DUBLIN: Irish musician Hozier warns that “something dreadful is coming” if the people of Ireland do not begin to address racism. Andrew Byrne, professionally known as Hozier, was responding to the death of George Nkencho (27) who was shot dead by Garda outside his home in west Dublin last month.
Mr. Nkencho, who had mental health problems, was previously alleged to have been involved in a conflict in a local store. In addition, some allege that Mr. Nkencho suffered criminal punishment. But all these allegations turned out to be false. The musician condemned the spread of such misinformation and lies on social media about George Nkencho.
The singer-songwriter appealed to the country’s “white settled community” to “take very seriously the efforts that were made online to spread lies about George Nkencho and attack his family in the aftermath of this horrible event”.
“The criminal investigation into the death of George Nkencho is to be welcomed, but regardless of how it turns out, this man was completely and utterly failed in his need for help. My heart breaks for his family and the loved ones he leaves behind. I cannot imagine the grief and trauma they are left with and I hope the family are offered the closure and justice they are due,” Hozier said.
Hozier, a native of Bray in Co Wicklow, warned that: “Until we as a nation (and global) community take seriously the growing threat of neo-facism and white supremacy and bring ourselves to investigate our own unobserved ethno-nationalistic sentiments this problem will only worsen with time.”
“It can’t be left to Ireland’s black citizens and people of colour to fend off the injustice of racial hatred. It’s something that is enabled by, takes root in, and is enacted by elements of our own community, and it is that very community which has the political representation and collective power to address and disassemble it. We all want to live in a country we can be proud of, and we all have a role to play in that,” Hozier added.