Say Nothing, Do Nothing

by Robert Harris

The story of Lisa Smith, an Irish woman who converted to Islam and joined Islamic State, has served as a timely reminder of the rot of political correctness running through the various institutions of the Irish state, including the defense forces. Not only has the Irish government failed to introduce legislation to prohibit the return of IS members, news has recently emerged that several of Lisa Smith’s colleagues were threatened with discipline for bringing concerns about her religious radicalism to the attentions of their superiors. To quote a report from Journal.ie, a mainstream liberal-left Irish news source:

At least four former members of the Defence Forces say they voiced their concerns, with two of them claiming their warnings were met with advice that what they were saying could be construed as bullying or discriminatory behaviour. 

[T]he four ex-officers and airmen said their worries were dismissed by their superiors when they spoke about Smith, a former Air Corps private who would later leave Ireland for Syria and join Isis.

One former member described how he was told any formal complaint by him could result in an investigation under the Defence Force’s A7 code of conduct, which is how the Defence Forces deal with complaints of bullying.

Another member of the force, who served with Smith in the Air Corps, explained how there were fears she was possibly radicalised prior to her request to wear a hijab on duty. He also claims that he was warned there could be sanctions under A7 rules if he raised the issue formally.

He recalled how Smith had become fascinated with Islamic terror organisations and regularly spoke about them to her colleagues. He claims that staff in senior ranks laughed at suggestions she had become radicalised.