President MacAleese condemns publication of cartoons

senordingdong wrote:

Basically, yeah.
There are alot of aspects of eastern society that I don't like.
So I won't go there.
And if I did, how do you think people would react if I started demanding they change their ways to suit mine? SO that I could have a drink in my home or deman my children be thought about Chirstianity in school?

this here is really progressive!!!
lets get mac aleese to abdicate her throne in the park and replace her with senordingdong!
The people that protested are allowed to protest, as is their right (freedom of speech)
All they are saying is that they dont want their prophet depicted like that. Are they not allowed to do that?

1. She said "I abhor the pictures", not "Ireland abhors the pictures". While she is supposed to represent us, she was asked for and gave her own personal opinion, what's she to do, lie?

2. As someone said -- at a conference in Saudi Arabia, if she started thumbing her nose at them, it might not go down well Might be dangerous, in fact. She's only the president, not the Taoiseach, so she doesn't choose the policies of the state, and so it's different Bertie saying what she said, since he can back it up and it can come back to him.


(As a side-note, I think that every newspaper should publish the pictures, and we should all stop being afraid of Islam. What's the next step, do we start making women wear Burkas?)

Yook wrote:

She shouldn't be visiting a country that entises anti-western behaviour and personally giving a personal ass kissing oppinion.

Alright so we should all stick to where we came from? Thats racial seperatism, yook. What about the Danish magazine that enticed anti-Islamic reactionism?

The president was right to comment, publishing those pictures showed a blatent lack of respect for religion, not just Islam. It's a big deal because Muslims are especially vulnerable at the moment as easy targets for those who cannot distinguish between peaceful followers of Islam and ignorent defectors

OK, a Danish newspaper prints cartoons that are offensive to Islam and its followers. A bunch of them protest against the cartoons, boycott Danish goods and some even burn down an embassy or two.

Is that not completely overreacting?

Protesting against the cartoon: no
Boycotting Danish goods: maybe
Burning the embassy: over reacting and carried out by a small number of vandals who are clearly not real Muslims

Yook wrote:

She is the figure head of Ireland. It doesn't matter if she says I or we, otherwise there would be no point in having a president. She represents us. She shouldn't be visiting a country that entises anti-western behaviour and personally giving a personal ass kissing oppinion. You know there are more than just the muslim minority that she has to stand up for, she has to stand up for all of us non muslims aswell. I dont agree with her, Saudi and you're crap about her not representing us. She's (as someone said) denting her PR over here by giving in to people over there. The world is completely split at the moment, its not a good time for her to be throwing around her 'peronsal oppinion'.

Dry your eyes mate, I clearly said "While she is supposed to represent us", so don't misquote me and then get aggressive.

What would you have suggested that she said when asked "What is your opinion on the Danish cartoons depicting Muhammed with a bomb on his head?"

She's a diplomat, she doesn't set policy for this state, so I think her answer was justified. Maybe she was expecting "What does Ireland think of the cartoons?" and she might have had the reply that you'd like, complete with the opinion poll she carried out to gather the information, but she was asked her own opinion, so she gave it, and then followed it up with a condemnation of the violence, essentially saying that she agrees with the Muslim community, but that Ireland and herself think ye're out of order for burning sh!t -- a reasonably balanced reply, considering the question.

And as I said, she was at a conference in Saudi Arabia, and she's only the president. There's no need for her to start giving a speech about how Muslims need to get over it and keep with the times of the Western World -- it's dangerous and unnecessary, since she's the president, not the Taoiseach.

shes not exactly going to stand up in the most fundamentalist Islamic state in the world and go off on one, she was being diplomatic while also condeming the violent protesting

InFront wrote:

The president was right to comment, publishing those pictures showed a blatent lack of respect for religion, not just Islam. It's a big deal because Muslims are especially vulnerable at the moment as easy targets for those who cannot distinguish between peaceful followers of Islam and ignorent defectors

I have no problem with peaceful advocates of any religion. However an increasingly large volume of zealots who happen to come under the banner of Islam, are rightly portrayed as war-mongering idiots who have not progressed significantly in a thousand years. Extremism in any religion does more harm than good. Would you have us all bend the knee to fundamentalism of any sort rather than be seen to be disrespectful? Don't make me laugh. When the muslim hordes who agree with violence of any form stop being sheep and actually show themselves capable of reasonable independent thought, then they will have earned my respect. It is also interesting that the genuine grievances that the Middle East has vis a vis Western interference in its affairs is almost never mentioned. These lemmings have their priorities all wrong, and they deserve the publicity they court. The moderate Islam majority is noticeably quiet this weather doncha think?

You can turn the other cheek if you want, all four...

Binomate wrote:

I'd say if 'The Irish Times' were the originators of the images she'd be the first one down on her knees begging for her life.

note:didn't read all the posts, but I've got the gist.
For what it's worth I agree with her. Freedom of speech is great an all but not when its at the expense of others, especially in already tenuous (sp?) circumstances. people need to cop the fùck on and apply some tact with reagrd to others sensibilities and situations.
fùcking idiots.

in front wrote:

The president was right to comment, publishing those pictures showed a blatent lack of respect for religion, not just Islam. It's a big deal because Muslims are especially vulnerable at the moment as easy targets for those who cannot distinguish between peaceful followers of Islam and ignorent defectors

apologies only saw this now and I agree, I'm only sorry I wasn't able to express it as well.

weathercheck wrote:

But can you not understand that this cartoon is just a scapegoat in order
for the muslims to cause uproar?

War is on the horizon and im sorry to say but Iran must be dealt with,
Can you picture the Iranian government with a NUKE?? It wouldnt be
a pretty sight.. An attack on Iran is likely as early as late March/April
and this could lead to a whole host of problems.

Unfortunately we cannot show any weakness to our enemies.

Enemies of democracy, free speech and human rights..

We cant talk anymore and we cant play nice unfortunately we've got
a crazy man as the head of the US but at least he's gonna take action
before its too late

I truly don't understand why anyone would use a carton as a scapegoat to incite hatred in order for us to then quell it?
I'm not sure who our enemies are either but somehow I doubt its your average muslim on the street. But I can understand why they feel the need to protest so loudly and in a way I'm gald this has given them that oppertunity.
It was a blatent act of disrespect and consequently has caused even greater segregation at a time when we should be doing everything in our power to breach that gap.
I don't believe our freedom to talk or discuss reasonably has been compromised, if and when it is I'll be the first one there to voice my opinion.