Ibrahim’s Return

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Ibrahim Halawa

Aaron Rogan, of The Times Ireland edition, reports:

The process of returning Ibrahim Halawa to Ireland after four years in an Egyptian prison will start next week following the conclusion of his trial.

The judge in the case announced yesterday that he would deliver his verdict on Monday. Regardless of the ruling, Mr Halawa’s return home is expected to be secured.

President Sisi of Egypt has promised the Irish government that he will grant Mr Halawa clemency and allow him to leave if he is convicted.

Irish officials in Cairo will seek to have that process started as soon as a verdict is delivered. Mr Halawa, 21, from Firhouse in south Dublin, has been in prison in Cairo since 2013.

Halawa’s return home to be confirmed by Egypt within day (Aaron Rogan, The Times Ireland edition)

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116 thoughts on “Ibrahim’s Return

    1. GiggidyGoo

      Yeah right. Tubridy, O’callaghan, O’Connor, Kenny, Shanley, – sure they’ll all question him. And he will be back then in 2018 to them all for another “well. You’re one year home – how has it been”

  1. Rob_G

    President Sisi of Egypt has promised the Irish government that he will grant Mr Halawa clemency and allow him to leave if he is convicted.

    – wow, I guess our diplomatic overtures were effective in the end. I guess that this gives lie to the notion that the government was doing nothing for him because his name wasn’t ‘Sean O’Reilly’ or whatever.

    1. postmanpat

      We will still get sued though. And the toothless state solicitor will settle without a fight even though it is entirely Ibrahims fault, or his fathers that he ended up in that situation.

      1. Kolyn

        oh ya, it’s his fault for being arrested & imprisoned by a military dictatorship.. you = prejudice

        1. MoyestWithExcitement

          I said it before. There are lots of people out there gagging for an Irish Trump. Lots of weak, insecure, talentless no-marks dying to live vicariously through an authority figure while ironically acting like a serf for said authority figure.

    2. Yep

      Some were doing quiet a lot. I think it is a stretch to consider their efforts a major factor in this decision.

      whatever you think of the lad a fair trial is looooonnngggg overdue.

    3. ahjayzis

      If you’re detained without trial on your next mysterious trip to the Philippines, I know you’d be only delighted to be able to come home four years later.

      1. Rob_G

        I’m not saying that his detention was right; merely that suggestions that the govt wasn’t doing anything to help due to his ethnicity were unfounded.

        And anyway, if my chosen holiday destination was in the midst of a coup, I would probably go somewhere else instead.

        1. MoyestWithExcitement

          “And anyway, if my chosen holiday destination was in the midst of a coup, I would probably go somewhere else instead.”

          There ya go. It’s his own fault according to Rob. Really, there are a lot of horrible, horrible people posting on this site.

          1. Rob_G

            Well, I think we can all agree with the benefit of hindsight that travelling to Egypt under the circumstances prevailing at the time was a pretty bad idea.

  2. General Henry Lee Woods

    Terrible news. These Halawas are part of the Muslim Brotherhood, another Islamic Death Cult.
    You can be thrown in jail for being a Republican in Ireland but imported and fed benefits if you’re an Islamist Terrorist.
    Fupp off.

    1. ahjayzis

      Yeah I’m with fair thinking moderates like you who want a teenager imprisoned for life without trial.

      1. Anomanomanom

        So because he’s a teenager that means he should be allowed protest illegally and be part of the brotherhood. I love your logic.

          1. snowey

            when in Egypt and all that lark….

            if he wants to take a stand , more power to him but there are consequences.

          2. MoyestWithExcitement

            Yes, standing up to Bad People often results in those Bad People doing Bad Things to you. Obviously. Was that your point?

        1. ahjayzis

          I’m terrified fools like you exist who enable despots. People who for some reason think they’re so right-thinking that it’ll never be them dumped in a cell to rot.

          Interning someone without trial was wrong in Northern Ireland, it was wrong in South Africa, it was wrong in the US. Why is it right in Egypt?

          1. ahjayzis

            OMG HUN TOTES LOL

            When Fintan O’Toole siezes power I hope he has you executed, because that will be lawful because Fintan O’Toole seized power hun. Respect the Warlord, know your place.

            Nevermind, you’re clearly not up to this x.

          2. bisted

            …Ibrahim and his sisters were young teenagers protesting the military overthrow of a democratically elected government in Egypt…they were innocents…the guilty were people behind the regime change…

          3. Anomanomanom

            What ever makes you feel good about your self. So suppose I go to Saudi Arabia,just an example, do you think it would be go for to break some of the strict rules there because people like you say its ok. Its not intelligent to go break the rules, dictatorship or democracy, then cry and moan you got caught.

          4. bisted

            …all I know about the Saudis is that they are another US ally in the region…like the Egyptian regime led by Sisi who seized power from a democratically elected government…

      2. ahjayzis

        And if you had your way priests could rape children with impunity, praise even.

        I have zero evidence for that assertion but fupp it, you’re not really a person.

        1. postmanpat

          You’re presuming I’m criticizing from the Christian camp. I’m am atheist. I know a guy who was interfered with by a priest. You insensitive Botty boo boo. The Halawas are Muslim Brotherhood supporters, this is known, The Muslim brotherhood lobbies for all sorts of bad policies for women and homosexuals. They call themselves conservatives in that respect but in this day and age most reasonable people would call them fascists. Ibrahim is an extension of his father who is a regressive fascist. He was in Egypt to support an ousted fascist regime, got caught, pretended he was merely on holidays despite all circumstantial evidence to the contrary.

  3. Frilly Keane

    I expect Minister Simon and Ibrahim to be mentioned on a “are ya staying in” thread very soon

  4. Aoife Nic Dhiarmada

    Really really great news. That poor young man and his family; how horribly injust this whole thing has been.

    1. GiggidyGoo

      Hope he gets a guilty verdict and the Egyptians renege and throw him into jail. Sorry, but I am not enamoured by a would-be terrorist.

  5. Andrew

    This story and its relentless and unquestioning coverage is a perfect example of the disconnect between the media and its readership.
    It is actually good he’ll get out. Maybe the media might ask him and his family some hard questions? I’m looking forward to how this plays out in the coming years.

    1. ahjayzis

      A 17 year old Irish man was imprisoned without trial for four years.

      Try and pretend his name was Pavel and had blue eyes and it was Poland he was interned in for a minute.

      1. Andrew

        . I am questioning the media coverage.
        You are calling me a racist. Well done. it didn’t take long

        1. MoyestWithExcitement

          The question is why are you questioning it? Why are you perpetuating insane conspiracy theories about a brown Irish man. It’s not hard to work out.

        1. ahjayzis

          Sweetheart. When someones in the process of overthrowing democracy, you don’t have to do anything they say. FYI. Those aren’t laws, they’re dictats.

          If Norin O’Sullivan was seizing power and overthrowing the constitutional government, any bans she’s issued would have the same legal, constitutional force as any I issue.

        2. Donal

          So you think it’s ok for someone to be imprisoned for 4 years without a conviction for participating in a peaceful protest that was against the rules in a dictatorship?

          Perhaps he was foolish to have participated? Perhaps you disagree with the issue he was protesting?

          Neither of those things being true makes it acceptable to be imprisoned for 4 years in my opinion

    2. realPolithicks

      “Maybe the media might ask him and his family some hard questions?”

      Perhaps you could list these “questions” so we can know what you’re talking about.

    3. GiggidyGoo

      If he gets out, that will be that. Don’t expect any show-interviews with all of the family with answers to your questions though.

  6. boj

    How and why do opinions vary so much on this? I’m struggling to find my own. Some say “good news” but almost intentionally ignore other details, others say “let him burn” but willfully ignore the need for a trial? He is (and his family) either strongly connected to the MB or not…and as far as I know the MB are baaad. Why would an Irish man go there and (allegedly) protest/speak out against gov? I’m really confused about this whole thing…The blind hate shown towards him is nauseous, the willful ignorance of the situation shown from others is also pathetic.

    1. Bookworm

      You’re not doing it right

      You’re supposed to rant and wail IRRELEVANT whether you actually know anything about the case

    2. MoyestWithExcitement

      “Why would an Irish man go there and (allegedly) protest/speak out against gov?”

      Because the “gov” are there after the democratically elected gov were overthrown in a military coup and the country is where his parents are from. People don’t tend to like it when the army overthrows a democratically elected government. It’s pretty simple.

    3. Harry Molloy

      It’s good news because he is an Irish citizen who was locked up without trial for four years. As a citizen I expect that my country will come to my assistance to ensure the constitutional rights I enjoy here will be sought out elsewhere if need be.

      As to MB connections, if true he can feck right off with that fundamentalism in this state.

      1. MoyestWithExcitement

        You think Muslims need western Europeans to teach them how to be civilised. Shhhh.

        1. Harry Molloy

          you’ve been spouting out that one for a while bud.

          I can’t believe you don’t agree when amnesty condemns human rights abuses in the middle east. I say let them do their job.

          1. MoyestWithExcitement

            I say when an obvious racist is trying to give off the impression he’s respectable, ridicule is the way to go. So, again, shhhh.

          2. Harry Molloy

            lol, it wrecks your head when what you perceive to be a rabid right winger won’t fit neatly into his box!

            anyway, let’s not derail, there’s a discussion going on

          3. MoyestWithExcitement

            Yes, a discussion is going on between civilised people and digusting racists who need to be called out for their disgusting racism. Hello little Harold.

        2. ahjayzis

          They need secular Muslims to (re)teach that, and the West to stop funding the other side for their own economic interest.

          1. MoyestWithExcitement

            Right. Can you imagine the reaction from people like this if English people were discussing how they can help the Irish be more civilised? Discussions about how to improve Muslim/Arab society are for Muslims/Arabs. We let our clergy bury and rape children. We are in no position to judge.

          2. ahjayzis

            Have we not learned the importance of a secular voice in public life from that? is that not a direct lesson?

            I mean I feel qualified to explain to Saudi that executing secular bloggers probably doesn’t improve the quality of life for their people – women and gays spring to mind. It’s fairly clear to me that Erdogan is crushing secularism and sending Turkey into the Dark Ages.

            Some on the left have a real blindspot on this – endangered secularists in regressive theocracies risking their lives to talk about the values we share need our vocal support, not our protestations that it’s none of our business and we can’t tell the good from the bad because our governments have history. Taking the side you know you’re already on isn’t supporting invasions and occupations for oil.

            It’s not Islamophobic to state that the people of Saudi live under a vicious tyranny. Tyranny doesn’t have a faith.

          3. MoyestWithExcitement

            Ok, great. I wasn’t talking about dictatorships, I’m talking about the notion that Muslims are less civilised. It absolutely *is* racist for white people to talk to each other about how uncivilised Muslim/Arab society is. That is not the same as saying the Saudi royal family are Bad People.

          4. ahjayzis

            I don’t disagree with that. I get a bit of a hair trigger on this whole non-Muslim secularist / secular Muslim solidarity grey zone, wasn’t accusing you of anything.

            This kind of sprung to mind;

            http://www.thedailybeast.com/im-a-muslim-reformer-why-am-i-being-smeared-as-an-anti-muslim-extremist

            A hesitancy to wade in on what are seen as “intra-Muslim” leads good people to try to shut down people who in any other, less sensitive, context they’d support and find utterly unremarkable.

          5. MoyestWithExcitement

            “A hesitancy to wade in on what are seen as “intra-Muslim” leads good people to try to shut down people who in any other, less sensitive, context they’d support and find utterly unremarkable.”

            I guess they’re making judgements on the motivations of the people involved in the conversation. Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins talking in an American university lecture hall about how bad Muslim society is, is pretty much racism defined. Talking about the specific actions of specific people is *probably* not racist. I’m not going to question why Noam Chomsky might be criticising the Iranian leadership. I *am* going to question why someone like Nigel Farage is criticisng the Iranian leadership.

          6. ahjayzis

            Well that’s just common sense. Everyone should examine the character and motives of the person making judgements about something.

          7. spudnick

            “Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins talking in an American university lecture hall about how bad Muslim society is, is pretty much racism defined.”

            Is it not possible to hold an opinion on societies other than one’s own unless one is the same colour? Does it also make Ayaan Hirsi Ali racist somehow? Or is she brown enough for you? Your obsession with race just shoehorns into everything.

          8. MoyestWithExcitement

            “Does it also make Ayaan Hirsi Ali racist somehow?”

            No. That is the dumbest sentence I’ve read today. Congrats.

          9. spudnick

            Your incessant inability to separate race from ideology is the worst sort of identity politics Moyest. You seem to get a bizarre enjoyment from encouraging this sort of division. I suppose finding common ground is just too boring. Much more fun to keep plopping out your playground ‘disgusting racists’ witterings that are your entire raison d’etre.

        3. spudnick

          What’s wrong with celebrating an Irish citizen get out of internment caused by a teenage rush of blood to the head, but also hoping that that rush of blood to the head has subsequently subsided?

      2. Rubex

        It is indeed good news as everyone is entitled to a fair trial and justice. He is also a citizen of Egypt and the government here are doing him a big favor by intervening. If his name was Barry Murphy from Cork and he was locked up in the USA (while being a citizen of both IRE&USA) would we be having the same debate

          1. Rubex

            He’s an Egyptian national …………….

            Megaphone diplomacy doesn’t work’
            From the beginning, Egypt’s understanding of the case, and the Halawas’ place within it, was at odds with Dublin’s. While Cairo allowed Halawa consular visits, it was also adamant that, under Egyptian law, anyone with Egyptian parents was automatically an Egyptian national until he or she formally renounced it.

          2. Rubex

            He’s an Egyptian national …………….
            Egypt has laws, even if they don’t suit your argument..

            Megaphone diplomacy doesn’t work’
            From the beginning, Egypt’s understanding of the case, and the Halawas’ place within it, was at odds with Dublin’s. While Cairo allowed Halawa consular visits, it was also adamant that, under Egyptian law, anyone with Egyptian parents was automatically an Egyptian national until he or she formally renounced it.

          3. MoyestWithExcitement

            “He’s an Egyptian national”

            Wrong

            “anyone with Egyptian parents was automatically an Egyptian national until he or she formally renounced it.”.

            LOL.

          4. Rubex

            @MoyestWithExcitement How is the statement that he is an Egyptian national either wrong or LoL ?. Anybody with an Irish parent at the time of their birth is automatically an Irish citizen.

            Don’t let facts get in the way

          5. MoyestWithExcitement

            Mate, you’re going to believe whatever you want to believe to make yourself feel better about your irrational hatred for the brown Irish man so have at it. You’re leaving yourself open to being laughed at by normal people when you bring that lunacy into a public forum though, just fyi.

        1. ahjayzis

          He’s an Irish citizen. A Dubliner. It’s not a favour when his government intervenes in his unlawful internment.

          1. MoyestWithExcitement

            This bit here; “He is (and his family) either strongly connected to the MB or not…and as far as I know the MB are baaad. Why would an Irish man go there and (allegedly) protest/speak out against gov?” It’s just nuts. Only a dribbling moron would buy into any of that.

        1. boj

          Am I? Oh, I thought I was just looking for clarification on the pole-apart opinions being constantly expressed. I’m questioning the hard-nosed, locked in stance of many of those opinion holders, like yourself. I personally would not enter an area in such turmoil “on holidays” as has been reported. Would you?

          1. MoyestWithExcitement

            “I personally would not enter an area in such turmoil “on holidays” as has been reported. Would you?”

            There ya go. You can read his mind, can you? Utter lunacy.

          2. MoyestWithExcitement

            Also, I answered your question already. His parent’s country saw it’s democratically elected government overthrown and he was there to visit relatives like he was every year. But blah blah Muslims blah blah Muslim Brotherhood are bad blah blah Sharia Law.

          3. boj

            I don’t even want to engage with you anymore Moyest…and you are supposed to be on ‘the good side’ yeah? Such raw anger and bitterness. Adios

    4. postmanpat

      That’s a well thought out post boj. The MB are objectively bad but the Halawa supporters will be on here in a few minutes defending how so and so was “democratically” elected and that the MB are simply “conservative” and not bad etc. Which we know has as much truth as Ibrahim’s world record breaking hunger strike.

        1. postmanpat

          His dad heads the Muslim Brotherhood in Ireland. He and his sisters are an extension of his fathers will.

          1. ahjayzis

            Right.
            And what crimes has the father committed then?

            And also, are you totally sure your dad hasn’t implicated you in something you may be jailed for?

            Read back how ridiculous you sound. You sound like a Stasi agent.

        1. postmanpat

          Come on, you know what hunger strike means. He was supposedly refusing all food indefinitely as a form of protest, a “hunger strike” if you will. Its not a Muslim thing and nothing to do with Ramadan. Ramadan is when you cant eat drink smoke during daylight hours then binge with your family and friends every night for a month. It really unhealthy physically speaking but feels good “spiritually” (if you believe in that kind of thing) .You can only go so long without food before you die, unless he was force fed which I didn’t hear about. So either he was lying about refusing food in the first place or the media or his family was lying/exaggerating about him refusing food. If he was on hunger strike he would be dead. He didn’t end up in hospital as far as I know. So someone was fibbing and this was perpetuated by certain media to get people up in arms to get more clicks on news websites, his family , to get he Irish Government to change their diplomatic tactics (ie: stop doing nothing). It was a bluff and everyone called it. but you cant blame a guy for trying.

    5. Nigel

      As a rule anything that promotes a fair trial or mitigates the effects of an unfair trial is a good thing.

  7. Rubex

    It is indeed good news as everyone is entitled to a fair trial and justice. He is also a citizen of Egypt and the government here are doing him a big favor by intervening. If his name was Barry Murphy from Cork and he was locked up in the USA (while being a citizen of both IRE&USA) would we be having the same debate

    1. pedeyw

      Well for the moment, you can’t be locked up without trial in the US for attending a protest (if you’re white, at least).

  8. phil

    Good news for the family , and this state, bad news for some of the commentators over at thejournal ….

      1. phil

        You know how thejournal closes comments for certain articles , well some of the commentators over there are going to wish that comments were closed for ibrahims articles , from what I heard getting him home was the first priority , I guess the family solicitor will be busy …

        It kinda amazes me some of the things people said about him and the family , considering how robust the defamation laws are in this country ( something I dont agree with)

        1. MoyestWithExcitement

          The anonymity of the internet allows people to say things they’d never have the guts to say in real life. It also lets them find other kindred, gutless souls which makes them feel validated in their gutlessness and emboldened by their collective gutlessness. That makes it easier to allow themselves to switch off their conscience and just embrace the warm comfort of feeling superior to someone even if, deep down, they know it doesn’t make any sense. They have found other delusional idiots who can all help each other live in an alternate reality.

    1. MoyestWithExcitement

      Question 1. ‘Did the outpouring of hatred from racists hiding behind online anonymity make you feel disappointed in Ireland?’

  9. Shayna

    Not being overly conversant in in Egypytian – Arabic, we have a son of Ireland who has returned to us! Jesus, isn’t that great? He can stay in my house (I’ve a spare bedroom).

    1. Shayna

      That may sound a tad, ” I’ll knock on your door” – Not so much! I’m a 50 year old woman who’s kinda Jewish on it, despite being a Bonifide Catholic?

  10. Shayna

    I’ve got the Dubs v Tyrone next Sunday on my diary – I’ve missed out on a ticket. I am going to be one of the sad types who watches in a bar nearby – Jesus, “The Hogan Stand” – “God Almighty”!

  11. Shayna

    Admittedly, I got through a day or two, without mentioning Tyrone GAA. It is what it is. Mayo play great football – but try it in Tyrone.? It’s a Mayo Tyrone Final, I hope! You know, I hope for Tyrone, but I kinda want Mayo to win. (It’s the whole sportmanship thing).

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