Peter Robinson steps down as First Minister!

[red hander]

Where do I say/intimate that? Hope your profession doesn't involve anything to do with brain surgery 

I wouldn't find one in your head going by your shrewd, astute analysis of this bringing "reunification" closer.

Try answering the question, Einstein

[hairyUlsterman]

who are all of sudden "offended" by the culture of their host nation

You've actually just described Ulster unionists there. Scot Gaels being offended by Gaelic culture

[LeoMc]

A few months ago the Unionists of NAbbey council tried to ban a play which they considered insulting to their religion. There were cries of Censorship, that freedom of speech should prevail.

Either Pastor Mc Connells sermon and the Abridged bible should be banned or both dhould be allowed.

[LeoMc]

Half tweleve on a Saturday night, and sure lets have a laugh........

"I Wouldn't Trust A Brackaville Man To Go To The Shop For Me" Says Coalisland Lady


Brackaville Man Doing Shopping For A Newmills Woman

Recent comments by First Minister Peter Robinson have opened a can of worms in the county as pubs, clubs and homes debate who they'd trust to go to the shops for them. Early figures show an extremely low percentage of trustworthiness within the county with no one in Coalisland prepared to admit they'd allow a Brackaville man or woman to go to the shops for them.

Regular mass-goer, and founder of the Christian Ethos In Coalisland group, Maire Lyons was crystal clear with her take on the issue of trust:

"As long as there's breath in my body, I'd never allow a Brackavillonian to go to the shops for me. Put it like this, if you gave one of them money and a shopping bag and told them to get bread, milk and the papers for you, you'd never see that bag again. Or maybe you would but they'd be wearing it. Themuns are a shower of heathens up there. They'd take the eye out of your head if you stood still long enough. The bible says we're all God's children but they must be a different species completely."

Such views were replicated throughout the county with only 3% of Urney folk trusting Clady locals to do the shopping for them. At the other end of the scale there appeared to be evidence of a love-in between Galbally and Donaghmore with 88% of Galballians trusting their neighbours to go to the Spar for them. Pat McGinn explained:

"Ah I love it when I ask someone from up the road to go to the shop for me for a pound of mince or a packet of sausage rolls. Them Donaghmore ones are wild generous and sometimes you'd look into the bag and they've thrown in about £300 worth of food and jewels and stuff. People say Donaghmore is the Kengsinton of Tyrone but I'd not have a bad word said about them. They even throw coppers at us in the pub. Wild kind."

Meanwhile, an unexpected figure of 76% trustworthiness between Ardboe and Moortown residents was exposed as a fraud after it was revealed both areas have applied for a £30'000 grant to build a 'Friendship Wall' between them. Rumours suggest the money will be drank.

Is the correct term not GalbHallions?

[charlieTully]

A few months ago the Unionists of NAbbey council tried to ban a play which they considered insulting to their religion. There were cries of Censorship, that freedom of speech should prevail.

Either Pastor Mc Connells sermon and the Abridged bible should be banned or both dhould be allowed.

newton, is that you? you newt

[armaghniac]

A few months ago the Unionists of NAbbey council tried to ban a play which they considered insulting to their religion. There were cries of Censorship, that freedom of speech should prevail.

Either Pastor Mc Connells sermon and the Abridged bible should be banned or both dhould be allowed.

The two are not comparable. McConnell is quite entitled to state that Muslim theology is in error, but a blanket condemnation of the ability of all Muslims to participate in society was different. But above all Robinson, a civic figure, should not have agreed with it. 

[imtommygunn]

In error... Satanic was the word he used. Slightly less acceptable...

[LeoMc]

A few months ago the Unionists of NAbbey council tried to ban a play which they considered insulting to their religion. There were cries of Censorship, that freedom of speech should prevail.

Either Pastor Mc Connells sermon and the Abridged bible should be banned or both dhould be allowed.

newton, is that you? you newt

No, just plagiarising his article.

[LeoMc]

A few months ago the Unionists of NAbbey council tried to ban a play which they considered insulting to their religion. There were cries of Censorship, that freedom of speech should prevail.

Either Pastor Mc Connells sermon and the Abridged bible should be banned or both dhould be allowed.

The two are not comparable. McConnell is quite entitled to state that Muslim theology is in error, but a blanket condemnation of the ability of all Muslims to participate in society was different. But above all Robinson, a civic figure, should not have agreed with it.

It can be difficult to figure out exactly where that line between freedom of expression and incitement lays. A bigot is as entitled to his opinion as you or I, but what you or I consider reasonable may not tally with an Imam or pastor considers reasonable.

[give her dixie]

Pakistani man in hospital after being assaulted at Belfast home hours after house targeted in race attack

A Pakistani man has been assaulted at his north Belfast home just hours after his house was targeted in an earlier race attack.

Muhammad Asif Khattak was set upon after being subjected to a barrage of racist abuse by a group of people outside his Parkmount Street home at around 3.15pm on Sunday afternoon.

He was then chased into his home before being attacked. Another man inside was also assaulted.

A 57-year-old man and a woman, aged 18, have been arrested in connection with the hate crime.

Muhammad Asif Khattak (24) had earlier called on First Minister Peter Robinson to apologise personally to all Muslims after he defended comments made by a firebrand pastor who denounced Islam as "satanic".

His comments came after a bottle was thrown through the window of his home in the early hours of Sunday morning.

It happened at around 2.50am.

Mr Khattak - who shares the property with another friend - said he no longer felt safe living in Belfast.

"If we go outside in the street, people will start swearing at us - what can we do?" he said.

"We are just foreigners, we don't feel accepted.

"We are scared now and my family and friends are telling me to come back to London."

Regarding the ongoing row surrounding Peter Robinson's backing of comments made by Pastor James McConnell, he told the BBC the First Minister should "apologise in person to all Muslims".

This week, Muslim representatives said they had received and accepted an apology from Peter Robinson in the wake of controversial remarks he made about members of the Islamic faith.

Mr Robinson has also always consistently condemned race attacks.

Today, North Belfast MP Nigel Dodds condemned the latest race attack.

"This attack like all the others on homes in north Belfast is utterly disgraceful," he said.

"There is no justification for any attack on an individual or their home whatever the religion, lifestyle, or ethnicity of the person concerned."

The latest incident in the city comes just hours after some 4,000 people attended an anti-racism rally in the heart of Belfast city centre, while a similar event was also held in Londonderry.

Organisers of the Belfast rally said it was held to communicate the city's support of its migrant and ethnic minority residents.

It was held after Alliance MLA Anna Lo said she would quit politics due to ongoing racist abuse directed at her by loyalists.

Ms Lo said had previously said she was considering leaving Northern Ireland following comments made by First Minister Peter Robinson in support of the controversial pastor who denounced Islam.

Ms Lo - who represents South Belfast and just last week ran as a candidate in the European elections - said she was "angry" at the backing given to Pastor James McConnell.

Pastor McConnell had described the Islamic faith as "Satanic" during a sermon at his Whitewell Metropolitan Tabernacle church in Belfast last month.

He also said while there may be "good Muslims" in Britain " I don't trust them".

Earlier this week Peter Robinson moved to assure members of the Islamic community by saying "no part of me would want to insult or cause distress to local Muslims".

But he continued his defence of Pastor McConnell's "right to freedom of speech".

A spokesperson behind Saturday's rally in Belfast said the attacks on migrants in Northern Ireland were "shaming".

"A clear rise in racial prejudice is shaming. Widespread and growing Islamophobia is shaming.

"The fact that Anna Lo MLA is now considering leaving Northern Ireland due to racism – that's shaming. Shame isn't enough."

Plans for an anti-racism march through the streets of Belfast have been announced.

The event, planned for next Saturday, is being described as a chance for the community to take a stand against racism.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/pakistani-man-in-hospital-after-being-assaulted-at-belfast-home-hours-after-house-targeted-in-race-attack-30320300.html

[Myles Na G.]

And another one.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/preacher-at-ian-paisleys-former-church-denounces-islam-as-a-wicked-religion-30321153.html

[johnneycool]

These attacks have absolutely nothing to do with the lovely Pastor and the First Minister of Norn Iron or course.

[Walter Cronc]

It'll take some poor indiviudal to get killed before those fools in the PSNI pay any attention!!

[imtommygunn]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-27667937

Interesting to see this happen. On one hand you think fair play to him while on the other hand you think maybe you shouldn't have vented so much in the first place.

[All of a Sludden]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-27667937

Interesting to see this happen. On one hand you think fair play to him while on the other hand you think maybe you shouldn't have vented so much in the first place.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/preacher-at-ian-paisleys-former-church-denounces-islam-as-a-wicked-religion-30321153.html

Just a week after a scandal was sparked by a preacher slating Islam as "satanic", a second preacher has launched a broadside against the faith.

The minister at Lord Bannside's former church, Martyr's Memorial Free Presbyterian in east Belfast, has blasted Islam as a "violent intolerant wicked religion".

The Rev Ian Brown was speaking at a recent Sunday evening service in defence of Pastor James McConnell, whom he described as a "prophet".

The Free Presbyterian minister told his flock last Sunday evening he felt the situation had become "thoroughly ridiculous".

In an sermon posted on the Martyr's Memorial website, Rev Brown is heard saying: "Now the allies and sympathisers of Islam are up on their hind legs; what we can call that secularist Taliban who dominate our medium, they are sharpening their literary sabres and they are swinging for him, their attempt at their own version of a verbal hanging with a couple of blistering attacks which were passed off as interviews on the Nolan radio and television shows."

He blamed "anti-Christian intolerance" for the row.

"This all becoming thoroughly ridiculous.

Bizarre," he added. "I'm thinking of the core of this controversy, at the heart of this firestorm that has erupted over the past week, is intolerance.

"And this intolerance did not come from Mr McConnell... anti-Christian intolerance is alive and kicking in our world today."

He also attacked Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.

"Is it not hugely ironic that one of his loudest critics is Martin McGuinness, of IRA/Sinn Fein, who now has the nerve to stand up and present himself... whenever the terrorists organisation, of which he was a part, murdered people in this city, such as the young academic Edgar Graham," he said.

"They were judge, jury and executioner in this country, so this is so sweet coming from a leader of a band of murderous thugs who rode to political power on the back of a campaign of terror which left hundreds murdered and thousands injured."

Rev Brown next turned his attention to the main Protestant churches, accusing them as "hollow love and no truth". However the minister reserved his sternest words for Islam.

"People in the west need to know that the image of Islam as a violent intolerant wicked religion is in fact true and growing more so every day," he told his congregation.

"It is violent, it is religion that was born out of violence".

Background

Two Sundays ago Pastor James McConnell told his congregation at Whitewell Metropolitan Tabernacle in north Belfast that Islam was "satanic" and a "doctrine spawned in hell". The sermon was inspired by an incident in Sudan, during which a young mother was sentenced to 100 lashes and death for refusing to renounce her Christian faith.

The pastor's words sparked an outcry and demands for an apology from the Muslim community in Belfast. Police are investigating the remarks as possible hate crime. The row intensified after Peter Robinson said the pastor had his backing.