Dear Ireland,

at

ibrahim12

Details of a letter smuggled out a Cairo jail from Ibrahim Halawa (top), a 20 year old old Irish citizen imprisoned in Egypt for the past three years and where he faces the death penalty.

I face torture every day, says jailed student (The Times Ireland edition)

Previously Ibrahim Halawa on Broadsheet

Thanks Richard

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107 thoughts on “Dear Ireland,”

    1. Dόn 'The Unstoppable Force' Pídgéόní

      Some say classic, some say waste of time. Swings and roundybouts

  2. Howard Schultz

    Hey Ibby

    To quote pulp – “if you called your dad he could stop it all”… your da being the head of the Clonskeagh mosque, Muslim Brotherhood HQ in Ireland. Of course your da has kept pretty schtum on this matter, wonder why?

    Where’s his two passports? Also is he not still on hunger strike? So many questions!

  3. Mani

    Completely beside the point, but the Egyptian authorities seem to misunderstand the concept of solitary confinement.

  4. Pete

    As a native Irish person , I am disgusted that this person has the audacity to feel he can refer to Ireland.

    You and Ireland have no connection whatsoever.

    You are not wanted here and we do not pity you.

    Do not claim to be Irish because you are not.

    1. Mani

      As a native Irish person I was unaware that we had the power to stop people talking about Ireland. I feel the Government missed this trick during negotiations with the EU during the recession.

      1. Howard Schultz

        Ibby is Irish, he was born in Ireland, he is an Irish citizen. But then, when he went to Egypt on “holiday” and ended up speaking at an MB rally, he transmogrified into an Egyptian.

        Then, when his back was against the wall, and he regretted “burning” his Irish passport, he became Irish again.

        Kind of like Terry Wogan with the knighthood, if that helps.

        1. Brother Barnabas

          It’s nice that you put “burning” in inverted commas. Take it that means even you know it’s poo.

    3. The Real Jane

      As a native Irish person, I’m banning you from thinking that you are in charge of who can refer to Ireland or claim to be Irish.

    4. classter

      As another native Irish person, go fupp yourself, Pete.

      Nobody gave you the right to make such decisions on our behalf.

      The sheer ignorant audacity of you to use ‘we’ in such a manner!

    5. Paul

      As a native Irish person, I am disgusted by any person that has the audacity to feel they can speak on behalf of all Irish people, or tell another person what they can or cannot talk about. You are not wanted, anywhere, ever. Do not claim to be an Irish person ever again, and the world will be a better place.

    6. neil

      As a native Irish person, I’m disgusted by your ignorance, callousness and arrogance.

      Your views and Ireland have no connection whatsoever.

      Your views are not wanted here and I pity you.

      Do not claim your views are Irish because they do not represent all of us.

  5. Paddy

    Solitary confinement – yet ‘there could be up to 10 people in there’.
    Pardon me, but this seems like the sisters at it again. Would such a regime allow the above Q&A session leave the prison?
    And a lovely touch with the Nelson Mandela reference.
    Why hasn’t the Da visited him – of spoken publicly? Maybe he could accompany his son in a few songs?

      1. Mani

        No issue with music in Islam, it’s the singing they have problems with. Like Trad, really.

          1. rotide

            Completely off the point but r eddit and most of the internet posted it even longer ago ;)

          2. rory

            Don’t go on reddit much. When I do, I don’t see much of interest.
            Where’s the best place to look on the site for interesting videos such as the one above?

          4. rotide

            the front page, most of the stuff you see shared on social media (and here) usually gets to the front.

            or /r/ireland for irish specific stuff or /r/ for anything you might be interested here.

  6. shitferbrains

    It’s quite possible to criticise both the lad’s connection with the Muslim Brotherhood and the primitive nature of the Egyptian justice and prison system. It is not, as they say, a zero sum game.

        1. MoyestWithExcitement

          Hi Tony/Truth/Key of G. I enjoy the stirring bit it’s pretty pointless with clearly emotionally disturbed folks like your good self.

          1. The Key of G

            I ain’t Tony. Not even close.
            Truth is some ould wan who only comments in the evenings

          8. The Key of G

            @ Anne
            I don’t know how to say this nicely but you really seem a bit touched. I don’t know who any of those “people” are. Except to note of course you seem to have an aggressive streak with commenters you don’t agree with – seeking to limit their posts. Don’t worry the admins are on to you now and are monitoring you closely for signs that you lose your manners again.

          12. The Key of G

            Acceptance of your anger issues are a start Anne, well done. Perhaps you have mild autism? You seem to get very angry when you don’t get your own way and also have issues understanding humour.

          15. The Key of G

            Don’t worry Rory I won’t be wasting my time on this one going forward – but I have some experience of people in this area

          16. rory

            When you say this area, are you referring to your diagnosing of Anne with mild autism?

          18. Rob_G

            Can you three gowls exchange your MSN messenger usernames and continue the discussion there?

            The rest of us aren’t particularly interested in your squabble.

      2. Mike Oxlong

        What about the video of the Halawa siblings addressing the MB gathering in Cairo? I certainly don’t agree with his internment without a fair trial but to say he has no connection to the MB is being disingenuous.

        2. MoyestWithExcitement

          MB gathering? Or anti military coup gathering? Were the water marches up O’Connell St really SF marches?

          1. Mike Oxlong

            There’s also US wire from 2006 released by Wikileaks that suspected his old boy was heavily involved in the MB.

          2. MoyestWithExcitement

            You didn’t answer my questions. Was he at a MB rally or anti military coup rally? Does anyone who went on a water protest have links to SF?

          4. classter

            Surely we accept by now that US intelligence services are far from universally correct in their suspicions!?

        3. The Real Jane

          Yeah. I once spoke to a gathering of schoolchildren with the result that I am now a schoolchild. I also spoke to a group of bus drivers so I recommend caution on the roads – I didn’t know it worked like this, but I am now a bus driver with no training.

    2. ahjayzis

      The Muslim Brotherhood who at the time of his arrest were the first ever democratically elected government of Egypt – his captors being the restored military dictatorship that instituted that justice and prison system?

      The MB might not be to your taste, but they’re not ISIS.

  8. Andy McGowan

    I spoke to his sisters outside the Dail recently and they told me he has been on hunger strike for a year. ‘Surely he would be dead by now?’ Apparently Allah is protecting him.

    To be honest every word this family speaks is a lie. He is charged with murdering several policemen. Not, as the family would have you believe, attending a demonstration. Besides the fact his father is head of the Muslim Brotherhood in Ireland all the siblings addressed a rally for the MB in Egypt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cn09s-Fq5s

        1. neil

          According to your link he is one of 488 people charged with the same crimes. Trying that many people together is judicially impossible, as well as being impossible to defend.

  9. Tish Mahorey

    An Irish citizen is an Irish citizen. End of story. He is entitled to the protection of the state, that is the citizen contract.

    The only reason some of you ignorant uninformed gowls are critical of Halawi is because is a Muslim.

    1. 15 cents

      exactly. im also happy to know we can say ‘gowl’ here, im sick of tryna insult people with admin watchin over like a 50s nun.

    2. Anomanomanom

      So if i murder police officers, sorry get accused of, then I can just say “it’s grand I’m irish”.

      1. neil

        If you get accused of murdering police officers in Ireland Anom, you are entitled to a fair and transparent judicial process, and to not be mistreated in custody.

          1. neil

            So should we just write off everything bad that happens to a citizen abroad with a “that’s what you get for leaving”? Or should we give consular assistance and try to ensure they don’t suffer in ways that are against international agreements?

    3. neil

      Aye. That also wouldn’t change if he were guilty of everything the authorities and some commenters are accusing him of. Cruel and unusual punishments are illegal, and Ireland has a duty to protect its citizens against such treatment.

  10. DubLoony

    A person should have a fair trial, where charges made, evidence brought and judgement arrived at.

    He has had none of those things. Innocent until proven guilty.
    All else is speculation.

    2. classter

      +1 DubLoony

      There are genuinely people on this thread uncritically spewing the lines of Egypt’s authoritarian military leader. He has had liberal, pro-democracy activists tortured & murdered as well as Muslim Brotherhood.

    3. Harry Molloy

      True, that’s the issue here, we should all be concerned about the apparent absence of a fair trial or due process regardless of personal opinions on what type of fella he is.

    5. rotide

      Well yes, we have that here. Unfortunately the rest of the world doesn’t always operate like that. Im fairly sure that the MB Government that he was supporting didn’t operate much differently

      1. MoyestWithExcitement

        Yes and everyone who took part in an anti water charge march supports the IRA. Good lad.

      2. neil

        How sure?

        Regardless, as an Irish citizen, Ireland has a duty to fight for him to be treated in a manner consistent with the European Convention and Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

        1. rotide

          Yes and Egypt can just say ‘leave it out ye gowls’

          Which is pretty much what’s happened so far I’m guessing.

  11. Charlie

    Basically if this was some gowl from Castlebar he’d have been out by now and back in Castlebar.

    But he’s not. He’s brown.

    That’s the reason. Stop kidding yourself that it’s anything else.

    2. Rob_G

      I think that’s a bit of a canard – Egypt is a sovereign nation; the Irish govt can’t just demand that he be released just because he is an Irish citizen.

      He’s been receiving consular assistance throughout, same as for any other Irish citizen imprisoned abroad.

    3. rotide

      You mean the way the pretty white girl was whisked out of a peruvian jail without serving a day after breaking the law there?

      Oh wait, your argument is demonstrably false. See ya.

  12. Tony

    Just picking up on the increasing use of the word gowl around these parts. Some of you right be interested to know that it derives from the irish for fork- gabhal, which is slang for lady garden in Irish. So its basically the equivalent of calling people c**ts. Not to be confused with ghoul which is just an Arab demon or fiend.

    1. Anne

      Limerick people have been saying it for years.. It’s what ye say for silly billies around these parts.

    2. sǝɯǝɯʇɐpɐq

      Ah, Limerick people…who can forget them?*
      -They have so much heritage, like the word ‘Gowl’, and eh…Denis Allen and Willie O’Dea…The RubberButtMates, and possibly some other stuff.

      They also have a crude form of poetry named after them, so they must be doing something wrong. -That deserves respect.

      1. sǝɯǝɯʇɐpɐq

        Don’t be so facetious.
        When America decided to invade Ireland THEY DIDN’T THINK BEYOND ‘Where’s the nearest Airport?’

        Look at Dell.
        -They expanded too fast
        they set up in Limerick
        they should’ve come to Dublin
        -Don’t look at Dell.

        ***I have absolutely nothing against limericks. William Shakespark wrote limericks on his days off. Think about that you Philadelphian.
        Oh yes.
        OH YES.

  14. Peter Dempsey

    “Brown people”

    You know you’re dealing with a SJW when they use this condescending description.

    1. sǝɯǝɯʇɐpɐq

      To be fair Charlie-Balls, if this weather keeps up we’ll ALL be brown in a couple of days.
      -I’m red meself, at the moment.
      -It’s just anger. I use sun-lotion.

      My kids are a different story altogether.
      Their Mother is black, but I’m not.
      They charm me and make me proud every single day, you don’t.

      I’m so ‘from Dublin’ that you’d think I was just about to kick your head in on the Train platform, but I digress…I thought you were just frightened of anyone with less than four feet, you feep shucking monster… But let’s talk about my kids again…

      No, let’s not, you pervert.

      -They run around, looking beautiful, oblivious to how you judge them, enjoying life with no hate in their hearts.
      Good parenting.
      OH YES.

      1. sǝɯǝɯʇɐpɐq

        When I say f’our feet’ I mean four feet..

        Not ‘forfeit, or four feet. Not even forty eight inches.

        Sheep*
        *singularly intended, …could mean something monogamous if you close your eyes. They all look the same anyway…

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