I am to speak at Trinity College Dublin on Monday 23 March 2015 on “Apostasy and the Rise of Islamism”.
I’ve just been informed, however, that college security (why security?) has claimed that the event would show the college is “one-sided” and would be “antagonising” to “Muslim students”; they threatened to cancel my talk. After further consultation with college management, they have decided to “allow” the event to go ahead with the following conditions:
* All attendants of the event must be 1) Trinity students and 2) members of the society hosting the talk.
* For “balance”, they require that a moderator host the event; Prof. Andrew Pierce of the Irish School of Ecumenics has kindly agreed to do so.
I, however, will not be submitting to any conditions, particularly since such conditions are not usually placed on other speakers.
I intend to speak on Monday as initially planned without any restrictions and conditions and ask that TCD give me immediate assurances that I will be able to do so.
It is crucial that I be able to speak against Islamist fascism and honour our dissenters deemed apostates, blasphemers, heretics… whether ex-Muslims, Muslims or non-Muslims.
I particularly insist on being able to do so in light of the fact that only last month – 25 February – Kamal El Mekki who advocates the death penalty for apostasy was given space to speak at an event hosted by the “Muslim” Student Association. No conditions were placed on his talk and security did not threaten to cancel the event nor inform the Association that the speakers’ position on death for apostates would “antagonise” ex-Muslim and Muslim students who do not support apostasy laws.
Interestingly, when the college’s Central Societies Committee was informed of El Mekki’s view on apostasy, they could not “see why there can even be a discussion about cancelling the event” and that his video was simply “explanatory and not advocatory”!
The video they were alerted to shows El Mekki advising his audience on how best to explain the death penalty for apostates. He tells them to start with the simplest example so that the need for the death penalty can be easily understood. In the video, he says:
The question is ‘Why is the apostate killed in Islam?’…if someone leaves their allegiance to their country they should be killed, so if they leave their allegiance to Allah nothing happens?
…in Islam, of course, you know, it’s a very different system. It’s not like somewhere you heard someone leaves Islam and you just go get him and stuff like that. First of all it’s done by the authorities, there are procedures and steps involved. First of all they talk to him, yeah, about, yanni, the scholars refute any doubt that he has on the issue, they spend days with him refuting and arguing with him, trying to convince him. Then they might even, yaani, threaten him with the sword and tell him ‘You need to repent from this because if you don’t you repent you will be killed.’ And if he insists on being killed that means really, really believing in that. And then, after the procedures take their toll, and then at the end, by the authority of the ruling body, it’s done.
This is beyond outrageous given the social and political reality where apostasy from Islam is punishable by death in 11 countries and especially at a time when it has come to light that British Islamists are executing apostates for ISIS after having been “radicalised” in British universities. Also it does a disservice to the many Muslims who oppose Islamism and apostasy laws by conflating “Muslim” students with Islamism or the religious-Right.
Trinity College Dublin, I am awaiting your response.
***
For those who want more information on this “beautiful young man”, see here – oh sorry that was Jihadi John who was beautiful according to Cage.
One does get confused when they all (the Islamists) say the same thing…
More from ‘Trinity News’ http://trinitynews.ie/open-letter-to-the-csc-you-were-wrong-to-allow-kamal-el-mekki-speak-on-campus/
Open letter to the CSC: you were wrong to allow Kamal El Mekki speak on campus
By Anonymous on Sunday, March 1, 2015 · 4 Comments
Dear Central Societies Committee,
On February 25th, you allowed Trinity College to play host to the radical Islamic preacher Kamal El Mekki. As a former Muslim, I am outraged that a man who is an advocate for the killing of former Muslims was not only invited by a student society but deliberately allowed by the CSC to speak freely at this university.
On February 24th, myself and a number of other students became aware that the Muslim Students Association had invited Kamal El Mekki to speak, and although initially receiving support from the Students’ Union in our hopes of getting the event cancelled, the CSC were far less helpful. This YouTube clip was provided as evidence of Kamal El Mekki’s advocacy of the killing of former Muslims, yet a representative from the CSC decided that the video did not prove the advocacy. The CSC decided the video was merely “explanatory” and not “advocatory”. The CSC representative declared that Kamal El Mekki did not pose any threat to the welfare or safety of students. The representative chose to let the event go ahead without consulting any of the students who complained about the event, especially the students who are vulnerable former Muslims.
… More at link above
what is happening to the people of Ireland,? how tolerant we have become. “Selective? we are on a dangerous path, at present.
For what it is worth, this is clearly a bureaucratic error, not an attempt at censorship. You need to be familiar with the byzantine rules of college event administration to understand that but that is what is going on. This really isn’t as big a deal as it seems.
Yeah, yeah. Maryam runs into bureaucratic problems, and an advocate of beheading her doesn’t. And the SOFIA president says there shouldn’t be any restrictions, while defending the fact that there are. And the talk is cancelled by the College, not by her.But it’s all her fault.
If this is “normal bureaucracy”, it’s a bigger deal, not a lesser one.
Hear! Hear!
It may not seem like a big deal to you but it is to those of us facing it all the time – subtle forms of pressure and censorship causing meetings to be cancelled, interviews not broadcast, invitations rescinded- all “explained” under “miscommunication” and “bureaucratic error”.
Rory Treanor might be a lawyer (?) if ‘Works at Barrister-at-Law’ (FB page) means what it looks like. So I read it the way I’d read a legal defence. Perhaps I’m wrong.
Amen. What a farce. Things don’t change, neither do people. Sadly
Good for you Maryam – stick to your principles.
This has prompted me to have a look at some recent, relevant background at TCD.
Trinity News is Ireland’s oldest student newspaper (I used to contribute a few odd bits to it myself back in the day, when it existed only, of course, in print.) The third item, below, is specifically about concerns raised by El Mekki’s talk, which of course went ahead.
Brian
—
http://trinitynews.ie/trinity-lecturer-warning-over-offensive-cartoons/
Trinity lecturer warning over offensive cartoons
By Catherine Healy on Wednesday, January 7, 2015 . 22 Comments
—
http://trinitynews.ie/sharing-charlie-hebdo-cartoons-is-the-wrong-response-to-paris-tragedy/
Comment: Sharing Charlie Hebdo cartoons is the wrong response to Paris tragedy
If you normally believe that intentionally causing extreme distress to a vulnerable section of society with hook-nosed caricatures of their most sacred prophet is wrong, violence should not shock you out of that opinion.
By Peter Gowan on Friday, January 9, 2015 · 11 Comments
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http://trinitynews.ie/concern-over-society-hosting-of-radical-preacher/
Concern over society hosting of ‘radical’ preacher
By Catherine Healy on Wednesday, February 25, 2015 · 9 Comments
Concerns have been raised over preacher Sheikh Kamal El Mekki’s visit to Trinity College tonight. The former George Mason University imam, who is alleged to defend the killing of apostates of Islam, is due to deliver a lecture on the prophet Muhammad in an event co-hosted by the TCD Muslim Student Association (MSA) and the Irish branch of the AlMaghrib Institute.
Trinity News understands that the talk is due to go ahead despite Domhnall McGlacken-Byrne, the president of Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (SU), today contacting the Central Societies Committee (CSC) with a view to cancelling the event after being approached by eight students unhappy about El Mekki being allowed to speak on campus.
[More at link above, but one paragraph in particular is worth quoting for background context:]
‘…One of the students who has complained about the talk taking place on campus told Trinity News that “as a former Muslim” he feels “immensely anxious and at danger that such a character should be invited to speak and express his wishes for the slaughter of us at a university and in a society where we are meant to feel safe.” The student said he was “horrified that such a blatant proponent of hate speech and violence should be given a platform to speak in a country that champions human rights” …’
Thanks Brian
Worse and worse.
The Society imposes restrictions, claims that they are standard practice even though the way they had publicised the event itself shows they were only imposed after the call from Security.
It also says it would be helpful for Dr Pierce to be present because “Dr Pierce’s status as member of staff also will be advantageous for SOFIA if a group of individuals log a complaint against our event on Monday as he will be in the position to speak on our behalf when the complaint is reviewed by the College Deans.” So it does not feel confident it could defend itself from such a hypothetical complaint without cover from academic staff!
Security contacts the Society (by phone, so we have no record of what was actually said) without copying you, the person most at risk. Their suggestions do not, as far as we know, include the use of metal detectors, the one thing that would be relevant, although as an afterthought you are told that you are free to request them.
In the absence of a written record, we do not know if Security were making suggestions, or imposing conditions. This is relevant when we come to assign responsibility for what happened.
The whole affair seems (if SOFIA are being open) to have been handled, initially at least, at a junior level within SOFIA, even though it is not credible that a member would invite a speaker without consulting the Committee.
Aiofe says ” I don’t know where you got the impression that Security were imposing restrictions on you. If that was communicated to you, I apologise as that would never happen in Trinity, and I would fight to uphold any individual’s right to express themselves freely.”
Yet your talk has been cancelled because you refused to accept restrictions! If Aiofe meant what she said, she should herself be resigning from the SOFIA board, and joining you in your protest.
This would read like a Monty Python story line, if it were not so deadly serious.
This is outrageous.
The fog needs to be dispersed.
What is Aiofe’s position and how is she involved?
Who decided that a moderator or presenter of an alternative view needed to be present? On what grounds?
Was a “members only” restriction imposed on the El Mekki meeting? If so,was it enforced by collecting students’ cards?
Am I right in thinking that Maryam remains willing to speak AS ORIGINALLY INVITED with no special conditions, but that someone (not her) has now cancelled the event?
If that is not the situation, what is?
I second those questions.
Aiofe is the head of the society that invited me though she never contacted me until the night when I blogged about the restrictions. A student was organising my visit and was in touch with me from the start. The moderator was imposed after a call from security. Also the Society knew the event was public, advertised to external people, but everything changed after that call from security. I did say I would come if the conditions were removed. I have bought the ticket already! But they cancelled it and Aiofe has spent so much time defending the restrictions rather than meeting my simple request that there be none – just as there are none on Islamist speakers…
Anyway I am not trying to find another society to invite me with help from friends there.
Shouldn’t be “now trying”?
I’m now confused and I think the TCD authorities should issue a detailed statement, clearly signed with all the signatory’s or signatories’ affiliations and declaring with what authority they write. Otherwise it’s a he-said-she-said situation. I’ve re-read Aoife’s emails and still find some of the sentences in them ambiguous. We need clarity.
This of course isn’t just about Trinity and Maryam’s talk. This sort of thing is going on everywhere right now and it’s got to stop.
I note that the SWP has been mentioned. I’m no friend of the SWP but I wonder if there’s any evidence for the speculation that it’s involved here? I know the SWP has ‘form’ and past history, etc, but in this case?
It would help if Aoife Noelle Ngo had a level of literacy commensurate with his position.
Just a couple of weeks ago the TCD Palestine Solidarity Society had an entire week of events and meetings open to the public. Security had no problem with that.
Don’t expect us to believe fairytales about meetings only being open to society members.
Yes exactly! The Society knew the event was public, advertised to external people, but everything changed Friday. I was to travel Monday morning for my talk!
Contact TCD; Demand that Maryam be allowed to speak without conditions.
@tcddublin
provost@tcd.ie
Phone +353-1- 896 4632
Fax +353-1-896 2303
@RonitLentin
@ivanabacik
….Trinity never imposed conditions…? I was the one who suggested another speaker to add to the bants?
I feel like I am speaking to a brick wall.
You are the one who is cancelling the meeting.
You know well that most meetings in TCD are open to the public.
Be honest.
Please see below for my latest message to Maryam in trying to resolve this miscommunication – which has been unfair to:
1. Maryam as she has been presented with a tainted and quite frankly, untrue view of Trinity.
2. Trinity as they never had a problem with Maryam coming or insisting that there is a “moderator” – that was my idea to bring in another academic to bounce off each other and have a bit of banter with the audience.
3. The wider public who have gone on to circulate this basic miscommunication.
“Hi Maryam,
The situation is slightly difficult for me to comprehend as I feel we aren’t talking about the same event anymore. I think this has gone completely awry. I don’t know where you got the impression that Security were imposing restrictions on you. If that was communicated to you, I apologise as that would never happen in Trinity, and I would fight to uphold any individual’s right to express themselves freely. I also am upset that you have been given the impression that Trinity authorities are backward, on the contrary: it was never a matter of potentially causing offence, I believe that Kamal el-Mekki’s presence proves that Trinity authorities do not interfere with college society’s activities. College Security have never once asked me about the content of your speech, just who will be attending the event (Trinity students as per society rules and insurance reasons) and numbers for fire and safety reasons. They did not realise it was being facilitated by SOFIA and therefore were nervous about an individual hosting the event. But I personally cleared that and assured them that I had it under control.
I am disappointed that you are not going to be with us on Monday, and I wish you had waited until I had gotten in contact. I was attending a wake service then went for dinner and all I had was my dying mobile phone which I told (the other student organiser) I would be in contact with you tonight.
Sorry this has gone so dramatic.”
There you have it…nothing to see here.
Aoife,
You are clearly being disingenuous.
1. If you truly meant for Maryam to speak, and if there was no confusion why did you de facto cancel the event by presuming that Maryam will not speak on Monday though she said she will speak if there are no conditions.
2. Why was el-Mekki’s speech advertised as a public speech, and why did you not restrict his speech exclusively to society members by inspecting student ID cards as you claim will be done for Maryam’s speech?
Sadly, your lack of transparency and spineless attempt to weasel out of your role in this fiasco brings discredit to a hallowed institution like TCD.
I am a graduate of Trinity College Dublin and I’m shocked, deeply disappointed in my old Alma Mater and astonished. This university was once a bastion of free speech, skepticism and liberalism, and that at a time in Ireland when the influence of the Roman Catholic clergy could and did make all of those things extremely difficult to uphold. (Of course we now know too well what a lot of us didn’t know then about the hypocrisy and concealment behind the façade.)
I well remember the marvellous Dr Owen Sheehy Skeffington (‘Skeff’) and his brilliantly witty speeches attacking the repression and reactionary attitudes that were so pervasive. From what Maryam reports, I’m left wondering if a contemporary Skeff would be able to speak freely about current theocratic and pseudo-theocratic dogmas the way he did in his day. Such an academic today would probably be most unwise to do so if he or she didn’t hold tenure.
I’m distraught and disgusted that we’re even talking about this kind of thing well into the beginning of the 21st century. Not so long ago, it had looked, for what we might now have to see as an all-too-brief moment, as if we were on the brink of new era of unparalleled enlightenment, of reason mixed with compassion, of sense and feeling. But where are we now? TS Eliot comes to mind – ‘what have we to do / But stand with empty hands and palms turned upwards / In an age which advances progressively backwards?’
Trinity! For goodness’ sake remember your traditions. If you don’t stand up for what you used to believe and vigorously defend, don’t be surprised you’re the ones that end up being gagged.
Crikey, talk about la trahison des clercs!
— Dr Brian Robinson
Hey, no need to be disappointed Dr Robinson! Please see below for my latest message to Maryam in trying to resolve this miscommunication – which has been unfair to:
1. Maryam as she has been presented with a tainted and quite frankly, untrue view of Trinity.
2. Trinity as they never had a problem with Maryam coming or insisting that there is a “moderator” – that was my idea to bring in another academic to bounce off each other and have a bit of banter with the audience.
3. The wider public who have gone on to circulate this basic miscommunication.
“Hi Maryam,
The situation is slightly difficult for me to comprehend as I feel we aren’t talking about the same event anymore. I think this has gone completely awry. I don’t know where you got the impression that Security were imposing restrictions on you. If that was communicated to you, I apologise as that would never happen in Trinity, and I would fight to uphold any individual’s right to express themselves freely. I also am upset that you have been given the impression that Trinity authorities are backward, on the contrary: it was never a matter of potentially causing offence, I believe that Kamal el-Mekki’s presence proves that Trinity authorities do not interfere with college society’s activities. College Security have never once asked me about the content of your speech, just who will be attending the event (Trinity students as per society rules and insurance reasons) and numbers for fire and safety reasons. They did not realise it was being facilitated by the society and therefore were nervous about an individual hosting the event. But I personally cleared that and assured them that I had it under control.
I am disappointed that you are not going to be with us on Monday, and I wish you had waited until I had gotten in contact. I was attending a wake service then went for dinner and all I had was my dying mobile phone which I told (the other student organiser) I would be in contact with you tonight.
Sorry this has gone so dramatic.”
There you have it…nothing to see here.
So the plot thins (I’m happy to accept that it’s not thickening). But someone must have told Maryam. Why? Maybe a different plot is thickening, another pot of soup someone stirred. I watch with interest. But it’s 1-34 a.m. and what with the eclipse and other things it’s been a long day.
Its thickening if anything. Practically all meetings in TCD are open to the public. Why would it now br restricted to society members?
I smell a rat here.
An SWP one.
exactly!
Maryam has said that she will speak if there are no conditions put on her.
You are the one who is cancelling the meeting now.
Would securitys concern have anything to do with an SWP member being prominent among them?
Yo
Solidarity.
http://www.politics.ie/forum/current-affairs/236138-tcd-put-conditions-maryam-namazi-no-conditions-put-el-mekki.html
It is unconscionable that the one institution that above all has a duty to promote free enguiry is responding to threatened attacks on it with a policy of pre-emptive appeasement.
Yes appeasement of Islamists under the cover of “Muslim” students. Really Trinity College Dublin – do you think all Muslims want apostates dead. Then maybe you need to get out a bit more and not accept all our fascists tell you at face value!
And here is where the Islamofascists win – they silence people, institutions and governments for fear of reprisal. It’s an understandable reaction yet a cowardly one. I thought my alma mater was made of sterner stuff than this.
Hi Daragh, I’ve taken over the organising of this event and to be honest, I feel that the communications listed here (which was provided to Maryam by another Trinity student organiser) is not representative of what official communication from Trinity authorities has been to me. Quite frankly it has been twisted. Please see the following:
“1. This is an official society event approved by the committee and not an event organised by an individual member of the society or any other individual. We have secured another speaker Assistant Professor Andrew Pierce (TCD Irish School of Ecumenics) who has prior speaking experience at events.
2. Access to the event will be confined strictly to the society members – the society will be responsible for managing access in compliance with this requirement. We are inspecting and collecting Trinity student ID of attendees before the event, returning it to their possession after the event finishes.
3. The society will take all measures possible using social media, and any other available means, to convey the message that this is not a public event and that access is strictly confined to student members of the society. We will be making this known to the speaker as well.”
Trinity, as you know, has many colourful characters walking through Front Arch, and I’m not just talking about curious tourists. There has been a long standing rule set out by Trinity’s Central Societies Committee (CSC) about preventing non Trinity student members from taking part in events unless invited by the society.
I wasn’t given a chance to contact Maryam before she published this, and have been trying to rectify this issue – that all are welcome at Trinity – sans conditions listed above, which may be construed as defamatory.
“Access to the event will be confined strictly to the society members ”
And who is imposing this condition on the event?
“We are inspecting and collecting Trinity student ID of attendees before the event, returning it to their possession after the event finishes.”
This is simply extraordinary. I’ve never heard of any such conditions ever being imposed on an event in TCD. Again, who is imposing this extraordinary condition on the event?
P.
All organized religion is an ultimate form of fascism!
Never before has so many pieces of paper been waved by so many Chamberlains. Good for you for sticking to your principles. There seems to be a deadly lack of them in Academia these days.
🙂
Please see below for my latest message to Maryam in trying to resolve this miscommunication – which has been unfair to:
1. Maryam as she has been presented with a tainted and quite frankly, untrue view of Trinity.
2. Trinity as they never had a problem with Maryam coming or insisting that there is a “moderator” – that was my idea to bring in another academic to bounce off each other and have a bit of banter with the audience.
3. The wider public who have gone on to circulate this basic miscommunication.
“Hi Maryam,
The situation is slightly difficult for me to comprehend as I feel we aren’t talking about the same event anymore. I think this has gone completely awry. I don’t know where you got the impression that Security were imposing restrictions on you. If that was communicated to you, I apologise as that would never happen in Trinity, and I would fight to uphold any individual’s right to express themselves freely. I also am upset that you have been given the impression that Trinity authorities are backward, on the contrary: it was never a matter of potentially causing offence, I believe that Kamal el-Mekki’s presence proves that Trinity authorities do not interfere with college society’s activities. College Security have never once asked me about the content of your speech, just who will be attending the event (Trinity students as per society rules and insurance reasons) and numbers for fire and safety reasons. They did not realise it was being facilitated by the society and therefore were nervous about an individual hosting the event. But I personally cleared that and assured them that I had it under control.
I am disappointed that you are not going to be with us on Monday, and I wish you had waited until I had gotten in contact. I was attending a wake service then went for dinner and all I had was my dying mobile phone which I told (the other student organiser) I would be in contact with you tonight.
Sorry this has gone so dramatic.”
There you have it…nothing to see here.
For transparency’s sake, I am copying all my emails to Aoife below. There are not many since she has only contacted me today after things came to a head. A student organiser has been in touch with me the whole time and been arranging my visit. It seems if there is any miscommunication it is being promulgated by Aoife to “manage” the situation in the same way that they were hoping to manage me.
Even if it was Aoife who suggested a moderator, it came about as a result of “pressure”. Also security concerns of antagonising the “Muslim students” and being “one-sided” with the student who has been organising my visit all along have nothing to do with student security no matter how many times Aoife says it does. Her email today (well technically last night) was the first email I have ever received from Aoife regarding my visit. I get the sense that she is trying to manage a bad situation by blaming it on miscommunication but you know folks, I was not born yesterday.
Here are the emails. The name of the student organiser has been left out at his/her request.
From: Maryam Namazie [mailto:maryamnamazie@gmail.com]
Sent: 21 March 2015 01:38
To: ‘Society for International Affairs’
Subject: RE: Speaking Engagement at Trinity College Dublin (Monday, 23rd March)
Hi Aoife
I think you are missing the point here. Of course el Mekki is given free access. In my experience there is never any question raised about Islamists as they are seen to be one and the same with “Muslims” which is untrue. It is usually raised with regards my speaking engagements, and this is not a new experience for me.
The security mentioned concerns over one-sidedness and “antagonising Muslim students” with the person who I have been in touch with all along regarding this event. Clearly such concerns are not matters of student security but the usual matter of avoiding “offence” – and it is usually us ex-Muslims that are seen to be antagonistic and not the Islamist speakers who promote our murder.
Your email tonight was the first I had received from you – someone else was organising this for me – so I am more prone to believe that it is your impression that is mistaken and not the other way around.
Regards
From: Society for International Affairs
Sent: 21 March 2015 01:02
To: Maryam Namazie
Subject: Re: Speaking Engagement at Trinity College Dublin (Monday, 23rd March)
Hi Maryam,
The situation is slightly difficult for me to comprehend as I feel we aren’t talking about the same event anymore. I think this has gone completely awry. I don’t know where you got the impression that Security were imposing restrictions on you. If that was communicated to you, I apologise as that would never happen in Trinity, and I would fight to uphold any individual’s right to express themselves freely. I also am upset that you have been given the impression that Trinity authorities are backward, on the contrary: it was never a matter of potentially causing offence, I believe that Kamal el-Mekki’s presence proves that Trinity authorities do not interfere with college society’s activities. College Security have never once asked me about the content of your speech, just who will be attending the event (Trinity students as per society rules and insurance reasons) and numbers for fire and safety reasons. They did not realise it was being facilitated by SOFIA and therefore were nervous about an individual hosting the event. But I personally cleared that and assured them that I had it under control.
I am disappointed that you are not going to be with us on Monday, and I wish you had waited until I had gotten in contact. I was attending a wake service then went for dinner and all I had was my dying mobile phone which I told [the organiser contact] I would be in contact with you tonight.
Sorry this has gone so dramatic.
Aoife
On 21 March 2015 at 00:19, Maryam Namazie wrote:
Hello Aoife
Thanks for your email. The issues raised by security were clearly not about student safety but about the fear of my causing offence. Raising concerns of one-sidedness and implying my defence of the right to apostasy would be antagonising are political positions not security matters. Regardless of who added a condition of my having a chair to “moderate” me, I find that to be unacceptable. It astounding that an Islamist who defends death for apostates can speak at your college without any such issues being raised, whilst I who am one of their targets, must be “moderated” and have limitations placed on my audience. My conditions are very clear. I have mentioned them here: https://maryam.wlfserver.xyz/2015/03/20/tcd/. I will not be coming if there are any restrictions.
I look forward to hearing back from you.
Thank you.
All the best
From: Society for International Affairs
Sent: 20 March 2015 22:41
To: maryamnamazie@googlemail.com
Subject: Speaking Engagement at Trinity College Dublin (Monday, 23rd March)
Dear Maryam,
As Chair of the Society for International Affairs (SOFIA) I am delighted to welcome to Trinity College Dublin, on Monday. I apologise for not getting in touch earlier this evening but I was away from my laptop and our first point of contact deserves more than a hasty/shoddy email sent off my phone. [The organiser contact] has done a good job so far in putting things in motion.
Just so we are on the same page, could you inform me of your expectations of your visit to Trinity, and I’ll outline the same. You may have heard earlier today Trinity Security were concerned about the safety of the university students. Due to miscommunication, I was not aware until midday today that [the organiser contact] had not passed on basic SOFIA practice of being reserved for our members to you. As such, I was more than alarmed when Trinity Security contacted me and I was put in an awkward situation where it looked as though I was in breach of Trinity’s commitment to student safety by advertising our event externally. I was not informed that you would be advertising it on your website either.
Not wanting the event to be jeopardised, I suggested that you could be joined by another, an academic Dr Andrew Pierce of the Irish School of Ecumenics in Trinity who is eager to meet you. I have asked him if he would do me the honour of chairing/introducing you. Dr Pierce’s status as member of staff also will be advantageous for SOFIA if a group of individuals log a complaint against our event on Monday as he will be in the position to speak on our behalf when the complaint is reviewed by the College Deans. I can personally vouch for Dr. Pierce’s character as a friendly party. (https://www.tcd.ie/ise/staff/a-pierce.php)
SOFIA is a young society but we pride ourselves on previously hosting speakers with varied views, but that’s what adds to the richness of our members learning.
Before I forget, are there any special requests? Sometimes our guests wish us to respect Chatham House rules and other times there have been strict measures imposed such as extensive background security checks for SOFIA members who wish to attend and metal detector scanning of attendees and their belongings.
SOFIA’s aim is to be a platform for discussion, but in a safe environment where individuals are free to express themselves without fear of being threatened after the discussion. We implement certain measures to ensure that all our guests, are afforded a courteous audience.
Looking forward to meeting you on Monday.
Best wishes,
Aoife Noelle Ngo
Chair
—
Society for International Affairs
—
Society for International Affairs
you go and expose them…good one…