Here I was at our offices near Phoenix Park thinking about my next column when in walked a handsome Irishman in a Garda uniform. I was obviously curious as to what was going on. The man was looking through windows and checking out the different floors. My friend Jerry at reception later told me that gardaí were checking various buildings around the route for the Queen of England’s visit to Ireland next month. The fear is that terrorists could take people hostage or use a sniper for an assassination attempt. Suddenly it occurred to me: this is what I should be writing about today.
Monarchy is a strange and downright ridiculous idea, to be honest. What are we, ants? Honeybees? Why is it that someone is given such a high status in society merely because he or she was born in a certain family? Strange.
The Queen’s visit to Ireland, however, is even more intriguing than that. Not only it is putting unnecessary burden on the Irish police services in arranging security for her, but also on all businesses and residences in the Phoenix Park area because they may be forced to shut down on the day for ‘security reasons’. It will also disrupt my fellow Trinitarians’ exam dates, not to mention wasting taxpayers’ money.
A similar drama is happening in England as I write, where according to one report £20m of tax revenue was burned up for security measures for the Royal Wedding – the guest list of which, I might add, included the Crown (or ‘clown’) Prince of Bahrain, a country where a few weeks ago unarmed civilians were gunned down during protests. Why not invite Saif Gaddafi and Gamal Mubarak?
I simply don’t get it.
One has to ask, who wants to assassinate an old lady like Elizabeth II on her first visit to Ireland? It obviously has something to do with the atrocities and tyranny that the Irish people experienced under British rule for hundreds of years. Indeed, the Royal Family is a symbol of oppression in the minds of millions across the world. From India to America, the enlightened know what British monarchy and imperialism has represented in the past.
Personally I am against the Queen’s visit to Ireland. I can understand the argument of those who talk about letting bygones be bygones, but this is not about retribution. It is about the very blood of Ireland, its history, its brave souls and its land. It’s about the Great Famine, when Queen Victoria refused the donation of £10,000 to the Irish by Sultan Abdul Majeed; regardless, he sent three ships of food which the British courts tried to stop, and which were refused permission to dock in Dublin or Belfast (the Turkish sailors unloaded their food at Drogheda eventually). You won’t read about this event in your Irish history books at the local library, because the imperialists are good at white washing their crimes.
While the media in Ireland focuses on the Queen’s visit, perhaps an equal amount of focus should be given to the question: why now? My dear Irish people, always remember that those who forget their history become history. But since the decision for the Queen’s visit has already been taken, we should abide by the words of Leslie Nielsen’s most popular character, Frank Drebin, who said: “No matter how silly the idea of a Queen is to us… we must be gracious and considerate hosts.”
Qasim Afridi is a member of the think tank Glór Moslamach
glormoslamach@gmail.com
