Recent remarks by Islamic religious leader Shaykh Dr. Umar Al-Qadri should act as the catalyst for a “long overdue” national conversation on the belief that Irish and European societies can successfully and safely integrate “irreconcilable and overly hostile value systems,” Independent Ireland TD Ken O’Flynn has said.
Dr. Umar Al-Quadri, the Head-Imam of Al-Mustafa Islamic Educational & Cultural Centre, Ireland and Founding Chair of the Irish Muslim Peace & Integration, caused controversy last month when he sent a tweet commenting on the sexually motivated murder of a 17 year old girl in the Netherlands, carried out by a recently arrived immigrant.
He said that people coming from a different cultural context were at a “greater risk of committing such acts when there is no proper cultural awareness training or integration.”
“Unfortunately, across Europe, including here in Ireland, we see that asylum seekers often receive no meaningful orientation, education or guidance on societal values, gender equality, and respect for women. Integration is not just about accommodation, but also about safety and shared values,” the scholar added.
“We must not ignore these gaps. God forbid that something like this happens here. Authorities must view integration and cultural awareness as an essential,” the post added.
The Cork North Central TD for Independent Ireland, however, said that the remarks by the religious leader evidenced that the “semi-utopian myth of multiculturalism” is “collapsing into a spiral of violence.”
“Recent remarks by a prominent cleric, to the effect that predominantly migrant men merely need to be ‘educated’ on the fundamentals of consent is deeply troubling,” said Deputy O’Flynn.
“Within the European value system, consent is not merely an optional cultural nuance. It is a non-negotiable characteristic that defines how we interact, particularly at the sexual level.”
“We have arrived at that value judgement through a process of philosophical reflection grounded in a vision of the human person, male and female, as being fundamentally equal.”
‘DANGEROUSLY NAIVE’
“The belief that we can contract a few NGO’s to deliver educational courses to instil respect to people who believe no respect should be given to a woman or to a same sex attracted person is not just a fool’s errand. It is dangerously naive.”
“Unfortunately, we now have an entire continent that is in a very real sense ethically overwhelmed and conflicted due to the arrival of overwhelming numbers of people who adhere to an understanding of ‘consent’ that too often results in the trivialisation or justification of sexual violence. This shifts responsibility away from perpetrators, and insults survivors.”
Deputy O’Flynn also said that multiculturalism, as pursued by Western governments, is not working.
“What we have been left with as the product of this process is a situation whereby diametrically opposed cultures are being pushed together by policy not by democratic choice.”
“One culture enshrines equality, respect for women, and the rights of LGBTQ people. The other often carries belief systems and laws that stand in direct opposition to those principles. The result is tension, division, and ultimately suffering for citizens who never asked for this experiment.”
‘SO-CALLED MULTICULTURAL DREAM NOT WORKING’
He pointed to ongoing problems across Europe. “Sweden has seen a surge in violent crime linked to migration, ghettoisation, and parallel societies. The UK has grappled with grooming scandals, cultural clashes, and communities torn apart by mistrust. Everywhere this model has been tried, the results are clear: instead of harmony, we get conflict. Instead of integration, we get segregation. Instead of safety, we get greater risk.”
Adding that it is time for honesty in political debate, the TD said: “We cannot go on pretending that importing diametrically opposed value systems will lead to social cohesion. The so-called multicultural dream is not working. It has failed in Sweden, it has failed in Britain, and unless we change course, it will fail here in Ireland too.”
He continued: “Leadership means having an adult conversation about these realities. We must be courageous enough to admit that certain practices, beliefs, and laws are fundamentally at odds with our own. We cannot excuse or accommodate them. Our responsibility is to protect the safety and dignity of our citizens first.”
“This is a conversation we can have by choice, or it is a conversation that will be forced upon us as societies push back against the view that we must cower before and accommodate values that are antithetical to the norms of basic decency and civility.”
“Ireland is a welcoming country. But welcome cannot mean weakening our core values. It cannot mean tolerating the intolerable. If governments continue to force multiculturalism without regard for these contradictions, they will only deepen division and harm the very people they claim to protect. The time has come to face facts — and to act,” the TD added.