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THE NEWEST PARTY in the Irish political system were testing the waters in this local election, and its party leader Peadar Toíbín has said he’s “delighted” with the result.
Aontú won three seats in the local elections in the Republic and one seat in the Northern Ireland local elections. 53 candidates ran in the south.
The seats were won in Bailieborough-Cootehill by Sarah O’Reilly, in Navan by Emer Tóbín (Peadar’s sister), by Jim Codd in Rosslare and, earlier this month, Anne McCloskey clinched a seat in Derry.
The Navan TD previously attracted a number of councillors to switch sides, moving from Sinn Féin to Aontú – but this is the first local election where Toíbín could gauge the public’s reaction to the party.
Toíbín said he was very pleased with O’Reilly getting 1,700 first preference votes, adding that it was the first time she had ever stood for election.
Before the election, Toíbín issued a warning to voters that if they vote for Fine Fáil, they will get Fine Gael. While the public don’t appear to have heeded his warning, the former Sinn Féin member says he has opened up an alternative space for voters, particularly those who agreed with his stance on abortion, which he ultimately lost his position in Sinn Féin over.
Prior to his resignation from Sinn Féin, Tóibín was suspended from the party for six months because he voted against the abortion legislation in the Dáil.
His party’s manifesto states that one of its core values is that it believes “all human life should be protected and that no mother or child should be left behind”.
The party has not escaped criticism. Critics honed in on Toíbín’s comments recently about opening up a debate on immigration.
Addressing this at the party’s manifesto launch before the election, he said he didn’t believe there should be orthodoxy in debate, stating that “people are entitled to discuss the issue of immigration as long as it’s reasonable and respectful”.
But not many political parties get off to such a smooth start.
Toíbín states that Aontú’s percentages are good, but pointed out that you won’t see them on the RTÉ website, stating that the party has been lumped in under the category of “others”.
The Meath TD told TheJournal.ie that he has made a complaint to the national broadcaster, stating that the party performed just as well as Independents 4 Change (who are mentioned by name on the website) and added that all Dáil parties should be treated the same.
A statement from RTE said: “RTÉ can confirm we received a query from Aontú which we have acknowledged and are in the process of replying to.”
Reflecting on the figures, Toíbín said it was “very clear” that in the constituencies his party fought, Sinn Féin votes were going to his candidates.
“I am not saying we are responsible for all of Sinn Féin’s woes in this election, a significant chunk were down to us,” he said.
So, what next for the party?
With everyone speculating about a general election this year, Toíbín said his party is going to target seats in seven or eight Dáil constituencies.
Toíbín said he is setting his sights on Donegal, Cavan-Monaghan, Meath east and west, Wexford, Limerick City, Galway, Mayo, Kerry and Cork north-west.
It’s full speed ahead for the fledgling party, with Aontú selection conventions for these areas taking place in June.
What about any sitting TDs – are they interested in coming on board?
When he first set up the party, Toíbín said he was in talks with some politicians about joining up.
“Since the election, I have been approached by some TDs,” he said, however, he said he was cautious about naming names.
The political system is broken in Ireland and the people who are the collateral damage need a voice, said Toíbín.
“Aontú will be that voice.”
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Of course he’ll apologize, but we all know he thinks it’s acceptable..
@Harry Corry: how do you know?
@mar: because he already said it. Do you think he saw the light and changed his mind in a week?
@mar: oh he misunderstood what he was saying, sure I believe it.
@mar: Naive much?
@mar: free speech? Dont see much of it in arab countries
@mar: He only rescinded because of the outrage his comments caused. But you already know that..
@Harry Corry:
Islamic deception, otherwise known as Taqiyya.
He should be sacked from Trinity.
@Eleanor of Aquitaine: I agree – unfortunately it won’t happen
@Eleanor of Aquitaine: Most of the sharia apologist in this country know what Tiqiyya is and won’t even Google it.
@Eleanor of Aquitaine: Absolutely.
@Jho Harris: That’s because it is spelled “taqiyya” :)
Ali Selim is a prominent leadership figure at the Clonskeagh Mosque, as such is there any investigation into the potential facilitation of FGM within that community?
@Roddy Reagan: Simon Harris welcomed a statement from another Muslim cleric issuing a “Fatwa”. The fact that FGM is a crime under Irish law appears to have totally escaped Harris. Does we need “Fatwa’s” now, to confirm whether Irish laws will be observed or not?
@Patricia McCarthy: Wonder if they issued another Fatwa against Salman Rushdie would he be as welcoming?
@Jarlath Murphy: Few know why the muzlim world wanted to kill Salman Rushdie and few bothered to find out what a fatwa is. The reason they wanted him dead was that he claimed that Izlam included female Gods at one stage.in The Kaabal in the center of Mecca. We are not allowed to dislike Izlam but they detest women which is partly why Selim made his comments but his true face showed through and now that he has been shown for what he is he got a chance from Pat Kenny to try to slide back under his rock. I know I used “z” instead of “s” but the apologists would have blocked my comments or might have gone far enough to cut my throat which is popular way of dealing with criticism in that twisted cult.
@Roddy Reagan: i know him through the i can he is also a mysogynist and an advocate of dv
Sorry because he saw his job dangling on the line.
@Royston Fitzpatrick: that’s exactly it. He was about to be fired, allegedly.
The deafening silence by Irish feminists on this issue has been startlingly. Had a Catholic Priest or Bishop advocated what Selim was supporting, TCD would have sacked him and the IT would have run a piece by moaner in chief Mullally. Instead it is a cultural misunderstanding. Irish feminists and all of those in TCD who supported Selim are hypocrites of the highest order.
@BrianMcB: feminists are a danger to real women in Ireland.
@BrianMcB: Lazy, lazy comment bandied about by ingnoramus’ regularly here ‘What are the feminists doing about x, y & z, if it was a Catholic blah, blah, blah…’. The National Women’s Council of Ireland have been highlighting and campaigning against FGM for over a decade now. Sounds like you just like trotting out clichés to reaffirm your confirmation bias and persecution complex.
@Royston Fitzpatrick: blah blah blah again from Royston.
@KingBen: Blah blah blah facts, your kryptonite Fake News troll.
@Royston Fitzpatrick: bigot
@BrianMcB: i know him through the icc he is also a mysogynist and an advocate of dv
Me no speak the…how you say, the English sometimes good too.
@Griff: What about a statement from his employers at Trinity College. He says they are very ‘wise’ people. Presumably they will also have some command of the English language.
@Patricia McCarthy: His English commands him:
‘My English is really good but definitely sometimes it lets me down’
@andrew: The Dept. of Education should Investigate the link between Clonskeagh Mosque and Trinity College. Why are the Irish people paying a Salary to a man who is vehemently opposed to Irish law, and is willing to flout those laws by issuing statements that are contrary to Irish law?
All Muslim scholars say it has nothing to do with Islam and is cultural….However it is spreading in Muslim parts of Malaysia that did not have it before…With medical clinics openly doing it….In England majority of girls that have FGM done are from Muslim community many with well educated parents…
Yep it’s wide spread amongst the Jewish community also … with all boys being circumcised … yikes!
@Ibhar Mac Suibhne: Not comparable at all, male circumcision has no long term effects, does not interfere with sexual satisfaction in any way, and does not traumatize the boy, or man.
@John003: It is also commonly practiced by Christians in sub-Saharan Africa.
In Ethiopia, 92% of Muslim women, 65.8% Protestants, 58.2% Catholics and 55% Traditional Religions practice FGM.
In Nigeria, FGM is prevalent in 31% of Catholics, 27% of Protestant and 7% of Muslim women.
In Benin, FGM is prevalent in 82% of Muslim women, 73% of traditional religions, 66% of Roman Catholics and 60% of Protestants.
In the Central African Republic, FGM is prevalent in 39% of Muslims, 36% of Protestants, and 35% of Catholic women.
In Chad, FGM is prevalent in 61% of Muslim women, 31% of Catholics, 16% of Protestants, and 12% of traditional religions.
In Eritrea, GM prevalence is 99% amongst of Muslim, 89% of Catholic and 85% of Protestant women aged 15–49 years.
In Guinea, FGM is prevalent in 99% of Muslim women, 94% of Catholics and Protestants, and 93% of Animist women.
In the UK, FGM is mainly limited to Muslims from Africa e.g. the Somali community.
Do you know what FGM is
@Ibhar Mac Suibhne: Is that your style, defending an abhorrent religious practice by pointing out that another religion has a similar practice which is not in anyway as barbaric? For my part I think almost all religions should be outlawed. This country was ruled by Catholic rules and our forefathers gave their lives to chase a foreign country out to give us freedom and now we have a government who want to hand the power to a different religion namely Muzlims and more rights to non-Irish living here.
He’s only sorry his 200,000 K a year job is on the line. The veil has been well and truly lifted on this regressive, fundamentalist & intolerant ideology.
@Myk_Oval_Balls_nRyt: bringing the good name of Trinity into the gutter.
@Myk_Oval_Balls_nRyt:
200,000k a year is more than half of TCDs annual budget! He must be good
@Gus Sheridan: Bringing Clonkeagh Mosque into Trinity. Why hasn’t he been sacked? Why has there been no statement issued by Trinity?
@Myk_Oval_Balls_nRyt: Haha, you can’t say veil…
I don’t remember him saying “sorry “ what I heard him say was that he misunderstood what he was been asked about!
@Colette Kearns: We have a few phrases in our culture too, like “backpedalling”. In this context it means when one regrets opening ones mouth, one then engages in damage control by making pathetic excuses, apologising etc. One avoids lengthy interviews in which one may be asked to deny ones beliefs.
“Male bovine effluent” (some translation may be required) See above, it may be used daily but in this context it’s used in conjunction with “backpedalling” in order to save one’s job, reputation and possibly keep head and neck attached. N.B. Not normally a risk in civilised parts of the world but been known to happen, in the name of peace of course.
As sincere as a brazzers kiss
@The Risen: how do you know?
@mar: Well for one, if I instruct people how to go about committing an illegal act, claiming the following week that I condemn said act ‘in the strongest terms’ wouldn’t be very convincing, would it?
^ THIS
This lad has a history of contemptible utterances. He should be escorted to the airport.
@Honeybadger197: Better book him a seat beside you so. When he tries to fire up a conversation you can change the subject to child abuse in order to have a go at the provos, like you did on that (unbelievably enough) storm ophelia article.
It was the most distasteful, and disrespectful to victims of child abuse,’contemptible utterances’ I have ever read on this site.
@The Risen: can you point me to that story please……I would be interested in reading those comments.
@The Risen: Thank you
Those comments are an absolute disgrace. And yes, highly offensive to victims of child abuse. And for what? Because you made a joke about Varadkars spin unit?
@The Risen: You mean this: http://jrnl.ie/3648761
I stand over everything I said. For anyone interested, Risen is being especially economical with the truth and indeed as to how the conversation/ thread led to there. His is the first comment so its not hard to find.
@Honeybadger197: You should be ashamed of yourself
@Honeybadger197: You’re a despicable piece of work.
@Beyond Belief: He doesn’t do shame. Check out his handiwork some time on the issue of child abuse under his previous names i.e. charles wrex, charlie rex, alan brogan….all to have a go at his political rivals.
@Father Hody Commody: As above, I stand over everything I said. Simple.
@Honeybadger197: Oh, big deal. How brave do you have to be exactly to stand over disgusting comments you make on the internet using an anonymous account?
@The Risen: Are the provos my political rivals now? Remind me of your reaction to the article here on the similarities of how the Catholic Church & the Provos dealt with child abuse within their ranks.
@Honeybadger197: You never fail to help me prove my point, do you?
Keep digging, cheers x
@The Risen: Nor you mine. I stand over everything I said.
@Honeybadger197: You use an anonymous account to stand over disgusting anonymous comments you made on the internet anonymously.
So bloody what? Big deal. You should be ashamed.
@Beyond Belief: I stand over everything I said. End of story.
@The Risen: I was going to discuss this further, but an ‘end of story’ diktat has been issued by the anonymous poster standing by their disgusting anonymous comments about child abuse.
@Beyond Belief: Please outline what is disgusting about asking someone why they are able to specifically (and rightly) condemn child abuse by members of the Catholic Church, but are singularly unable to offer the same treatment to child abuse committed by the Provos (going so far, hypocritically, as to say you that can’t blame the organisation). I am at a loss to understand your comprehension of what disgusting entails in this instance.
@Beyond Belief:
In fairness, @Honeybadger had @Risen scrambling throughout that thread, @Risen couldn’t bring itself the condemn the terrorist Provos as he could the Church. Why should Honeybadger be ashamed? Surely @Risen should be?
Now Trinity need to do the right thing and fire him! Students union of Ireland got rid of their last president for being anti abortion, what is their view on this individual !
@William Bryan: Why has there been no statement from Trinity College, or their students union?
@Patricia McCarthy:
Probably crippled by political correctness, the cowards don’t want to come across as “Islamophobic”… and oxymoron.
@Eleanor of Aquitaine: They might be waiting for a responding Fatwa to be issued by the Clonskeagh Mosque. In response to the Fatwa issued by the Islamic centre of Ireland. The students of Trinity may well be compulsorily required to study Fatwa’s issuing from the dept. of Arabic studies, in the near future.
https://egyptianstreets.com/2015/12/10/90-of-egyptian-women-suffer-from-female-genital-cutting-despite-ban/ 90% of Egyptian women have suffered FGM.
@Griff: What are you doing about it? Oh right, nothing.
A cynic might suggest he was happy supporting FGM, right up until the penny dropped that he was likely to find himself heading back to an Islamist Nirvana, like Syria!
Quite happy to bring the negative aspects of their culture here, not quite so happy to be fully immersed in all aspects by heading back to their wonderful culture!
Deport him
The genital mutilation community is almost exclusively religious. It has no place in the 21st century and should carry the harshest penalties possible for even seeking one for a child.
@Beyond Belief: we are ok – never mind our state’s laws, there’s a fatwa now.
I’ll go by his first answer.
The media need to stop giving him a platform.
@Dave Gillen: The media need to ask his employers at Trinity College why they are continuing to employ the man
Perhaps Trinity could also explain their basis for giving him a doctorate.
We dont need this lunatic in Ireland. He needs to be deported. His brand of Islam will be welcome in Ireland when Saudai Arabia allows Christian churches in their kingdom.
@Gus Sheridan: No brand of Islam should be welcome here. Haven’t we had enough of Middle Eastern mind viruses?
The followers of Bedlam are steeped in barbican customs
Why haven’t Trinity sacked this lying savage and our hypocritical Government should deport him
He is one dangerous man. Should be deported.
Surely Irish law is all that’s relevant here
Castrate him. See how it feels.
Fair enough.
Circumcision, FGM, Male, Female it’s all deranged rubbish. No time for this kind of disgusting obsession with kids’ genitals. Maybe it is the religion and the people want respect, fine, but if a Catholic man was spewing this vomit I’d be just as disrespectful to him. Sicko.
Sad all those students that want abortion ,and shout down everyone’s else different opinion ,stay silent when young children are mutilated , but i guess the only hate their own white race and christian values ,
It’s not anti-muslim hype at all, just this society needs to make sure that we are all protected under Irish law and that our good values can continue. Once the world can see this, there is a higher chance that all who come here will respect that and come for the right reason. We all can be happy and safe, in theory. We have to be on the lookout for deception, as we know so much information these days.. Good fences make good neighbours as we all know.
This must twist the minds of the multiculturalists;
condemn FGM or support the absolute right to cultural expression regardless of it’s clear savage brutality.
Right up there with the idea that the hijab is a woman’s choice. The choice is wear it or be excluded from your tribe.
@Kevin Slater: every society has its own cultural norms. If a woman chose to walk naked down the streets of Ireland, not only would she be arrested for indecency but she’d most likely be ostracized by her family and community.
Time is always a good indicator especially at the amount it takes for someone to say the right thing?
FGM is cruel, horrific and any parents that want to put their daughter through that, I suggest they seek help for mental issues!
We have to introduce a minimum age of consent for male genital mutilation as well,in the same way as you wouldn’t be allowed to tattoo a baby why is it OK to mutilate his genitals. Consent is the word here not ban.
The anti-Muslim hype is palpable. In his initial comments Dr Salim clearly likened the Islamic practice of female circumcision to labiaplasty, an increasingly common procedure in the west.
Indeed Dr Salim and I have shared platforms where we have sought to distinguish and separate the two very different procedures in the minds of people. However, an anti-Muslim agenda placated by indolence in the largely immigrant Muslim community has ensured that voices that seek reason and clarification will not be heard.
The shameful derision and witch-hunt that has ensued over the last few days is an indictment upon Ireland’s claim to equality and rights for all. Shame, shame, shame
@Liam Egan: It is my contention that the relatively recent legislation regarding FGM recklessly conflates the abhorrent mutilation of young girls with the legitimate and consensual Sunnah practice of female circumcision and in doing so subjects an already beleaguered community within Irish society to further repressive scrutiny. Further, it risks damaging functional societal relations and could be the impetus for the kind of backstreet surgeries that resulted from Ireland’s abortion stance.
None of those scenarios is desirable, yet a dangerously eccentric leftist politic and far-right Islamophobic sentiment have become paradoxical bedfellows in this latest pogrom against Islam. They have sought to blur the very necessary distinctions raised by conscientious Muslims, such as Dr Salim.
@Liam Egan:
Ah look, Liam Egan is back, this should be a laugh. “Mujaahid” do you think you’re some sort of convert Jihadist? Judas would be more fitting.
@Eleanor of Aquitaine: there is no barbaric practice of FGM in Islam. There is a barbaric practice called FGM that imbeciles associate with Islam.
@Liam Egan:
How can a child, an infant, consent to your warped Ideologies, as you say, “consensual sunnah practice”? You can dress it up all you like with your so called religious and cultural traditions, but in the end its child abuse, and the pain will follow that child into womanhood, all because a dirty old Imam fears womens sexual freedoms, isn’t that right Liam? Your prophet so insecure in his lifetime, hated women, hated Jews and just about anything that was not Islamic your practices are not welcome here in these Christian lands.. “Mujaahid”…you will meet your Crusader some day, Judas.
@Liam Egan: reliance on a supernatural being is fine until you are an adult and realise you are responsible for yourself. Adult belief in the supernatural is defacto evidence of mental illness.
@Eleanor of Aquitaine: you obviously have a problem reading. I’d suggest Tom and Kate as a starter series and when you’re ready you can progress to adult discussion.
@Kevin Slater: yawn
No place in ireland for this mind set sack him, irish people target for far less contervisal comments, and their careers destroyed if your Muslim it’s excetable
Wehave to introduce a minimum age of consent for male genital mutilation as well,in the same way as you wouldn’t be allowed to tattoo a baby why is it OK to mutilate his genitals. Consent is the word here not ban.
Yes we all know….
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