A CAMPAIGN supported by the official Rangers fans board is to lobby First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to make the use of the word 'hun' illegal following the online abuse of pop singer Amy Macdonald.
The move is linked to an internet petition which says the word is a term of "religious hatred, a derogatory and sectarian term for a Protestant".
The campaigners say those using the phrase should be treated no differently than those who use offensive words to describe Catholics.
It came as the Union of Fans called on supporters to behave ahead of Rangers' match at Falkirk following sectarian chants at last week's match.
The group said: "A tiny section of fans have let the club down recently by reverting to damaging behaviour which is not only illegal but tarnishes the club.
"Please think of Rangers ahead of anything else on Friday night. Help us to challenge attempts to smear the club by giving those who seek to damage us no ammunition.
"The Rangers fans' have been consistently excellent over the past few years and have attracted much deserved praise. It remains the case however that any slip will be highlighted whilst behaviour by fans of other clubs is largely ignored. Acts of defiance do not work. They do not shine the spotlight on the actions of others but merely turn it back on our fans."
The campaign to outlaw use of 'hun' came after the word was used in a Twitter tirade directed at Macdonald after she criticised England footballer Stan Collymore in a row which began when he linked Rangers and Chelsea to right wing groups such as Combat 18.
Macdonald spoke out after the Talksport pundit said he we was vindicated as reports from Ireland claimed one Chelsea fan hunted for pushing a black man off the Paris underground was a former Royal Ulster Constabulary officer and had been a Rangers fan.
She said back: "What utter crap. I support Rangers. I'm not racist or sectarian. I have no interest in Chelsea and I'm NOT an anomaly."
The campaign petition, which has over 1000 supporters, argues that the use of the word 'hun' is as offensive as the term 'fenian".
The organisers believe the word 'hun' is used as a "term of religious hatred, a derogatory and sectarian term for a protestant or those perceived to be protestant by supporters of other football teams".
The campaign's letter to Nicola Sturgeon also calls for a ban on chants in support of the IRA, saying they are "unacceptable and have no place in society". It says they should be "outlawed and made illegal and those singing them dealt with by the courts and banned from entering football stadia".
The letter, which will also go to justice minister Michael Matheson, concludes: "Let's clean up Scotland & Scottish Football and celebrate all that is good in the beautiful game and Scotland. Parity for all."
The Rangers Fans Board said: "The RFB encourages all Bears to sign the petition to ban the use of the word 'hun'. Time to stop them getting away with it over and over again."
The petition is understood to have also been a response to Collymore's own online protest petition saying sponsors and TV schedulers should boycott Rangers matches as long as supporters continue to sing sectarian songs.
Collymore began his campaign while posting footage to his 700,000 plus followers taken at Hampden of fans singing the sectarian Billy Boys loyalist song which contains the reference "up to our knees in fenian blood".
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