“Rangers have to be warned at the start of every round.” Says anti racist expert.

Piara Powar is the Chief Executive of Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE).

Previously the CEO of the Kick It Out organisation in the UK he is highly influential in the corridors of football power in Europe.

Speaking exclusively to this journalist about the behaviour of the Rangers fans in Europe this season and UEFA’s lack of response so far to a tirade of discriminatory chanting over the past eight games in Europe he said:

“One of the challenges about Anti-Irish racism and anti-Catholic sectarianism is that UEFA need to warn Rangers at the start of every round.”

“There is no point in blaming UEFA for perceived inaction on this matter. The problem resides in Scotland and has to be dealt with by the SFA and the club.”

“What is clear to everyone, is that action needs to be taken these levels of abuse just can’t continue.”

“We are prepared to sit down with the SFA and both Glasgow clubs to help.”

I showed Piara Powar’s views to Kieron Brady, an Equality expert with Celebrate Identity Challenge Intolerance, and put the following questions to him:

Phil Mac Giolla Bhain:

Piara Powar has revealed that RFC need to be warned about their fans behaviour at the start of every tie whereas every other club with problematic fans have only to be reminded at the start of a European campaign. What does this, in your professional opinion, reveal about the extent of the problem at RFC?

Kieron Brady:

“This reinforces the view that the issues that exist within Rangers do have unique components. Of course other clubs throughout Europe are presented with difficulties around racism and religious intolerance. In terms of regularity within games however, the numbers responsible, frequency across the season and the lack of any bona fide condemnation and unprecedented action from the club, then it illustrates that this is a profound problem. We have not yet reached a stage where the club, or the many decent Rangers fans who love their club without this baggage, feel empowered enough to be instigate change by challenging what is in their midst.”

PM:

Does this mean that RFC have the worst discriminatory chanting problem in European football?

KB:

“We are unaware of any other club where these matters exist to the same extent as outlined above.”

PM:

Piara Powar said that ultimately this is a job for the SFA to tackle. What should the domestic association do?

KB:

“There has to be a wholly new approach that is based around Equality and what that entails, including deconstructing the belief system and removing the notion that some forms of discrimination are more unacceptable than others and that some have greater rights in having grievances around abuse.”

“Whilst Scotland has facets and features that are unfathomable for many, in reality we are dealing with the hostility towards a racial and religious minority and the reactive measures that can come with such realities. To that end Scotland is no different from other nations, but the Scottish FA, and the Scottish Premier League have to tackle this on that basis, they have to consider whether they have been addressing these matters with any conviction, whether their present arrangements are proving productive, and crucially that by offering immunity they are sowing the seeds of intolerance for generations to come.”

“Given that Scotland is seen as more problematic in this area than other countries across Europe with similar issues, including nations in Central and Eastern Europe, then I think it is just to assume that these arrangements are proving anything but productive. An annoyance is that, with the will, I believe that many of the outstanding issues within the national game could be resolved in a relatively short period of time. I do not, however, believe that the will is there presently and I fear we may sadly have to have some form of human cost which will prompt what is necessary. In this area a constant failing, not least from within the mainstream press, has been the recent phenomenon and incessant focus on characterizing bigotry as being exclusively around offence as well as being unprepared to point to a correlation between verbal Hate Crime and it emerging physically.”

“To highlight how this is not an issue solely within football per se, we have the incomprehensible situation presently where the police refuse to respond to requests about the release of data around Section 74 offences. It is difficult to envisage improvements in any society around intolerance when the police force is uncooperative regarding simple requests from religious minority groups, particularly those amongst the most susceptible to serious abuse and hatred.”

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