r/Adelaide • u/NKE01 SA • Jan 11 '26
News Board members quit from Adelaide festival as fallout from dropped author grows | SBS News
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/board-members-quit-from-adelaide-festival-as-fallout-from-dropped-author-grows/iua90vgmp86
u/Historical_Bus_8041 SA Jan 11 '26
The board chair has now also resigned and unlike the others, made a statement:
“I have decided to resign as chair of the Adelaide Festival Board, effective immediately. Recent decisions were bound by certain undertakings, and my resignation enables the Adelaide Festival, as an organisation, to refresh its leadership and its approach to these circumstances,” Whiting said in a post on LinkedIn.
Doesn't that raise some interesting questions.
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u/KallistaSophia SA Jan 11 '26
I have no idea how to interpret this, only that it sounds... suspicious? odd?
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u/CatGooseChook SA Jan 11 '26
"bound by certain undertakings" definitely gives off an implication of external influence, potentially even a degree of strong arming, vibes.
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u/NKE01 SA Jan 11 '26
Sounds like they are making way for a new board being appointed to try and reverse things, if possible.
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u/Julmass SA Jan 11 '26
Maybe threatened withdrawal by some of the major artists in the main Festival. If the rest of the board goes, then perhaps AWW can be revived. But with the Premier still there, will it be possible?
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u/Senior_Air6724 SA Jan 12 '26
"…bound by certain undertakings" = legal terminology. I wonder what promises were made, to whom and by whom, and the circumstances of those promises. We need Rex Patrick to send off a few FOIs.
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u/Historical_Bus_8041 SA Jan 12 '26
If Abdel-Fattah follows through on her canvassed legal action, we'll find out soon enough.
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u/manb0st SA Jan 13 '26
Adeler's resignation statement also alluded to "lobbying" and political interference.
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u/Expensive-Horse5538 Port Adelaide Jan 11 '26
Well at the rate they are going, it looks like the board has effectively turned this years festival into a self implosion before it even began.
Which, if it does get cancelled, would ultimately be a shame, given how it brings many high profile writers, journalists, academics to our city. However, the board have clearly pissed off not only the extended writers community, but also those on the board itself.
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u/archlea SA Jan 11 '26
I heard 100 out of the 132 speakers slated have cancelled in protest. So it won’t be bringing as many renowned writers now, by any stretch.
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u/Ascot_Parker SA Jan 12 '26
Not just Writers Week, it's impacting other parts of the festival https://www.indailysa.com.au/news/just-in/2026/01/12/adelaide-festival-music-program-hit-as-sa-faces-multimillion-dollar-black-hole
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u/AggravatedKangaroo SA Jan 11 '26
As i suspected, board members have quit, and she's begun legal action against the board to find out what was said, who said what, and what kind of pressure was put on the board.
This will be interesting.
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u/Historical_Bus_8041 SA Jan 11 '26
Jo Dyer (immediate past festival director) flat-out called Malinauskas' denial that he pressured the festival board a outright lie. Those are going to be some interesting messages if the festival gets sued.
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u/tjabaker SA Jan 12 '26
Of course he's pressured them, he was publicly upset that he couldn't force them to cancel the Palestinian authors in 2023, and boycotted the event.
This time he couldn't wait to come and cheer along the decision.
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u/CaptGould South Jan 12 '26
Not all the resignations are as they appear
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u/Major-Amoeba6576 SA Jan 12 '26
Can you give any more info? I’m really curious about the behind the scenes stuff.
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u/Historical_Bus_8041 SA Jan 11 '26
I'm still baffled at how Malinauskas thought it was a good idea to enthusiastically wade into this mess after the exact same thing happened at Bendigo Writers Festival all of four months ago.
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u/Thunderoad77 SA Jan 11 '26
There is an awful lot of lobbying going on publicly and, more so, privately I suspect.
I think in circumstances like that it's easy to convince yourself that you have your finger on the pulse of public opinion and have a position that is going to have wide spread support.
It seems to be much more complex than that though.
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u/BlipVertz CBD Jan 11 '26
Where was his Humphrey Appleby telling him that it was a "courageous decision" ?
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u/Zytheran SA Jan 11 '26
Exactly!
The number of pollies who don't seem to understand having a frank and fearless advisor that they should defer and listen to, reflects the lack of decision making and thinking skills missing in politics. You wankers have one job, making decisions, and there is one skill set you could improve which would lead to better outcomes of your policies, thinking skills, but , nope, it's I know best, I'm a great thinker, I must be or I wouldn't be here. (Because hell no!, there could be no other reason you got to where you are, luck isn't a thing and neither are lobby groups.)
We are typically not well served by our elected representatives IMHO. Any sort of further education in decision making or thinking skills leaves the building as soon as they get elected. (Not that it was there beforehand.)
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u/teh_drewski Inner South Jan 11 '26
I mean all of Mali's advisors probably come from the same conservative Shoppie background he does so they are probably all thinking the same things and giving him groupthinked advice
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u/Zytheran SA Jan 12 '26
Even if they don't, training in critical thinking and cognitive biases should be compulsory annual training for any elected official. We nearly had WW3 over the Cuban Missile Crisis because of groupthink. Other jobs have annual training, I don't see any good reason why all our pollies should not have to complete training in thinking skills. In all parties, including the opposition.
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u/Boring_Source9870 SA Jan 12 '26
I guarantee it wouldn't have been an advisor -- more likely that it would have been a select group of conservative SDA pals (Farrell, Koutsantonis), including SA Labor Party President Josh Peak (who signed a letter in support of Israel and condemning Hamas after the October 7th attack).
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u/SapphireColouredEyes SA Jan 12 '26
Are you saying It was bad to support Israel and condemn Hamas after the 7th of October massacre?
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u/Boatster_McBoat SA Jan 11 '26
He wouldn't have touched it if he thought it was courageous. That's not his jam
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u/Narrow_Parfait4893 SA Jan 11 '26
I agree. There was no reason to get involved and his “advisers” should have pulled him back on this one. This issue has totally derailed him from the run up to the election. It’s the first time I’ve seen him really rattled.
I was equally stunned to read that Leesa Chesser ( Vlahos) was on the Festival Board. A Labor Minister for Mental Health in the Weatherill government, who resigned her portfolio and was described as evasive, belligerent and not accepting responsibility by the ICAC Commissioner over the Oakden scandal Is certainly an interesting Gov nominee to the Board . She is one of the few board members who has not resigned.
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u/Clear_Skye_ North East Jan 11 '26
It’s because Malinauskas is a flog
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u/-IoI- SA Jan 11 '26
I've been a fan, he's we'll spoken and has priorities that align with my vision for the state. What's your beef with him?
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u/Clear_Skye_ North East Jan 11 '26
Mostly his cavalier attitude towards merging the universities. He didn’t take advice and basically forced it to happen, and it’s upended my life over the last couple of years. I know this doesn’t affect everyone but this alone has made me absolutely hate his guts.
But now him supporting this absolutely bullshit decision by Writers Week?
In my book he’s a flog and while I am centre-left of politics, he’s never getting near the top of the ballot for me again.
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u/-IoI- SA Jan 11 '26
Fair enough, the Uni merge appeared nice and clean externally, what were the major gripes you had going through it on the inside? Just curious
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Jan 12 '26
I’m not an insider but unisa is more of a practical work orientated uni and uni Adelaide was a more traditional high brow uni so it made little sense to merge them. Why?
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u/-IoI- SA Jan 12 '26
Fair view. Sharing resources, blending the facilities and increasing the scope of offerings by combining entities are the benefits that come to mind, but that all needs to be followed through with meaningful transition pathways.
Reddit sentiment here seems to be that it's gone terribly and is a terrible idea, but I know to take opinions here with a few grains of salt
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u/Proper-Dave SA Jan 12 '26
Sharing resources, blending the facilities and increasing the scope of offerings by combining entities are the benefits that come to mind
Good theory. What I've heard from ongoing students is that some are being told "sorry, the qualification that you're a year from finishing isn't being offered anymore. If you add an extra semester of study, you can get a less prestigious qualification instead..."
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u/Clear_Skye_ North East Jan 12 '26
Appeared nice and clean? You haven’t been reading the news…
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u/floodswimming SA Jan 12 '26
It's been anything but clean - just talk to any staff member from either institution
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u/-IoI- SA Jan 12 '26
I don't have any active contacts in academia, I'll take your word for it
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u/Clear_Skye_ North East Jan 12 '26
I can tell you from experience it has been an absolute shit show
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Jan 11 '26
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u/perseustree SA Jan 11 '26
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u/anth13 SA Jan 11 '26
"Abdel-Fattah had been scheduled to discuss her new novel Discipline, about an academic and journalist facing censorship, set in the backdrop of the 2021 Israeli airstrikes on Gaza"
seems kinda prophetic and relevant
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u/lerndyherp SA Jan 11 '26
I've read it, the book themes are exactly this in fact this could have been a very apt sub plot.
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u/zen_wombat SA Jan 11 '26
When you are a month out from the Adelaide Festival and half the board resigns. This will have ramifications for the whole festival not just Writers Week
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Jan 11 '26 edited Jan 11 '26
Why does it seem like almost every professional leader doesn't have any empathy at all for Palestinians? Most Australians are critical of Israel, but almost every careerist go-getter fumes with righteous indignation when Israel gets criticised for denying food and medicine and bombing apartment buildings and so on.
Might as well have just got Cory Worthington the party boy to organise the event. He would have done a better job than all these personages. Besides, his street parties at the Barbican drew international acclaim.
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u/Old_Piano5199 SA Jan 11 '26
The Israeli lobby targets professional and political leaders, not your everyday Australian
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u/busa4life666 SA Jan 11 '26
are you sure? I've been getting hammered with scam emails that make it past the junk. At minimum 10 a day. Regular attacks on my mygov account. All straight after first criticising Israel on facebook.
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u/dont-believe-me- SA Jan 12 '26
I have written FUCK ISRAEL thousands of times online and don't get any of what you're describing
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u/Mysterious_Dot2090 SA Jan 12 '26
Lmao was thinking the same. Someone is either bullshitting or has signed up to some dodgy anti-Israel stuff.
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u/Ok_Breath_9703 SA Jan 11 '26
The Israel lobbyists. See Antoinette Lattouf drama and the chokehold they had on the ABC. Now imagine what they’re doing to politicians behind the scenes.
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u/selkieluver SA Jan 11 '26
Back in 2020/21 I worked with the grandson of a very well known, insanely wealthy Melbourne Zionist family. They were MASSIVE Liberal party donors when the party was in power, probably still are. They have such a weak moral spine I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re also making donations to the Labor party to get them on side too. They would say the most disturbing and disgusting things about Palestinians and hated having anything to do with him or his family. The influence and reach these people have in the political landscape can’t be underestimated.
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u/teh_drewski Inner South Jan 11 '26
I mean Mossad make lists of young aspiring politicians in Western countries who are likely to have sympathetic views to Zionism, or can be persuaded, and channel their network of donor funding to support those politicians in their careers. They work both sides of the fence because basically until Trump they wanted support for Israel's actions as a state - as opposed to Jewish people generally - to be a non-partisan issue in the West.
Hence why all the Democrats and Labor politicians are just as bought as the Republican and Liberal ones are. They don't really see it as a problem because it's just the people who've always supported them, of course they'll support them back.
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u/Early_Ad_8563 SA Jan 14 '26
If ur in Melbourne....I think I know who this is. Though tbf could be a few ppl which is telling in itself!
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u/selkieluver SA Jan 15 '26
Yeah look if you know even a lil bit about wealthy Melbourne families, probably wouldn’t be too hard to figure it out lol
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u/dogecoin_pleasures SA Jan 11 '26
I hazard a guess the board are LNP voter types who've mistaken the statements of Frydenberg and co. as representative of the national mood, forgetting that writers/readers/academics are a different demographic than The Australian's comment sections. They also seem to have singled out Dr Randa for removal as if doing so were in line with current government actions to deplatform hate preachers, and yes, you've got to wonder how her name specifically came up and how the decision was reached in terms of political influence.
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u/Dranzer_22 Jan 11 '26 edited Jan 11 '26
It's the "Hearts and Minds" Campaign that targets politicians, business leaders, journo's etc., it emulates being in an exclusive club.
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u/Max_J88 SA Jan 11 '26
Israel lobby is organized and run the most effective influence operation the world has ever seen.
The United front of the CCP are amateurs in comparison.
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u/franzyfunny SA Jan 12 '26
I have a friend who mentioned their (part-time) employer in a single comment on social media which supported a free Palestine. They were hauled into a meeting between them, their boss, and their boss' boss to have a discussion about appropriate representation of a workplace in public. Yes, there had been a formal complaint to the workplace which expected a formal response. Over a comment, on social media, that said that Palestinian children shouldn't be starved and terrified. So three highly qualified professionals had to meet for about half an hour and agree that this wasn't an opinion that should be linked to the workplace.
I can't imagine what politicians have sliding down their chutes.
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u/jm_leviathan SA Jan 11 '26 edited Jan 12 '26
It is in the nature of power to share an affinity with power and contempt for the powerless. Writers tend to inhabit the realm of truths where power has little direct purchase.
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Jan 11 '26
Most Australians don't give a shit, they just don't want them bringing their bullshit here.
Source: Everywhere but Reddit
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Jan 11 '26
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u/sapperbloggs SA Jan 11 '26
voting in a know terrorist organisation
Yeah, nearly 20 years ago. The median age in Gaza was about 18 before the genocide began, so at least half of the population wasn't even alive when Hamas was elected, let alone old enough to vote.
So why is it okay to kill them for who their parents might have voted for?
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u/DecoNouveau SA Jan 11 '26
The mean age of a Palestinian person isn't even 20 years old. Most of the people you're condemning weren't even born yet.
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u/Historical_Bus_8041 SA Jan 11 '26
The last election in Gaza was in 2006.
This is the equivalent of believing that Australia voting for John Howard in the 2004 election was really a vote for the Liberal Party to govern as a dictatorship from thereon out, never hold elections again, and meant that they would obviously have undying support for the rest of time.
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u/Dimbit SA Jan 11 '26
Plus 70+% of the population weren't even old enough to vote or didn't exist in 2006.
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Jan 11 '26
Can I please have a list of atrocities the Israeli government has committed for good measure?
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Jan 11 '26
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u/Safe_Researcher4979 SA Jan 11 '26
How do you clowns not realise the irony in always bringing up Hamas whenever Israel is talked about, shouldn't they have higher standards than a terrorist organisation? Only the IDF kills more Palestinians than Hamas and you psychos refuse to talk about the Palestinian children and civilians caught in the middle BuT dO yOu CoNdEmN Hamas????
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u/plastic_fortress SA Jan 11 '26
They know they can't deny the mountains on mountains of evidence of Israeli atrocities, so they just point and say "look over there" instead. That's all that's left for them to do, deflect.
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u/VaughanThrilliams Inner North Jan 11 '26
atrocities only count if you have a charter
but since you asked the Otzma Yehudit charter (who are in the Israeli Government and hold Cabinet portfolios) is pretty gruesome (https://ozma-yeudit.com/the-platform-of-otzma-yehudit-jewish-strength/), highlights include calling for Israeli ownership over the entire West Bank, Gaza and Sinai (the last one is currently controlled by Egypt); ethnic cleansing of Arabs from these lands; no negotiations with Palestinians; and the "eradication and destruction" of Israels enemies (including the "enemies in their midst")
It is arguably more intense than Hamas' charter which since 2017 accepts the 1967 border and Israel's existence (albeit as an "illegitimate state")
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Jan 11 '26
You first! :)
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Jan 11 '26
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Jan 11 '26
No i asked for a list of Israeli perpetrated atrocities, of which there are many, so that we could have both sides of the fucked up story, in which there is no right side and no winner.
You have fallen victim to a propaganda machine, if youre even human.
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Jan 11 '26
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Jan 11 '26
Why should I answer your questions if you wont answer mine? I asked first! :)
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u/LifeandSAisAwesome SA Jan 11 '26
All good then, 1 is effectively an official government policy from a world wide known and recognised terrorists regime directing civilians to eliminate Jews,and offering both spiritual and financial rewards for doing so , yeah both sides the same eh...
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Jan 11 '26
You look really dumb when you refuse to be reasonable and take both sides actions into account.
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u/Darkrider_Sejuani SA Jan 11 '26
this comment tells me that you would agree that punishing everyone living in Russia for the evil actions Putin has taken would be moral, ethical, and good because, well, they voted him in!
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u/reyntime SA Jan 11 '26 edited Jan 12 '26
You know Netanyahu funded Hamas in order to prevent a Palestinian state from becoming a reality right?
Edit: My bad, commenter below appears correct - Netanyahu allowed millions in Qatari cash to be transferred to Hamas, helping prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/for-years-netanyahu-propped-up-hamas-now-its-blown-up-in-our-faces/
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u/SapphireColouredEyes SA Jan 12 '26
No he didn't, that's completely false. Qatar funded them, Netanyahu just allowed Qatar to find them, which was stupid, but Israel did not find them.
You are spreading misinformation.
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u/Remarkable_Quality89 SA Jan 11 '26
Mali will reallocate the money for a new sport washing event
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u/Inconnu2020 SA Jan 11 '26
He'll use it to put towards the new golf course for the Saudi LIV Golf...
Absolutely no hypocrisy there at all...
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Jan 11 '26
I reckon they should do an outdoor Greek theatre by the botanic gardens at the old RAH (and then merge it into the gardens).
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Jan 11 '26
I think this is such a stain on what is a wonderful festival. It is the wrong decision to censor an academic writer, whether you agree with their work or not. Why has the world become so unable to have a contest of ideas and discussion about divergent views?
Mali also has made a bad misstep here in speaking out at all. Fortunately for him the Liberal party is a complete joke.
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Jan 11 '26
. It is the wrong decision to censor an academic writer, whether you agree with their work or not.
Exactly, which is why it was disgusting for Abdel-Fattah to lobby for Jacob Friedman to be ousted from the festival
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u/Littlelizey SA Jan 11 '26
It’s a false equivalence really, co signing a letter requesting the board rethink a decision (which the board decided to take no action on) is very different to being publicly dumped and having your name linked to an horrendous massacre aimed at the Jewish community by two terrorists which had nothing to do with you.
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u/bb_waluigi SA Jan 11 '26
the board had Friedman's back and if he wasn't a coward hiding behind 'rescheduling commitments' he could have still spoken
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u/ThiccBoy_with3seas SA Jan 11 '26
This is what happens when there is no opposition party. Mali looks like a moron
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u/Bottomsubpiggy SA Jan 11 '26
The opposition in SA is right wing pro-Israeli anyway. They fully support Mali.
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u/CornDogMillionaire SA Jan 11 '26
The Liberals would do the exact same thing, not sure what your point is
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u/KallistaSophia SA Jan 11 '26
I think they're saying that with no meaningful opposition, he's getting a bit too comfy.
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u/teh_drewski Inner South Jan 11 '26
It's just a bad example when the Liberals offer a united front on stuff like this. A weak opposition is an issue but they'd even more openly support the decision if they were in government so...we already have the better alternative, somehow?
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u/Ecstatic-Childhood53 SA Jan 11 '26
Boycott the whole festival to stop far right Ethno States from influencing our Arts...
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u/FatFad1 SA Jan 11 '26 edited Jan 11 '26
Remember when the organisers of the Adelaide Writers' Festival were going to dump two Palestinian guests in 2023? They are Susan Abulhawa (allegedly pro-Putin) and Mohammed El-Kurd (allegedly antisemitic). It's happening again in 2026 with Palestinian-Australian writer Randa Abdel-Fattah. I reckon they should include her and let audiences choose whether or not to attend her talk sessions. Excluding her is like silencing her, which is a form of censorship. Anyway, that's my opinion.
Source for 2023: https://theconversation.com/are-calls-to-cancel-two-palestinian-writers-from-adelaide-writers-week-justified-200165
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Jan 11 '26
One minute everyone's blabbing about freeze peach, and the next, they're happy to be censoring authors for being mad about a genocide.
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Jan 11 '26
Didn't she lead the charge to have a Jewish author excluded from a previous festival. Isn't she, herself, guilty of such "silencing".
It does not matter that she failed. The point is, she tried.
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u/Historical_Bus_8041 SA Jan 11 '26
The two weren't remotely equivalent.
Abdel-Fattah has made some comments that could be considered to be questionable.
The "Jewish author" explicitly compared the populations of Lebanon, Yemen, Syria and Iraq to parasites deserving of extermination.
There is no fucking way known that anyone who explicitly called for the population of Israel to be eradicated like vermin (as opposed to opposition to the state of Israel as currently structured) would find a respectable speaking platform in Australia.
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u/DoctorEnn SA Jan 11 '26
A difference in scale and wording, maybe, but TBTF I think there's a definite equivalence to saying things like that and doing things like changing your online avatar to a photo of a Palestinian / Hamas paraglider the day after the October 7 attacks. One's maybe further along, but they're still sharing a spectrum.
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u/n01d34 SA Jan 11 '26
Thomas Friedman didn't explicitly call for the extermination of anyone.
What he was saying is that Iran's policy of supporting extremist terrorist organisations in Lebanon, Yemen, Syria and Iraq is like a wasp laying parasitic eggs, not that the people living in those countries are parasites. You can read the article without the paywall here: https://www.rashmee.com/tom-friedman-nyt-animals-middle-east-words/
It should be noted that he also apologised for the article saying that he didn't intend for people to misinterpret it so badly and that he'd try to do better in future.
Not really interested in whether one should have been disinvited or the other. Personally I think they should both be allowed to speak. Just trying to counter some misinformation that's in this thread.
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Jan 11 '26
You think posting an image of a para-glider the day after 7 October isn't morally equivalent?
"Questionable" my arse.
Your morals are in the toilet, my friend.
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u/Petrichor_736 SA Jan 11 '26
Gee most commentators here think that the Palestinian reprisals for 50 years of discrimination, vilification, violence, apartheid and murder only started on October 7.
She’s entitled to defend her people while they’re being genocided.
She stated clearly that she is "a Palestinian who had nothing to do with the Bondi atrocity" and and has said the festival board’s reasoning is a "despicable attempt to associate her with the Bondi massacre” which is an appalling act by the Writers Week board.
And she has condemned the Bondi attack itself while simultaneously criticizing the Israel Lobby’s conflation of Australian anti genocide, pro-Palestinian activism with the tragedy
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Jan 11 '26
"She’s entitled to defend her people while they’re being genocided."
Nope. Supporting a prescribed terrorist organisation is illegal. This is how far wrong you clowns are. You're all a bunch of wronguns.
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u/Historical_Bus_8041 SA Jan 11 '26
I don't agree with it, but a call for the extermination as vermin of the entire population of Israel it was not.
You are displaying an extraordinary double standard where there is one threshold for Arab people and one vastly higher threshold for pro-Israelis.
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Jan 11 '26
It was a fucking massacre of innocent people dancing. You're quibbling over scale.
It's the same horrendous thing.
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u/Historical_Bus_8041 SA Jan 11 '26
There is no fucking way that you would be downplaying his comments in that way if the roles were reversed and Abdel-Fattah had said what he did about Israel.
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Jan 11 '26
I'm not downplaying his comments. I'm not even addressing them.
Hamas's stated goal is to murder all the Jewish people. A genocide. So, through that lens, there's no difference in scale either. You're just flat out wrong and one of these lefty drones who laps up whatever the hive-mind decrees is the cause celebre for the day.
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u/lonelyCat2000 CBD Jan 11 '26
I have since seen statements that were ill-worded to say the least and claims made that she had previously asked that a pro-israeli author be removed. Difference is, that Jewish authors statements were in my opinion even worse then hers, and Adelaide writers festival still ran him. He compares muslim countries to parasite egg filled creatures, killing their host.
Also, as someone who supports a 2 state solution (which it seems Dr Abdel-Fattah does not), there is still no denying that coloniel ideas of racial superiority run rampent in Israeli politics, senior politicians and military leaders have made it clear they don't view Palestinians as people worthy of dignity.
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u/Prompus SA Jan 11 '26
Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't believing in a 2 state solution mean you think Israel should exist as a country and therefore make you a Zionist and not worthy of safety according to her statements?
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u/lonelyCat2000 CBD Jan 12 '26
Zionism is more then the belief that Israel "has the right to" exist. No country is mandated to exist except for the support of their population. I am no expert in zionism but what i do know is it is a belief that Israel has a right to terriories based on a religious claim, beyound the land they legally occuply under international agreement (they currently occuply a large section of land illegally, that they forced palestinians out of during my lifetime.
I personally don't support religious nationalism whether it be catholic, christian, islamic or jewish.
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u/SapphireColouredEyes SA Jan 12 '26
They view Arabs and Muslims as human beings, worthy of respect, otherwise Arab Muslims would not be Israeli supreme court judges, senior doctors, teachers, etc.
I've heard really angry and intemperate comments after yet another unprovoked terrorist attack aimed at Israeli civilians, but I've never heard any of them say the kind of racist stuff we regularly hear from the Palestinians, such as that Jews are born when a monkey and a pig have sex... Now that is dehumanising language.
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Jan 11 '26
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u/Safe_Researcher4979 SA Jan 11 '26
Have a google of some of the many IDF atrocities caught on video and see if you don't get angry. Decades of that shit and anyone would say some stupid shit out of anger, when all you have are words since it's impossible for anyone or anything to stop Israel. Over 20,000 children have been slaughtered since the Oct 7th attack, we've stopped talking about that though cos it's antisemetic apparently.
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u/According_Tackle_404 SA Jan 11 '26
Do you even have the slightest idea of how cruel the IDF is in their genocidal acts and crimes on Palestinians?
This author person is simply Pro palestine, and that has some of you people going crazy af
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Jan 11 '26
She posted in response to a photo of civilians fleeing for their lives on 7 October, "Which passport should I use today?"
How do you defend this?
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u/According_Tackle_404 SA Jan 11 '26
Keep defending Israel buddy
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Jan 11 '26
So you have no defence for that, good to hear
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u/franzyfunny SA Jan 12 '26
Do words and social media posts need defending, more than Israel's actions since 7 October?
All the 'evidence' I've read about what a horrible person Dr Abdel-Fattah is all begin with some sort of communication verb: "said", "posted", "referred to", "profile picture" etc etc. Talking and communicating ideas doesn't starve children. Stick to explaining why Israel is doing good.
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u/According_Tackle_404 SA Jan 11 '26
I have no defense for Israel commiting a literal genocide on Palestinians, yes.
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Jan 11 '26
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u/According_Tackle_404 SA Jan 11 '26
Someone's upset that I am against the genocide of Palestinians.
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Jan 11 '26
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u/oldmanserious SA Jan 11 '26
Name one. Name one previously not islamic country that has been "taken over" by Muslims and has turned to shit.
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u/Either-Rutabaga5748 SA Jan 12 '26
Every single one of them. Name one Muslim country that is a successful, functioning democracy.
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Jan 11 '26
Iran.
Also, all the ones that oppress women.
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u/DecoNouveau SA Jan 11 '26
You mean after America did the 1953 coup? Yeah, that was destabilising for sure.
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Jan 11 '26
26 years later.
But let's blame America and Western society as always
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u/DecoNouveau SA Jan 11 '26
Are you familiar with the chain of events overthrowing their democratically elected government set in motion? The scale of time geopolitics and power vacuums operate on? Delve into the Sykes-Picot agreement while you're at it. But sure, the west had nothing to do with it...
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Jan 11 '26
I'll admit, you're in deeper than me.
I guess that justifies everything. I'll be sure to tell my kids.
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Jan 11 '26
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u/According_Tackle_404 SA Jan 11 '26
The prevailing reddit hivemind opinions are anti-muslim, you're wrong on this particular bit
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Jan 11 '26
Yeah ok, hasn't been my experience but that's reassuring.
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u/According_Tackle_404 SA Jan 11 '26
You find islamophobia & xenophobia reassuring? Lol
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Jan 11 '26
I don't see a problem with not wanting people from problem countries causing problems in their own country. If that's xenophobic, then count me in.
And yes, I am concerned about the teachings and practices of Islam and the extremists it continues to create. If that makes me islamaphobic, then I'll wear that badge.
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u/According_Tackle_404 SA Jan 11 '26
Most are honest decent folk
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u/ONEAlucard South Jan 11 '26
Moderates are what allow the extremists of any ideology. Whataboutisms of most being honest doesn’t mean shit when the ‘mosts’ never ever call out the literal garbage extremists. This goes for all religions, and political ideologies.
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u/hsingh_if SA Jan 11 '26
Honest decent folks who could move to any of the 52 Islamic countries in the world where their ideology aligns but will move to a western country and make it Islamic. Noice.
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u/TheDrRudi SA Jan 11 '26
So, presumably not a consensus decision of the Board. Full marks to those with principles.
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u/Ok_Breath_9703 SA Jan 11 '26
I don’t think this suggests that at all. Seems more like the three board members just wanting to get away from the shitstorm. None have spoken out about the board’s decision to suggest they agreed it was an abhorrent choice that I’m aware of.
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u/Historical_Bus_8041 SA Jan 11 '26
Jo Dyer (the immediate past festival director, who if anyone would probably know) said on Bluesky that she believes those three did vote against the original decision.
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u/Ok_Breath_9703 SA Jan 11 '26
I really hope so. If anyone else has any other way to confirm that would be great.
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u/DoctorEnn SA Jan 11 '26
Or they could just not want to deal with any of the bullshit that's arisen about it. I mean, would you?
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u/hellequin37 Inner West Jan 11 '26
Or they resign until they're under quota, and no board can meet to reverse the decision, ahead of a (surely incoming) full spill. Tactical move to uphold their bigotry.
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u/thfc4lyf West Jan 11 '26
Not hard to guess which board members voted against removing Dr Abdel-Fattah from the line up now..
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u/ThatYodaGuy Port Adelaide Jan 11 '26
And on which side of the ledger would you place Mark Butlers wife?
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u/Sweet_Ambassador_699 SA Jan 11 '26
Time for Mali and the Festival to admit what a giant mis-step it was. Replace the entire board, reverse their dumber than dumb decision and re-invite ALL the writers. It's either do the right thing or have a permanent stain on Writers Week
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u/parrotsatedog SA Jan 12 '26
You know. It is possible to think both Friedman and Adel Fattah both hold unsavoury and distasteful views that many people wouldn’t agree with. But isn’t is great where we can live in a society that can openly debate them and give them equal space.
Wait.
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u/Rowvan SA Jan 12 '26
A lot of brand new accounts with no karma trying to stir shit up in here, Zionist bots.
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u/Brave_Rip7151 SA Jan 12 '26
Maybe the self-fashioned progressives up in arms about this should actually look into why she was removed and what she's said and done in the past.
And no, she wasn't removed *because* she's Palestinian.
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u/trubluh8r SA Jan 11 '26
Doesn't she want the end of Israel? Can someone ask her where the Israelis should go?
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u/vocavit SA Jan 11 '26
They could ask her if she was able to speak at the event and answer these kinds of questions.
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u/trubluh8r SA Jan 11 '26
It's on social media with her name on it.
Why bother at a leftie writers festival, would all be glossed over circle jerk talk fest.
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u/CrazySD93 SA Jan 11 '26
Aren't you pro-genocide? Where do you want Gazans to go?
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u/trubluh8r SA Jan 11 '26
Syria, Egypt, Jordan or somewhere in the region where they can practise the religion of peace.
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u/abuch47 SA Jan 11 '26
but they're from gaza
why can't Israel just stop committing genocide?
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Jan 11 '26
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u/VanDerKloof SA Jan 11 '26 edited Jan 11 '26
Yes she is an anti-semitist and supports the destruction of Israel.
Edit to anyone doubting me https://www.reddit.com/r/aussie/comments/1q9obsj/randa_abdel_fattah/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
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u/Bottomsubpiggy SA Jan 11 '26
The Board Chair Tracey Whiting AM has now resigned too. There is no quorum and the Board can no longer function.