearsal, where a number of panicked messages awaited me, warning me to be careful.

Devices, described as either nail bombs or "liquid- based explosives" have been intercepted in Scottish post offices, addressed to Neil Lennon, Celtic's manager, Brian Wilson, the ex-MP, Trish Godman, the outgoing deputy Presiding Officer in the Scottish Parliament, and Paul McBride QC, who has recently been threatened by the SFA for describing them as "dysfunctional, dishonest and biased".

The Irish freelance journalist who broke this story has reported that counter-terrorism officers had asked for a news blackout, but that at least one of the recipients objected.

It looks as if the bombs were sent, not from Northern Ireland, but from Ayrshire. In fact, one was found in the post office of Kilwinning, the town where I was born.

All this comes in the wake of the vacillation of politicians, police and football authorities in tackling the anti-Catholic bile at the heart of the Rangers culture, and a significant section of modern Scottish society.

This problem is not some sort of vague "sectarianism" but a specific and virulent anti-Catholicism. The pathetic attempts by some to attack Catholic schools in the wake of these outrages will no doubt continue.

But we can be sure of one thing - the massed choruses of wading knee-deep in Catholic blood, calling for the repatriation of third and fourth generation Catholic Irish, (songs regularly excused and downplayed by the Scottish commentariat) and now these concerted attempts to kill and maim prominent Catholics, did not find their inspiration and encouragement in schools whose raison d'tre is the love of God and Man.

James MacMillan, CBE

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Liverpool

THE revelations that viable explosive devices have been sent to the Celtic manager and two prominent Celtic supporters exhibits a disturbing aspect of contemporary Scottish society.

The degree of "anti-Celtic" feeling or, to be more exact, anti-Catholic sentiment, is to our shame as a supposedly pluralistic country in the 21st century.

To have a terror campaign, even if it is waged by a few deranged individuals, exhibits a pathology that has deep roots in Scotland.

The influx of Irish Catholic immigrants in the mid-19th century, fleeing the Potato Famine and poverty, was met by open disdain in Scotland where the 1560 Reformation had led to all things Catholic being viewed with suspicion.

Those of us who have an Irish-Catholic background know well the barbs quite freely offered of being called "Fenians" or "Jungle Jims" (rhyming slang for Tims) inter alia show a level of casual bigotry that we are enjoined to accept as being part of life in Scotland.

The yearly Orange marching season celebrating the long-mythologised battle of the Boyne in 1690 and other highlights from the reign of William III gives further fuel to those who still believe that "the Famine is over… why don't you go home?"

The sending of bombs is a wake-up call for Scotland to address the extent of anti-Catholic sentiment that still scars our nation.

Andrew Gray

Baberton Mains Grove

Edinburgh