Chai Brady
Photo:Ray McManus/Sportsfile 
An Irish expert in dialogue between Catholics and Muslims has said the protest and negativity regarding the Archbishop of Dublin’s attendance at a Muslim celebration at Croke Park is “misplaced”.
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin was met with screaming protestors outside Croke Park and has received criticism online for attending Eid al-Adha, one of two Islamic holidays celebrated yearly around the world. Due to the coronavirus restrictions 200 Muslims were permitted to attend a prayer service on the pitch over the weekend.
A video posted on YouTube shows the archbishop’s car being surrounded and banged on, with people shouting “traitor” and other abuse.
Fr Michael O’Sullivan M.Afr., who spent decades in the Middle East and is now the director of World Missions Ireland, defended Archbishop Martin saying he was “showing solidarity”.
“This is in line of what the Catholic Church has been doing since Vatican II or even before it. There’s nothing really controversial about a Catholic Church leader attending a Muslim celebration in that way, it has been done by many, many before him in other parts of the world,” he said.
Fr O’Sullivan said he would “discourage” negativity and protests – at which many people were chanting the Rosary. He described the anger as “totally misplaced”.
“The Muslims were having this important prayer in a public space that was granted to them by the GAA…Archbishop Martin was invited,” he said.
“Pope Francis, Pope John Paul II have accepted similar invitations for the last 40 years and Catholic Church leaders all over would accept an invitation like that.
Willingness
“It’s in keeping with the Catholic Church’s outreach and willingness to dialogue with the Muslim community and it was epitomised just over a year and a half ago with Pope Francis’ signing of the Declaration for Human Fraternity in Abu Dhabi, at which I was present in February of 2019.”
At the event Archbishop Martin, who was joined by other religious leaders, said: “This is a very propitious moment for the Muslim community in Ireland. On the one hand, we are all at the event saddened not to be able to host large celebrations in our own places of worship due to the current coronavirus measures.
“On the other hand, there is something special at having this Muslim celebration here in Croke Park. Croke Park is a special gathering place for Ireland and for all Irish.
“I am honoured that you have kindly asked me as Archbishop of Dublin, the leader of the Catholic community of believers in Jesus Christ here in Dublin, to be part of your celebration.”
