Minister fears war 'by other means'

Rev Michael Davidson told the assembly that in his lifetime of 30 years he had "known nothing other than violence, murder, and hatred". His father, an RUC officer, had been murdered and no one was ever apprehended in connection with it.

He said he had hoped his first speech to the assembly would not be political; those who knew him saw him as a moderate. He had voted Alliance. As a minister, he was convinced the only long-term answer to the conflict in the North was implementation of the original Belfast Agreement won on the cross of Calvary.

However, he said he had watched with alarm and apprehension "as the republican leadership call for more and more inquiries into practically every fatal shooting or otherwise carried out by the security forces while murders of the same members of the security forces walk the streets with impunity". He feared this was "simply war by other means".

"We have been told that calls for full decommissioning and disbandment of the IRA is an attempt to achieve victory over the IRA and that this will not happen.

"Yet is the republican attempt to blacken and destroy Special Branch members of the RUC not the same thing - an attempt to gain victory rather than a genuine search for justice and truth?"

The Rev Davidson said he believed it was time to draw a line under the past and move on. Like many others, he had to accept "that we will not see justice for the murder of our loved ones". But it was galling and offensive for victims of IRA violence to have to listen to calls for prosecution of RUC officers from those men who shot and bombed those same officers.

"I am not bitter or seeking revenge. I have long ago accepted the need to draw a line and move on. I am prepared because Christ calls me to do it, to reach out with grace and forgiveness to those who murdered my father. But I also believe the British government needs to draw a line and say 'enough' in response to calls from republicans for further inquiries.

"The republican leadership need to draw a line under the past and move on if they're serious about building a new future."

There was "much bitterness and anger in our community and we in the church must own up to that as well if we are to move on." They must "focus on Christ's command to love our enemies and forgive them and stop making excuses why we can ignore that command in our own context."