The Archbishop of Armagh has appealed for peace after a “brutal” knife attack in Belfast on Tuesday.
A 30-year-old Sudanese man reported to be an asylum seeker has been charged with attempted murder over the attack. He was due to appear in court on Wednesday.
Unrest has followed, with masked rioters reportedly targeting the homes of migrants. Homes, vehicles and a shop have been set on fire.
The BBC has reported peaceful protests in others areas including Antrim, Ballymena, Londonderry, Larne and Bangor.
Archbishop John McDowell, speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, condemned the knife attack, calling it “savage and brutal”, but added that it was “reprehensible to brand all newcomers as dangerous illegals”.
There is nothing to be gained from street protest and disorder,” he said.
“There is an air of intimidation linked to demands for businesses to close. This is unacceptable and unhelpful.
“There should be no room in our community for threats such as these to law-abiding enterprises.”
He added: “I would appeal for calm in a community that is understandably hurting by what was seen and what was reported. This was a savage and brutal incident and I condemn it outright.”
Pastor Jack McKee, speaking to the BBC from the Crumlin Road area of north Belfast, said that people who have been members of his church for 20 years were “getting put out of their home, had their house attacked, windows smashed, houses beside them burned”.
“They’re good Christian people and they’re getting put out just because they’re black,” he said.
“I’m doing my best to help them, it’s as simple as that.”
Peter Lynas, UK director of the Evangelical Alliance, has asked Christians to pray for calm. In a social media update, he said that some people he had spoken to in Coleraine were “angry” and “frustrated”.
He said there was a need to have a larger conversation about the issues behind the unrest and to find “healthy channels” for people’s frustrations.
“This is a really volatile situation … we do need some wisdom now, some prayers absolutely for Northern Ireland in this moment,” he said, adding that some local churches have been going out to speak to people.
Source: Christian Today
Pray: Stand with us praying for peace on the streets of Northern Ireland and for justice to be done with regards to the knife attack that happened a few days ago.
