FREEDOM FIGHTERS
FREEDOM FIGHTERS
Its unacceptable to call those people who murder or blow up & destroy life
EXCLUSIVE: OMAGH DAD MICHAEL GALLAGHER WRITES FOR THE DAILY MIRROR
Last Thursday a group of Omagh bomb victims met Bertie Ahern in Dublin to raise concerns about the 1998 atrocity which was the largest terrorist attack in Europe in 30 years.
The Taoiseach came into the room at 9.20am he told us that there was a terrorist attack in Madrid and 60 people were dead.
That was the first time we had heard about the Madrid massacre. I looked at the faces of the families and I could see an instant change in their mood.
These people had lost their daughters, sons, husbands, wives, brothers and sisters in the Omagh bomb; some of them were on the street when the bomb exploded.
My thoughts were taken back to Madrid, the city I visited just five weeks earlier when I addressed the first international conference for victims of terrorism.
Speakers included a woman from Algeria who represented victims of Muslim extremism. She was a Muslim herself and for me that challenged my view because I thought that Muslims were not targeted by Muslims.
The next speaker was a lady who represented French victims that had recently taken a court action against Libya.
Then a man from Jerusalem shared the pain of his family after the death of his 15-year-old daughter in a suicide bomb in a pizza parlour. His mother and father had survived Auschwitz concentration camp.
I spoke about how our only son Adrian, 21 had gone into town to buy a pair of jeans and died with 30 other people, men, women and children including twin unborn girls.
The final speaker was a 22-year-old lieutenant in the Colombian army who'd stepped on a booby-trap. He lost both his legs, an arm, an eye and four fingers. It was one of the most moving experiences I ever witnessed.
The next day we heard the testimony of five young Spaniards who lost fathers, brothers and husbands. We supported each other, sometimes not even speaking the same language. The only language was our desire to make sure terrorists will not destroy our lives.
But the most surprising aspect was the way the Spanish government deals with terrorism. The justice minister stated that there is a minimum 30-year jail sentence for terrorist murders before parole is granted.
The victim's family can make a statement explaining how the crime has changed their lives. When a terrorist is sentenced the family is told how long the sentence is, where they are imprisoned and what the release date is. This information is put on a website.
One lady phoned the justice minister's office to complain that there was no information about three men who assassinated her husband.
He said he had the pleasure of phoning her back to say that they were shot dead while trying to escape from prison.
Separate areas in court have been allocated for victims of terrorism so that they do not have to sit along side the terrorist's family.
Spain has outlawed the political wing of the terrorists unlike this country, and gives longer jail sentences for terrorist crimes compared to other criminals.
When terrorists are sentenced they are sent to different prisons across Spain.
The victims have an ombudsman to look after their interests. When I was speaking to one of the leaders of the largest victims group, he said that the victims in Spain are one of the most respected groups in Spanish society and the government listens to them.
This is in sharp contrast to how victims in this country are treated.
THE audience gave a standing ovation to the mother of a civil guard shot dead while foiling an Eta car bomb on Madrid.
In this country there many RUC and UDR widows and children who have to stay behind closed doors, as if their husband or father was guilty of some crime.
It's unacceptable to call those who murder or blow up and destroy life freedom fighters. We shouldn't play the game of the terrorist and use the language that terrorists use.
Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar invited conference speakers to dinner at his residence.
He stated that he was also a victim of terrorism - Eta had tried to assassinate him and one of his guards died.
Maybe that explains why Spain has the most efficient anti-terrorist policy in Europe. In this country it is time we stopped talking about the Troubles and call a spade a spade.
We are victims of terrorism not the Troubles.
It is by highlighting the wicked and evil events such as Omagh, September 11, Bali and Madrid that we can hold terrorists to account.
I live in a country where it is always the terrorist who dictates. Surely it is time that we empower ourselves and take control of our lives.
If all the victims of violence unite - regardless of race or religion - we have the ability to make a noise louder than any terrorist bomb.
Its unacceptable to call those people who murder or blow up & destroy life
EXCLUSIVE: OMAGH DAD MICHAEL GALLAGHER WRITES FOR THE DAILY MIRROR
Last Thursday a group of Omagh bomb victims met Bertie Ahern in Dublin to raise concerns about the 1998 atrocity which was the largest terrorist attack in Europe in 30 years.
The Taoiseach came into the room at 9.20am he told us that there was a terrorist attack in Madrid and 60 people were dead.
That was the first time we had heard about the Madrid massacre. I looked at the faces of the families and I could see an instant change in their mood.
These people had lost their daughters, sons, husbands, wives, brothers and sisters in the Omagh bomb; some of them were on the street when the bomb exploded.
My thoughts were taken back to Madrid, the city I visited just five weeks earlier when I addressed the first international conference for victims of terrorism.
Speakers included a woman from Algeria who represented victims of Muslim extremism. She was a Muslim herself and for me that challenged my view because I thought that Muslims were not targeted by Muslims.
The next speaker was a lady who represented French victims that had recently taken a court action against Libya.
Then a man from Jerusalem shared the pain of his family after the death of his 15-year-old daughter in a suicide bomb in a pizza parlour. His mother and father had survived Auschwitz concentration camp.
I spoke about how our only son Adrian, 21 had gone into town to buy a pair of jeans and died with 30 other people, men, women and children including twin unborn girls.
The final speaker was a 22-year-old lieutenant in the Colombian army who'd stepped on a booby-trap. He lost both his legs, an arm, an eye and four fingers. It was one of the most moving experiences I ever witnessed.
The next day we heard the testimony of five young Spaniards who lost fathers, brothers and husbands. We supported each other, sometimes not even speaking the same language. The only language was our desire to make sure terrorists will not destroy our lives.
But the most surprising aspect was the way the Spanish government deals with terrorism. The justice minister stated that there is a minimum 30-year jail sentence for terrorist murders before parole is granted.
The victim's family can make a statement explaining how the crime has changed their lives. When a terrorist is sentenced the family is told how long the sentence is, where they are imprisoned and what the release date is. This information is put on a website.
One lady phoned the justice minister's office to complain that there was no information about three men who assassinated her husband.
He said he had the pleasure of phoning her back to say that they were shot dead while trying to escape from prison.
Separate areas in court have been allocated for victims of terrorism so that they do not have to sit along side the terrorist's family.
Spain has outlawed the political wing of the terrorists unlike this country, and gives longer jail sentences for terrorist crimes compared to other criminals.
When terrorists are sentenced they are sent to different prisons across Spain.
The victims have an ombudsman to look after their interests. When I was speaking to one of the leaders of the largest victims group, he said that the victims in Spain are one of the most respected groups in Spanish society and the government listens to them.
This is in sharp contrast to how victims in this country are treated.
THE audience gave a standing ovation to the mother of a civil guard shot dead while foiling an Eta car bomb on Madrid.
In this country there many RUC and UDR widows and children who have to stay behind closed doors, as if their husband or father was guilty of some crime.
It's unacceptable to call those who murder or blow up and destroy life freedom fighters. We shouldn't play the game of the terrorist and use the language that terrorists use.
Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar invited conference speakers to dinner at his residence.
He stated that he was also a victim of terrorism - Eta had tried to assassinate him and one of his guards died.
Maybe that explains why Spain has the most efficient anti-terrorist policy in Europe. In this country it is time we stopped talking about the Troubles and call a spade a spade.
We are victims of terrorism not the Troubles.
It is by highlighting the wicked and evil events such as Omagh, September 11, Bali and Madrid that we can hold terrorists to account.
I live in a country where it is always the terrorist who dictates. Surely it is time that we empower ourselves and take control of our lives.
If all the victims of violence unite - regardless of race or religion - we have the ability to make a noise louder than any terrorist bomb.
Further Information
Publisher: THE MIRROR
Ref: TM/206
Published Date: 15-Mar-04
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