It would be unfair not to begin this article by noting that Shaykh Umar Al-Qadri, Chairperson of the Irish Muslim Council, is generally a perceptive and moderate commentator on issues of Irish public affairs who, when he speaks, is worth listening to. That is why his comments on New Year’s Day are worth writing about: Claims that Ireland is just a few moments of lapsed vigilance away from a fascist dictatorship are ten a penny on social media, usually from over-excitable college students who imagine themselves re-enacting the battle of cable street with the “fash” on the streets of Dublin. Posts from generally respected figures making the same claim, however, are somewhat more rare:
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