Northern Ireland and the crisis of anti-racism

Book excerpt: Racism and sectarianism makes an important contribution to the discussion on the ‘crisis of anti-racism’ in the United Kingdom. The book looks at two phenomena that are rarely examined together – racism and sectarianism. The author argues that thinking critically about sectarianism and other racisms in Northern Ireland helps to clear up some confusions regarding ‘race’ and ethnicity. Many of the prominent themes in debates on racism and anti-racism in the UK today – the role of religion, racism and ‘terrorism’, community cohesion – were central to discussions on sectarianism in Northern Ireland during the conflict and peace process. The book provides a sustained critique of the Race Relations paradigm that dominates official anti-racism and sketches out some elements of an emancipatory anti-racism.