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Gearóid Ó Loinsigh ☭ writing in Substack on 24-November-2025.

Photo: Dr Rahmeh Aladwan

Dr Rahmeh Aladwan is a British NHS doctor of Palestinian origin. She came to prominence after her supposedly antisemitic comments. Her comments were related to October 7th and also her statements on the existence of the Israeli state. These were hardly problematic statements. Her basic position is similar to that of people like Max Blumenthal who debunked the false claims about October 7th made by the Israeli government. She also doesn’t think that there should be a Zionist state, something I myself have argued.[1]

However, due to her comments, this doctor who is training to be an orthopaedic and trauma surgeon faced calls for her studies to be cancelled and she faced an online campaign of hate and defamation led by Zionists and also the Daily Mail who accused her of antisemitism.[2] She responded to the defamatory accusations from the Daily Mail with a video published on her twitter account.[3] That did not stop the attempts by Zionists to silence her and ruin her career. Their loathing for medical professionals is not limited to the ones they bomb in Gaza. She was arrested by the British police in October and risked losing her medical licence, not over malpractice, as you can get away with that if you are powerful enough (more on that), but because of her views on Palestine. She is not the only doctor this has happened to, but no Zionist doctors are being processed in this manner, despite the Hippocratic Oath clearly stating:

I will remember that I remain a member of society, with special obligations to all my fellow human beings, those sound of mind and body as well as the infirm.

All my fellow human beings includes Palestinians. She had also previously been arrested for her role in a protest outside the Israeli arms manufacture Elbit. Preventative medicine if you will.

She won her case and they have refused to suspend her medical licence arguing that her medical record was unblemished and that she was entitled to freedom of expression. Aladwan in a similar vein stated that:

This is a victory not just for me, but for all those who believe in the right to speak out against injustice. As a Palestinian, I have lost dozens of friends and family members in Gaza. I will not be silenced for expressing my grief and my opposition to war crimes. Today’s decision is a reminder that doctors, like all citizens, are entitled to freedom of conscience and freedom of speech.[4]

Her problems have not ended there. Now some liberals are turning on her. Not over Palestine though. She is a Muslim, and she is also a medical professional, so it should come as no surprise that she has opinions on medical matters. In our modern woke world of the liberals this does not matter. No woke types are actually leftwing, they are at best liberal despite quoting everyone from Trotsky to Mao. As a doctor they would scream at her that their identity politics trumps, science & medicine. I am sure the reader can guess by now, that she said something they didn’t like about so-called trans.

Rupert Lowe, an MP for the right-wing Reform party, issued a public call to oppose a clinical trial that had been authorised to administer puberty blockers to children as young as eleven.[5] This issue is controversial; many people rightly oppose the attempts to medicalise and transition children suffering from dysphoria. It turns out this doctor is not only brave enough to speak out on genocide but that she pulls no punches in an area she has some knowledge of: medicine. On her twitter account she called on Muslim MPs to back this call. She was questioned as to why just Muslims. Perhaps it is because most Muslim MPs would steer clear of anything to do with Reform. She was pointing out that despite this, opposing medical trials for puberty blockers on children is ethical.[6] She then suffered a pile on. Lots of supposed pro-Palestinian trans supporters called her a bigot and unfollowed her. The right of a man to put on a skirt and go into women’s spaces trumps genocide and the medical malpractice of administering puberty blockers to children for conditions that do not require them is the type of medical malpractice that not only can you get away with, it is handsomely rewarded. To be clear, there are conditions such as precocious puberty in very young children, before the age of eight for girls and nine for boys, for which such medication is administered. Dysphoria does not meet the criteria and this doctor knows it.

She responded to the trans allies and those who withdrew their support for her by saying:

You were likely following me because I am against genocide and ‘israel’. I had not disclosed my stance against involving children in non-life saving/gender trials. Now that you realise I hold this position, you have withdrawn your support. This reveals more about you than me.[7]

This is an accurate description of them. It is telling that the right of men to go into women’s spaces is more important than genocide for many of these people. Zarah Sultana the MP who putatively leads the new party in Britain, alongside Corbyn stated that so-called trans rights were a redline for joining the new party.[8] Not genocide, not bombing hospitals, not supporting attacks on Iran, US imperialism. No: the defining issue for joining the new party or not is whether men can gain access to women’s spaces. She is clearly not the only one who thinks this. Activists around the world have been sidelined over this issue. One such case is that of Ann Menasche, a Jewish lesbian anti-war activist with decades of experience in the anti-war movement. In 2023, she was banned from speaking at an anti-genocide rally in California because of her feminist position on trans.[9]

I have some personal experience on this issue. I interviewed László Molnárfi, the student union leader at Trinity College Dublin, whose protests successfully forced Trinity to divest from Israel. Shortly after the interview he withdrew permission to use it because of my position on trans, which to be clear is if you want to wear a skirt and call yourself Mary instead of Mark, then enjoy your life, live it to the full, but none of this makes you a woman nor does it give you the right to participate in women’s spaces. He had prior to my interview given two interviews to the right-wing mainstream newspaper The Irish Independent[10] and even wrote an article for them.[11] This rag is also critical of trans and is rabidly pro-Zionist. He then went on to write an article for the avowedly right-wing student magazine The Burkean,[12] but would have no truck with leftists who ran afoul of his trans redline. His article was titled For a sovereign Ireland, the Left and the Right must unite against Israel. He is like all trans activists given to magical thinking and the idea that Israel is something separate from capitalism is just that. I do wonder though, whether in his zeal to seek an alliance with the Right whether he is dropping his redlines.

Those who rail against Dr Aladwan are useless. They priortise Cocks in Frocks over what the Israelis do with Glocks.[13] Genocide is a secondary issue for them. Not only are they misogynists who side with a men’s rights movement (the trans movement is just that), they prioritise this issue over all others and would prefer to be beaten on the issue of genocide if they can virtue signal on the trans issue to their hearts content. As Dr Aladwan points out.

Conditional support is never support. People will never agree on everything. The Left purity testing is disingenuous and why it’s so fractured.[14]


But the Left is willing to forgive people on the right for major fundamental disagreements, but not deal with other Leftists who defend women’s spaces. Useless and reactionary. They deserve our utter contempt and Dr Aladwan, now more than ever deserves our support.

References

[1] Ó Loingsigh, G. (06/04/2025) Should Israel be wiped off the face of the Earth? 

[2] 5 Pillars (20/02/2025) British-Palestinian under ‘police protection’ after online threats. Rob Carter. 

[3] See .

[4] Statement from Rohman Lowe Solicitors (n/d) 

[5] See.

[6] See.

[7] See.

[8] The Telegraph (10/11/2025) Gender-critical MPs ‘have no place in Corbyn’s new party. Ruby Cline & Dominic Penna. 

[9] Ó Loingsigh, G. (23/01/2024) Palestine, gender ideology and censorship. 

[10] See Irish Independent (04/05/2024) Trinity student: Why I’m risking my €20,000-a-year education to protest as Book of Kells is barricaded ‘indefinely’. Niamh Horan. 

[11] See Irish Independent (16/05/2024) László Molnárfi: Trinity students stood up and won – the Palestinian solidarity movement must now escalate its actions. László Molnárfi. 

[12] The Burkean (05/11/2025) For a sovereign Ireland, the Left and the Right must unite against Israel. László Molnárfi. 

[13] The Glock 19 is the standard issue pistol for the Israeli military.

[14] See.

⏩ Gearóid Ó Loingsigh is a political and human rights activist with extensive experience in Latin America.

Trans Allies Withdraw Support From Anti-Zionists

Church And State ★ Written by Gaia Baracetti, The Overpopulation Project,

Should migrants be “blamed” for rising house prices? Or should we set aside blame and acknowledge that population growth, whatever the source, has some negative impacts?

I recently had the good fortune of visiting Vancouver, a city where I used to live a long time ago. While still beautiful, it appeared to me almost unrecognisable: everywhere, high-rise buildings, each more futuristic and imposing than the next, were rapidly replacing the pretty wooden houses I remembered, and swallowing green spaces. In spite of this building frenzy, real estate prices in Vancouver have risen madly; houses now sell for about 1,000 Canadian dollars per square foot, making it one of the most expensive cities in the world to buy a property.

Looking at the data, it appears that the metropolitan area of Vancouver has gained over 650,000 more people compared to when I last was there two decades ago. It’s not just this particularly desirable city: the country itself gains hundreds of thousands of new residents every year. In Canada as in most other wealthy countries, after decades of below-replacement birth rates, the only reason the population is growing is international migration.

It’s Not Racist To Say We Are Full

Christopher Owens 🎵 with the 57th in his Predominance series.

“See there run away you said. To go you were it, you were it. To lay underneath the red sky there. To lay under her, I want her there.” - My Bloody Valentine

Horns up 

New Horizons


Thee Headcoats - The Sherlock Holmes Rhythm 'n' Beat Vernacular

One of many bands garage rock/DIY legend Billy Childish has had over the years, this release is exactly what you’ve come to expect and love from the Medway miscreant: plummeting raw garage riffing, humourous but pointed lyrics and a bare bones production that’s much fuller sounding than any ProTooled records. Check out ‘The Devil and God Entwined’ as proof.

The album can be streamed and purchased here.

Agnostic Front – Echoes in Eternity

Over five years since the return to form that was ‘Get Loud’, NYC’s finest have delivered again. Blending speedy old school hardcore punk, mid-tempo NYHC, Oi style singalongs and thrash in a way that is classic Agnostic Front, this is the sort of pick me up that one needs on the way to work in the morning. 15 songs in 27 minutes, gotta love it. ‘Tears For Everyone’ is a belter.

The album can be streamed and purchased here.

Drain - …Is Your Friend

The third album from the Santa Cruz crossover thrashers ups the ante from the previous two records: the riffs are faster; the vocals are more pissed off and the drums groove in a way that they previously haven’t. Despite the colourful cover, this is an angry LP that takes aim at the rat race, former friends and critics. ‘Nothing But Love’ is the daddy of the record.

The album can be streamed and purchased here.

Hateful Abandon – Threat

Over a decade on from the highly underrated Liars/Bastards, this new release has a darker, murkier sound that is much more akin to the anarcho punk/early industrial end of things (no bad thing of course!) and it makes for a suffocating listen. ‘Scavenger’ is a blatant nod to ‘Holy Money’ era Swans and yet manages to still be its own thing. An impressive feat.

The album can be streamed and purchased here.

Golden Oldies


KMFDM – Don’t Blow Your Top

While this second album sees KMFDM define the Ultra Heavy Beat in glorious fashion (take the thumping title track as one example), the lack of overpowering riffage as heard on later records make this one for purists. But for those who love that period before metal and techno infected the souls of manys an EBM act, there is much to cherish.



The Revillos – Rev Up

One of Edinburgh’s many fine bands, the Rezillos saw punk as a way to indulge in their love for 50’s sci-fi, comics and rock n roll. This, the debut album from the Revillos (what was left of the Rezillos after Jo Callis left to join the Human League) is more of the same but the less than glossy production gives songs like ‘Motorbike Beat’ a gritty sound that the Rezillos lacked.



Monster Magnet – Spine of God

Although not discussed in the way it should be, this debut LP from New Jersey’s finest psychedelic noiseniks connects the dots with 60’s psych, 70’s rock and 80’s noise, thus producing a raddled, drugged out slab of metal that still sounds unique. Although later releases would see the band downplay the psych/noise in favour of arena rock, this LP rules.



⏩ Christopher Owens was a reviewer for Metal Ireland and finds time to study the history and inherent contradictions of Ireland. He is currently the TPQ Friday columnist.

Predominance 57

Lynx By Ten To The Power Of One Thousand Nine Eight Hundred And One

 

A Morning Thought @ 2982

Cam Ogie ✍ ‘volunteering as a lifeguard after everyone has already dried off and gone home.’

It is hard to imagine a more illogical or idiotic proposal than the recent suggestion from Keir Starmer (a prime ministerial equivalent of a fire extinguisher in a glass case labelled: “Break Only When It’s Too Late.”) and Emmanuel Macron (enthusiasm on parade, strategy on holiday) that European troops described as a ‘coalition force of the willing’ or more precisely the Grand Alliance of Strategic Loitering without Intent, could be deployed to Kyiv after a cessation of hostilities in Ukraine. At face value, it sounds bold; on inspection, it collapses under its own contradictions. Together, they promise Europe can rest easy knowing that when danger passes, help is finally on its way.

First, the idea effectively puts the cart before the horse. If the war has ended, then the military phase is, by definition, over. What purpose would “boots on the ground” serve once there is no fighting to stop? Peacekeepers in occupied territories have a rationale, but deploying NATO-country troops into the capital of a sovereign state that is not occupied would be redundant at best, provocatively symbolic at worst. If Starmer and Macron believe a physical presence is necessary for Ukraine’s security, the logical moment to propose it would have been before or during the war—not when it is already hypothetically over.

This raises the obvious question: if they consider troop deployment so vital to Ukraine’s safety, why do they not do it now? The answer is very simple: they know the risk. They know full well that Russia has already warned that the presence of NATO troops on Ukrainian soil would constitute a direct act of war. Moscow has explicitly linked such a scenario to nuclear escalation. Starmer and Macron, then, appear to be proposing a policy they know will never be implemented in practice. It is theatre masquerading as strategy.

There is also a disturbing strategic absurdity embedded in their rhetoric: suggesting deployment after a ceasefire would do nothing to deter Russia when it matters—during the war. Worse still, by talking irresponsibly about postwar deployments, they risk undermining conditions for peace itself, giving Moscow arguments that NATO has designs on using Ukraine as a forward operating position. Whether this fear is justified or not is secondary to the fact that it is politically powerful. Diplomats should be de-escalating that narrative, not feeding it.

The entire suggestion smells of symbolism at the expense of diplomacy. It is a bizarre inversion reminiscent of trying to move the rubble of the Berlin Wall. Instead of building new structures of division, Starmer and Macron would be better served trying to build bridges for a diplomatic outcome that prevents Europe from sliding into a generations-long confrontation.

Finally, the tired claim that Russia harbour’s ambitions to conquer Europe must be challenged by evidence rather than emotion. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia’s sphere of influence in Europe has not expanded; it has shrunk dramatically. What has expanded, quite aggressively and by its own open admission, is NATO, moving steadily eastward since 1991. One can condemn Russia’s actions in Ukraine without rewriting history into a simplistic morality tale about a supposed masterplan to march to Berlin.

If anything, the reckless rhetoric coming from European leaders reveals a deeper problem: Western policymakers are increasingly performing security rather than practicing it. Dramatic statements replace real diplomacy. Threats replace negotiations. Theatrics replace strategy.

Starmer and Macron do not need to send troops to Kyiv. They need to stop posturing and start talking about peace in a way that does not make peace harder to achieve.

If Europe were invaded by a herd of politely angry goats, this duo would respond with:

  • Macron: “Send cavalry immediately… after they leave.”
  • Starmer: “Let’s set up a commission to examine the goats’ legal status.”

So yes, European soldiers marching into Kyiv after peace is declared would be historic — historically pointless.

Let’s hope our EU / Brexit leaders spend less time preparing dramatic entrance music, and more time actually preventing the war from dragging on forever.

After all, nobody wants a sequel.

⏩ Cam Ogie is a Gaelic games enthusiast. 

Moving the Rubble of the Berlin Wall

Anthony McIntyre ⚽ Nine defeats in twelve games. The fourth time in six matches that Liverpool have conceded three or more goals.

Until last night, it seemed we had seen the worst of it against Forest last Saturday. Now we can anticipate even worse against West Ham this weekend. 

Had Liverpool not won a single game all season there would only be a surprise because of the anticipation going into the campaign. Money spent now sems like money wasted. The performances in every match, bar against Real Madrid, suggests they were lucky to win any games including the 'back on track' victory against a mediocre Aston Villa.

It has been described as the club's worst run of form since November 1953 to December 1954. That was more than 70 years ago, a few years before I was born, a time when the red of Liverpool was the furthest thing from a mind that didn't exist. As far from my current mind as this Slot side retaining the championship they won last season.

Former captain, Steven Gerrard sums up team form:

They're conceding too many goals, they're wide open in transition. Look very vulnerable and unstable soon as the ball turns over.

The defence is like a sieve trying to hold back the flow of water. Virgil Van Dijk at the heart of it has failed to provide the leadership required. The penalty he conceded last night against PSV Eindhoven was so flamboyantly foolhardy, the only thing his raised hand seemed to lack was an extended middle finger flipping the Liver bird to the fans. Forged in collective memory by what the state and police inflicted on them, the fans of Liverpool FC are arguably the most culturally cohesive band of soccer fans in the Premier League. They are now leaving Anfield in exasperation, even disgust, before the final whistle by what Mo, Virgil et al serve up as professionalism.

Speculation abounds about the tenure as head coach for Arne Slot. Perhaps before letting him go, consideration might be given to replacing Van Dijk as captain after the unprofessionalism in his own penalty area that gave PSV their opening goal. The penalty should be the last straw of a straw man captain who has all too easily been brushed aside in his straw house defence. In Dominik Szoboszlai, the captain of Hungary, and a powerhouse in Liverpool's midfield, there is a suitable replacement.

As for Slot, if he is master in his own dressing room the decision to continue playing Mo Salah casts serious doubt on his mastery. Graeme Souness, perhaps remembering his discomfort over playing Ali Dia, made the point that it seems that Salah's brother is turning out for Liverpool this year, an imposter. Didi Hamann laid it out tersely: Slot by keeping Salah risks not being kept himself. If Slot controls the dressing room he should ensure that for Salah it is the dressing down room.

Slot being interviewed after last night's debacle assumed the persona of the shellshocked, flatly reciting preprogramed lines. Sure, he diagnosed the malaise but offered nothing better than thoughts and prayers as a cure. He also seemed wearily resigned to his fate whatever it might be. It is not so much that a problem has emerged as it is Slot showing no sign of being able to fix it.

And so it continues and is likely to continue, all of which raises doubt that Slot will continue.

⏩Follow on Twitter @AnthonyMcIntyre.

And So It Continues

Donal O'Driscoll ⚽ Two contradictory things can be correct at the same time. 

I have long maintained that this 'Slot won the league with Klopp's team' line is nonsense. Klopp couldn't win the league with Klopp's team the year before and I have no doubt whatsoever that he wasn't winning it last season. What Slot did, and yes it was Slot who did it, was nothing short of magical. For what he achieved Last Season, put some respect on his name.

However, what tonight has proven is that Slot is a momentum manager. When the team has it, when all is going well, the man is a genius. He'll have us unplayable. But when things go to south, as they have done, he just can't react. It reminds me of that episode of the Simpsons, when someone, I think it was Homer, who tried to get himself out of quicksand by putting his hands into it, causing him to sink further. Slot has found himself in a crisis situation and he has no idea how to resolve it.

The problems are by no means of his making. People talk about all the signings as if Slot signed them. He didn't, Hughes and Edwards did. That's not to say, they were bad signings, and when they click,  we'll be unreal, but until that happens, we need someone who can steady the ship. Slot can't. He's an exceptional manager who will go on to do great things elsewhere, but he's not the man for the situation we are currently in. Obviously, the tragedy of Jota was not something Slot could prepare for, but, had that happened under Klopp, he had the personality to manage it. The let's hug and go for a pint type mentality that Arne - as sound and all as he seems - just doesn't have.

So with a heavy heart, I have to say, tonight I have joined the ranks of Slot out. Not because I don't appreciate what he did before, but because he can't do what we need him to do Now. 

Thanks for everything Arne, but we need a change quickly. Who that person is I'm not so sure, but we need a caretaker manager in charge for the West Ham game.

⏩Donal O'Driscoll is a Liverpool supporter.

Momentum Manager

Lynx By Ten To The Power Of One Thousand Nine Eight Hundred

 

Pastords @ 18

 

A Morning Thought @ 2981

Pádraig Drummond  ✊ The framing used in this case, particularly the repeated claim that individuals “connected with Antifa” pose a threat, deserves serious scrutiny. 

It is vital to state clearly that “Antifa” is not an organisation. It is simply an abbreviation for anti-fascist or anti-fascism, a long-standing political position held by people across the world, including Ireland, for generations. Anti-fascism is a stance against authoritarianism, racism, and far-right violence; it is not a membership-based group, has no leadership, no central structure, no registry, no meetings, and no organisational hierarchy.

To treat “Antifa” as though it were a single coordinated body is to fundamentally misunderstand what anti-fascism is. Worse, it risks setting a dangerous legal and political precedent: if a court begins defining broad political ideologies as formal organisations, then any individual who simply identifies with a belief could be portrayed as part of a coordinated network, even when no such network exists.

This has implications far beyond this case, it opens the door to mislabelling and potentially criminalising diverse political viewpoints under the guise of dealing with “groups”.

In Ireland, where political policing has a long and painful history, such conflation should alarm everyone across the political spectrum. Ideas are not organisations. An ideology cannot “hate” a person, and suggesting otherwise obscures the distinction between individual actions and broad political principles. If some individuals dislike said individual, that is a matter between those individuals and the law, not evidence of a unified “Antifa” body determined to harm him.

Invoking “Antifa” as a shadowy organisation responsible for threats is not only factually incorrect but reinforces a narrative that has been imported uncritically from other countries, particularly the United States, where far-right commentators routinely use the term to manufacture a sense of organised menace. Ireland should resist adopting such sensationalised frameworks, which do little but muddy the waters and distort public understanding of political activism.

No one disputes that said individual may face hostility from certain individuals, but mischaracterising anti-fascism as an extremist organisation risks undermining democratic freedoms and shifting attention away from the core issue before the court: whether the defendant sent grossly offensive communications and whether proportionality was applied in sentencing.

Anti-fascism, as an ideology, cannot target or hate a living being. Only people can. And individuals must be held accountable for their own actions, not for a political ideology that has no central body and cannot be said to act in any coordinated way.

If Irish society values clarity, fairness, and political freedom, we must challenge any attempt, intentional or not, to turn political principles into imaginary organisations. Doing so protects not only anti-fascists but all who hold strong political beliefs, whether socialist, republican, conservative, or otherwise.

⏩Pádraig Drummond is an anti-racism activist.

A Dangerous Precedent

Anthony McIntyre  ⚑ Irish roads have not been kind to those travelling in Louth and Meath in the past fortnight. 

Five young people in the same vehicle all died in a crash close to Dundalk. Nine days later on a stretch of road at Gormanstown between Drogheda and Balbriggan, two more people lost their lives, both behind the wheel of the vehicles they were driving at the moment of impact.

On occasion I have grumped on this blog - and been slagged off about it by Steve R - about the service delivery of Bus Eireann not being up to scratch. But the death of one of the company's drivers doing a day's work is a cause for sadness. Paul Conway, a father of seven, was crushed to death after colliding with a lorry driven by Wesley O'Reilly, a father of three. A car was also involved, with both occupants sustaining serious injuries. Many of the passengers on the bus were also hurt. 

The cause of the accident or culpability for it, if any, will emerge in time. For now, the very real human impact resides in ten children and two partners left without a spouse and father a month short of Christmas. Presents for both men if not actually purchased will have been planned. Such a gap will not be filled by Christmas festivity in those homes, and will in all likelihood be palpably larger due to the season in it, the riderless horse more noticeable because it is not what it should be; the empty chair at the table crying out to be filled.

I was travelling on a Dublin bus myself out to Clontarf Hospital to visit a friend when I scrolled across news of the accident on my phone, immediately phoning my son to tell him. He too was travelling on a bus to a college project. We are both frequent users of public transport, making it so easy to identify with the real people who deliver the service.
 
I have travelled on the 101 possibly a thousand times, either to or from Dublin, getting to know many of the drivers by sight or to exchange pleasantries with. Even though I now more frequently travel by train - the free travel pass for people in my age range making rail a first choice - I still occasionally take the 101 and have probably met Paul Conway on my travels. I have always found the drivers considerate and polite, helpful when asked, never jobsworths. My frustrated gripes with the company were just that, not about the drivers.

Bus drivers on our public transport system, regardless of colour, creed, sex or nationality, render a valuable public service. It was a job to Paul Conway which helped keep the wolves at bay and away from his door. He and his colleagues routinely getting us to work on time helped keep the same wolves away from our own doors. Our appreciation for their endeavour can never be expressed strongly enough. The 101 route will forever be a driver short.

⏩Follow on Twitter @AnthonyMcIntyre.

Bus 101

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