Monday Afternoon

Other people spend time blogging about the details of their mundane little lives. I choose to blog about the details of all of our lives. Today, I think I'll write about martyrs. Here's my bit of wisdom for the day.

Sean South was an IRA military leader who was killed in an attempt to overtake a police station in Northern Ireland on New Years Day, 1957. The IRA group he commanded trapped the policemen inside the building, and then planted mines outside. The mines did not detonate, and in the ensuing battle, Sean South died.[1] He became a sort of martyr for the Republican cause in much the same way as Hezbollah members become martyrs for their cause.

The struggle of the Irish Republicans against the British loyalists bears some resemblances to the fight of Hezbollah against Israel, in that the IRA is not a national army, but rather one that resorts to unconventional warfare, it is struggling against a group which is supported by another nation which is seen as the oppressor, and there is a difference of religion amongst the people.

Much like members of the Shi’a, who mostly come from the impoverished suburbs of southern Beirut, Sean South grew up in an economically disadvantaged area. He had only been to Northern Ireland a few times, but he perceived that the British loyalists there who were more wealthy, were the reason for his woes. Sean became the subject of a folk ballad, which helped to bolster him to the level of folk hero. He became a sort of icon representing the struggle of the Republicans against the loyalists.[2]

Like Hezbollah, the Irish Republican army is fighting against an entire nation, which enjoys support from an outside country. Hezbollah is struggling against Israel, which has continued to expand into Lebanese territory, has caused economic problems and displacement for Palestinians, and garners support from the United States, among others. The British loyalists in Northern Ireland enjoy the support of Great Britain, to whose queen they are allegiant. The Irish Republicans tend to be less wealthy, were displaced by the loyalists who took their land, and see Great Britain as a third party invader which should not be involved in their struggle. Additionally, religion factors into both struggles. Hezbollah is made up of Shi’a Muslims, whereas Israel is a Jewish state. In Ireland, the Republicans are Irish Catholics, for the most part, and the British loyalists are Protestants.

Because Sean South represented all of what the IRA stands for, he is viewed as a sort of martyr. Even though the religious connotations are a bit different, the basic reason for his glorification is the same. He is a symbol of the intensity of the Republican struggle against Northern Ireland, just as Hezbollah fighters are symbols against the Palestinian struggle against Israel.
[1] Sean South. Retrieved on February 7, 2007 from: www.answers.com

[2] Sean South, Murderer, NORAID Hero. Retrieved February 9, 2007 from: http://members.lycos.co.uk/inac/south.html