Northern Ireland's economy could be damaged by rising levels of racist violence, the Rev Jesse Jackson warned yesterday.
Calling for greater tolerance, the American civil rights campaigner said: "Ireland right now is on the threshold of real economic investment and growth, but racist violence is a deterrent to growth.
"This is a deterrent to investment, and if Ireland wants the benefits of investment, it must accept the opportunity of immigration. It must see immigration as an asset and not a threat."
The US Democratic Party member was in Belfast for an awards ceremony to recognise the city's Filipino community following a spate of racial attacks.
Asian families living in north Belfast had their homes smeared with slogans earlier this week. Pakistanis, Vietnamese, Ugandans and Portuguese who have set up home in Northern Ireland have also faced intimidation, with some cases also linked to loyalist paramilitaries.
Three Latvian men were attacked in Lurgan, Co Armagh, this week, one being stabbed in the arm.
Mr Jackson said: "Racism theologically is a sin before God. We must see that racism hinders growth and limits the human spirit."
He called for more education as a way to eradicate the problem. "In our schools and in our churches, we must not only condemn it but teach against it so that people can overcome their fear," he said.
Republicans and unionists should draw inspiration from Yasser Arafat's struggle.
"If the PLO can be recognised as a state in making surely Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionists can make that same leap?" he said.
"Frankly, they don't have as far to go as the Palestinians had to go or as South Africa had to go."
- (PA)