Terry Prone wrote an excellent article that sums up the case imo; leaving aside the very dubious issues of who forged what and why, the sheer glee and self righteousness of those who now feel justified in having persecuted this woman and her innocent children is disgusting. How can you rejoice that those two girls will almost certainly not only now be deported but will certainly along with their mother face the wrath of the Nigerian government?
What people seem to be determined to overlook is that it was right to support Izevbekhai, because the mere possibility of her daughters suffering genital mutilation isn’t worth the risk. I’d sooner be wrong than risk the life and well-being of those two young women.
Are we to guard our generosity and our compassion and gloat when it seems we are “justified” in our selfishness? Finding out that compassion was -perhaps- misplaced does not diminish the need for compassion. And why were we deporting them anyway?
Leaving aside any question of fraud – and again, there is evidence that while the paperwork may have been unreliable the child did exist and did die of FGM, including investigations done by both Irish journalists and Irish immigration officers – but why deport two young women and her mother who have done nothing but integrate into our society? Why make two teens, whose experience to date has been largely Irish, go home to an alien homeland?
I find myself more depressed by the baying and howling reaction of the bigots to this case and it’s undeniably annoying outcome worse than any fraud Izevbekhai perpetrated. Is this what and who we want to be?
Terry Prone says “There is at least a case for suggesting that in this instance, Ireland might show itself to be bigger, more generous and more caring than these parents deserve. In the interests of the children. ” Thanks all passing gods that some journalists in this country retain a sense of perspective. Sad, a sad case, a sad fraud and a sad and mean-spirited spiteful reaction.
