Statement by TUV vice-chair Richard Cairns:
“It has been drawn to my attention that the Royal Ulster Academy (RUA) exhibition currently on display in the Ulster Museum includes a painting entitled Christian Flautists Outside St Patrick’s.
“This painting depicts a number of Orangemen wearing Ku Klux Klan (KKK) clothing. While the Orange Order obviously has strong roots in Ulster it is a religious organisation which draws its membership from Protestants across the world, including Africa. Lodges were formed in Nigeria at the beginning of the last century and from there the Institution spread into Togo and Ghana. This fact is acknowledged by the display of the flags of those nations at the recently opened Museum of Orange Heritage.
“It is therefore deeply insulting, offensive and downright inaccurate to suggest that there is some sort of parallel between the Orange Order and the Ku Klux Klan. Indeed, it is Sinn Fein/IRA “residents groups” who seek to impose segregation and cultural apartheid in Northern Ireland, frequently going so far as to prevent members of the Loyal Orders going to or returning from their place of worship.
“I have today written to the Museum calling on them to remove this painting from display. A publicly funded facility should be welcoming to all sections of society. Sadly the display of this painting does nothing to encourage Unionists to see the Ulster Museum as such.
“Doubtless the Museum will cite the many excellent artefacts from Unionist history which it has on display and the special exhibits which it has put on in the past to mark events such as the centenary of the Ulster Covenant. However, what we are dealing with when it comes to this painting is a direct attack upon all members of the Loyal Orders and that in an inaccurate and gratuitously offensive fashion.”