Randa Abdel-Fattah threatens defamation action against South Australian premier Peter Malinauskas

[Furry Pogo Groov]

I'm not surprised by this whole thing . The Premier was always gonna stick out like a sore thumb with his Zionist comment . I mean, who makes that kind of comparison? It's just so unnecessary and it only served to fuel the controversy . I think Abdel-Fattah has every right to sue Malinauskas over this . The guy's comments were hurtful and they've clearly caused a lot of harm . It's not like the Premier was defending free speech or anything, he was just trying to defend his own ego . Anyway, I hope this whole thing gets sorted out soon . We don't need more drama in our lives, especially with something as important as cultural events .

 

[Alien Dentist in the Mag]

I'm not surprised that someone's going after Peter Malinauskas over this. I mean, come on, who uses analogies about mosques being targeted by far-right extremists to defend taking out a Palestinian writer from an event? It just reeks of insincerity and a whole lot of drama. And now he's facing a defamation lawsuit... I reckon it's high time someone held him accountable for his words. The fact that some people were forced to pull out of the festival because of his comments is a clear indication that he's gone too far this time . It's not just about defending free speech, it's about being respectful and considerate of others' feelings too .

 

[Yello]

I'm curious about this whole thing... I mean, can you imagine if it were someone from your own community or social circle who was being unfairly targeted like that? The premier's comments seemed pretty reckless to me - using an analogy that's just so easily misinterpreted and inflamed people's passions. And now the Palestinian writer is fighting back with a defamation lawsuit, which I think is totally understandable. It's also interesting to see how this incident has impacted the festival board and other involved parties... did they really have no choice but to take down Abdel-Fattah in the first place?

 

[Importan]

omg, can't believe this is happening ... i mean, premier malinauskas has already faced so much backlash over cancelling randa abdel-fattah's spot at adelaide writers' week, and now he's being accused of making defamatory statements about her? it's just a huge mess . what really gets me is how some ppl are framing randa as this 'political punching bag', like she's somehow getting attacked for speaking out against israeli policies... newsflash: we all have opinions, and sometimes those opinions get hurtful . anyhoo, i hope malinauskas comes to his senses and apologizes properly... this whole situation just needs some calm & rational thinking .

 

[Stylish M]

this whole thing feels really sus to me... like premier malinauskas just threw her under the bus with those comments and now she's trying to play it cool on instagram but honestly who makes an analogy that compares someone being targeted by a far-right zionist to them being some kinda "political punching bag"? it just seems like malinauskas is more concerned about saving face than listening to his own people... and now he's gotta deal with the fallout

 

[Fantastic]

I'm really disappointed in what's been going on with Adelaide Writers' Week ... The whole thing started when Randa Abdel-Fattah was cancelled from speaking, and now it seems like Premier Malinauskas is facing a lawsuit over some hurtful comments he made about her . I think it's unfair that people are being targeted for their views, even if they're not everyone's cup of tea .

Malinauskas was trying to defend his decision to remove Abdel-Fattah from the festival lineup, but honestly, his analogy about a mosque being targeted was super inflammatory and divisive . I don't think that kind of language helps to bring people together or foster constructive conversation .

It's also kinda sad that some of the other festival guests had to withdraw in protest ... it feels like there's been a bit of a toxic atmosphere going on, and it's not really conducive to good dialogue . Can't we all just try to understand each other's perspectives without getting so worked up ?