South Australia Premier Peter Malinauskas is facing a potential defamation lawsuit after Palestinian writer and academic Randa Abdel-Fattah issued a formal notice of concerns. The move comes as the fallout from her cancellation from the upcoming Adelaide Writers' Week event – now also cancelled – continues to escalate.
In a statement released on Instagram, Abdel-Fattah denied ever having met Malinauskas and accused him of making "harmful public statements" about her, describing herself as a "political punching bag." The criticism of the premier stems from comments he made earlier this week defending his decision to remove Abdel-Fattah from the festival lineup.
Malinauskas's justification for supporting Abdel-Fattah's removal has sparked outrage among many who were initially invited to speak at the event. His analogy, which likened a far-right Zionist targeting a Sydney mosque to his own stance on Abdel-Fattah's supposed extremist views, was widely condemned as inflammatory and divisive.
The situation has led to the resignation of several key figures from the festival board, including chair Tracey Whiting. Additionally, many high-profile guests were forced to withdraw in protest against the premier's actions.
Abdel-Fattah has now instructed a lawyer to pursue a defamation claim against Malinauskas, following the issuance of a formal notice of concerns. It remains to be seen how the situation will unfold and whether the premier will ultimately face any consequences for his comments.
In a statement released on Instagram, Abdel-Fattah denied ever having met Malinauskas and accused him of making "harmful public statements" about her, describing herself as a "political punching bag." The criticism of the premier stems from comments he made earlier this week defending his decision to remove Abdel-Fattah from the festival lineup.
Malinauskas's justification for supporting Abdel-Fattah's removal has sparked outrage among many who were initially invited to speak at the event. His analogy, which likened a far-right Zionist targeting a Sydney mosque to his own stance on Abdel-Fattah's supposed extremist views, was widely condemned as inflammatory and divisive.
The situation has led to the resignation of several key figures from the festival board, including chair Tracey Whiting. Additionally, many high-profile guests were forced to withdraw in protest against the premier's actions.
Abdel-Fattah has now instructed a lawyer to pursue a defamation claim against Malinauskas, following the issuance of a formal notice of concerns. It remains to be seen how the situation will unfold and whether the premier will ultimately face any consequences for his comments.
!! So like peter malinauskas is gettin roasted by randa abdel-fattah over some "harmful public statements" lol but lets be real, the guy made a total dick move with that Zionist analogy 
. idk about u but i think its time for him to take a seat and apologize 4 his actions 
. its all good tho cuz now randa is gonna sue him 4 defamation 
It just seems like a lot of drama to me. I don't really think it's fair to call someone an "extremist" just because you disagree with them. Can't we just have different opinions without trying to hurt each other? 
The whole situation is just so... complicated.
. I mean, come on, guys! Can't you just have a respectful conversation without getting all heated and personal? 
.
It was like comparing apples and oranges. I know some of his supporters might say it was just a slip-up, but to me, it felt like a deliberate attempt to discredit Abdel-Fattah and silence her voice 
. Maybe now he'll think twice before making similar comments in the future? 
The fact that Abdel-Fattah is pursuing a defamation claim is definitely going to keep me watching this story unfold 
...
. I get it, her feelings are hurt and all that, but maybe if she took the high road instead of resorting to a defamation lawsuit, she'd be in a better place right now 
. The whole situation is just so... messy 
.
but like, can we take a step back and look at it from another angle? 
I mean, Randa Abdel-Fattah is being super vocal about her concerns and standing up for herself, which is amazing 
. And Peter Malinauskas's comments might have been a bit tone-deaf 
but let's not forget that he was trying to defend himself too 
- what's going on here is actually a reflection of our society's capacity for empathy and understanding 
.
. And who knows, maybe this whole ordeal will lead to some amazing opportunities for growth and change 
!
. Maybe the Premier should've just kept his mouth shut instead of trying to explain himself? 
.
And honestly, I think the whole situation is a bit of a mess 
... but hey, at least it's making us talk about some big issues 
. Maybe this is an opportunity for some growth and learning 
this is so sad... Randa Abdel-Fattah's cancellation from the Adelaide Writers' Week event was already such a shock, now she's being bullied into taking legal action? 
Peter Malinauskas's comments were definitely hurtful and unnecessary - who makes analogies between Zionism and cancelling someone from an event? 
. He compared someone else who might be seen as being on the opposite side of a big argument to himself, and now people are super upset with him for it 
.
. Now, this Palestinian writer is saying she's going to sue the premier for what he said, which could be a big deal 
. It's sad that it had to escalate to that point. The whole thing is just a mess 
. I mean, we don't know all the context of what went down between them, but it sounds like the premier was just trying to make a point about free speech and criticism 
. And what about all the people who were invited to speak at the festival? It seems like they're being unfairly punished for taking Malinauskas' side 
. Maybe he could've phrased it differently, but at the end of the day, he was just trying to do what he thought was right 
, but defamtion lawsuit? That's a pretty big step 
.
. I'm surprised more people aren't speaking out against Malinauskas' comments... it's like he thought he was above scrutiny, but nope, the public isn't having it