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24/03/2011
Culture Minister Urges Pro-Israeli Views For Festival
It has been revealed that the culture minister has suggested to the organisers of the Belfast Festival at Queen's that they include pro-Israeli views and Christian music in this year’s festival.
Nelson McCausland's demands were made in an e-mail, which was obtained through a freedom of information request.
Mr McCausland stated he would like "some southern gospel music" included, and "a view sympathetic to Israel in any relevant talk or debate."
The e-mail was part of an exchange between the director of the Belfast Festival at Queen's, Graeme Farrow, and the permanent secretary at DCAL.
The permanent secretary replied that the minister expected the paper to "propose an audit over, say, the last five or six years of the range of views represented in political talks and debates in the festival and of the range of traditional music in relevant cultural events.”
Mr McCausland defended his suggestions: "What I was saying to the festival, and I have said it to other arts organisations and sectors, is that if we are to build a shared and better future in NI, then it must be based on balance, fairness and inclusion.
"You can't have a shared future based on discrimination and exclusion and simply, I was saying to them, make sure that your programmes, over a period of time, reflect balance, fairness and inclusion."
The culture minister said he had asked the festival to include pro-Israeli views as a previous Israeli speaker had had his invitation withdrawn at the last minute by the festival.
"There was a logic and argument behind what I was saying."
(JG/GK)
Nelson McCausland's demands were made in an e-mail, which was obtained through a freedom of information request.
Mr McCausland stated he would like "some southern gospel music" included, and "a view sympathetic to Israel in any relevant talk or debate."
The e-mail was part of an exchange between the director of the Belfast Festival at Queen's, Graeme Farrow, and the permanent secretary at DCAL.
The permanent secretary replied that the minister expected the paper to "propose an audit over, say, the last five or six years of the range of views represented in political talks and debates in the festival and of the range of traditional music in relevant cultural events.”
Mr McCausland defended his suggestions: "What I was saying to the festival, and I have said it to other arts organisations and sectors, is that if we are to build a shared and better future in NI, then it must be based on balance, fairness and inclusion.
"You can't have a shared future based on discrimination and exclusion and simply, I was saying to them, make sure that your programmes, over a period of time, reflect balance, fairness and inclusion."
The culture minister said he had asked the festival to include pro-Israeli views as a previous Israeli speaker had had his invitation withdrawn at the last minute by the festival.
"There was a logic and argument behind what I was saying."
(JG/GK)
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