Victim of Finaghy racist graffiti wants to meet those behind the attack

A FINAGHY man whose home was sprayed with ‘hate-motivated’ graffiti says he wants to reach out to those behind the attack and engage in positive and peaceful dialogue with them.

Graffiti was daubed on the Sicily Park home of Takura Makoni in the early hours of Sunday morning, which police are treating as a hate crime.

Mr Makoni is a community worker with the African and Caribbean Support Organisation in the North. His 15-year-old son was first to see the spray-painted graffiti on the front of their home.

Speaking to the Andersonstown News, Takura said he wants to use the incident to reach out to those behind the graffiti and promote positive dialogue.

“I am not frightened to be living in my own home. I feel overwhelming support from the community,” he said. “This is not about me. There are other people who have been subject to worse things than just paint on a wall. 

“I would like to hear what the person or group behind this graffiti have to say to me. They clearly have a grievance but they need to articulate their concerns in a place that is safe and without repercussions. I think graffiti like this is guided by stereotypes and misperceptions.

“In the wider picture, Northern Ireland is an example of the positive outcomes of sustained and focused dialogue on peace-building. This is the place for conversations like this to happen because dialogue does work.

“I think these individuals or groups behind this graffiti feel like they are not being heard by the majority of people or politicians who they feel should be hearing them and that is why they resort to such actions.”

Police treating Finaghy house graffiti as a ‘hate crime’https://t.co/ySXv8SxYzn

— South Belfast News (@SBelfast_News) April 8, 2024

Takura said he wants to use this opportunity to promote a better dialogue between people. 

“In South Belfast or in any peaceful place in the world, you will see people from different places. This is what peace looks like. Twenty years ago it may have been difficult to imagine a Catholic family living beside a Protestant family but it did come to pass because of dialogue.

“I am extending an invitation to anyone, including those people who are unhappy to see ethnic minorities or immigrants living in this country, to sit down and have a dialogue in a safe place.”

Takura believes ethic minority communities offer a lot to society here.

“We all live together and we can do that in peace. You don’t necessarily have to like me and I don’t have to affect your life by existing,” he added. “Northern Ireland is my home. I have lived here for 20 years. It is my children’s home now as well.

“Ethnic minorities bring a lot to a community such as different cultures and food, music business and different ideas that can add to what is already here.

“So many people leave Northern Ireland to go on holiday every summer where they experience different cultures, so why not embrace it at home as well? There is no difference.”