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THE PRESIDENT OF Cyprus is in hot water after an off the cuff remark about today’s plane hijacking.
There was panic around the world this morning when it emerged that a man allegedly wearing an explosives vest had taken control of an EgyptAir plane and diverted it to land in Cyprus.
As the day wore on it became apparent that the person behind the attack was not a terrorist or a criminal mastermind, but rather – as the Egyptian foreign ministry put it – more likely “an idiot”.
At a press conference this afternoon President Nicos Anastasiades described the circumstances of what had happened.
He said that the events had been “unprecedented” but that “in any case it’s not something that has to do with terrorism”.
Earlier reports had suggested that the hijacker, Seif Eldin Mustafa, had taken control of the plane to gain access to his ex-wife .
After Anastasiades spoke, there was a pause and one of the journalists asked if he could confirm these reports.
“Always there is a woman involved,” the Cypriot President responded, getting a laugh from the journalists in the room.
However, not everyone has seen the funny side, and the head of state is facing the ire of social media users who feel that the comment was inappropriate and sexist.
Rituparna Chatterjee / TwitterWhen asked if a woman was involved, Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades said “There is always a woman involved.” #Slowclap for casual sexism
— Rituparna Chatterjee (@MasalaBai) March 29, 2016
Janhavee Moole / Twitter
Janhavee Moole / Twitter / Twitter
Claire Gunter / TwitterCypriot President Nicos Anastasiades (re: #EgyptAir hijacking): "Always there is a woman involved."
— CG (@Claireaoke) March 29, 2016
Mediterranean patriarchy at its best.
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When it comes to comments like this….there’s always some people more than will to take offence on behalf of everyone else. It was a joke. Lighten up.
Probably all women getting offended too! ;-)
He was right… I mean, when a man does something this stupid, it’s often over something like a wife or an ex. The stupidest obviously being the ones who do stuff for the promise of 40 virgins in an imagined land.
More nonsense from the perpetually offended.
He should be criticised for making light of a serious situation, that’s all.
Properly Heather H, Putting Herself In Where She Is Not Wanted, Useless Cow
Calm your tits.
I’ve scanned this article several times and fail to see anything wrong in his remarks ??? Am I missing something?
Yes you missed femminazi class
Is “cherchez la femme” still pc?
Stephen, what exactly is a feminatzi? I’ve heard the term but honestly have no idea what it means. These days it’s hard to know what the term feminist means either. I always thought it meant equality between the sexes, but a deep, sinister note has been accredited to it that transcends it’s original intent.
As far as this guy goes, yes it was a silly off the cuff remark that lots of us might make. And it might have been made in relief that the situation has been resolved. It’s just that politicians are not supposed to be making jokes about potentially deadly events
@Bridget – a valid point. I was having this discussion with a friend at the weekend.
A feminist is still someone who believes men and women should be treated equally. I consider myself a feminist.
Many women however that call themselves ‘feminists’ don’t want equality: they want women to have special treatment. These are the women that take to Twitter to express their disgust and outrage when a man holds a door open for them (how offensive!), or compare a man smiling at them on the street to ‘being raped’.
These are the feminazis. The confusion comes because they still refer to themselves as feminists, even though what they believe in isn’t feminism – it’s simply a desire to punish men.
Quick… to Twitter so I can voice my outrage!!!!!
‘the head of state is facing the ire of social media users who feel that the comment was inappropriate and sexist’
Translation: 3 people in their 40′s who still live with their parents and spend all day on their computers got offended.
I’m a woman and I thinks it’s funny. People do need to lighten up. We all know women are better at ironing, Darning socks and baking cakes. Men are better at changing light bulbs and driving cars. Lighten the fook up!!! ;-)
The PC brigade are off. Stupid remark but hardly worth vilifying him about especially if it’s any journalist who was in that room
Here come the PC brigade *grabs popcorn*
I heard this man’s comment on the BBC & the journalists in the room & myself burst out laughing. It was not said in a derogatory manner. It was clearly a funny remark about this stupid person that hijacked the plane. And so the professional victims get to cry how offended they are. Feminism poisons everything.
How long until all comedy and jokes are banned? People really need to cop on to themselves when they can’t handle a joke.
Was he wrong?
Je suis juicy jugs.
Terrorist wanted his wife to bring them sandwiches
It’s called a joke you stupid f’ing stone faced wide eyed PC brainwashed feminists.
‘The head of state is facing the ire of social media users’
I’d say he must be s**ting himself.
The Journal is now nothing more than a parody of itself.
That’s women for ye! Getting the blame for the stupidity of some really stupid men!
The hijacker and the president are a pair of idiots. Takes one to know one
Good job he didn’t offend the mentally challenged, then he’d be in real trouble here? ‘Idiot with mental health issues causes alarm on EgyptAir flight’….
The reference was to the hijacker who had hijacked the plane to see his estranged wife. Apparently his behaviour showed how little planning he had put into this hijacking. Although the plane followed a prepared procedure it was evident early on that this guy did not have a proper plan & only demanded to see his wife. The remark was directed towards the behaviour of this man not his wife or women in general.
The thing that annoys me most about this is that, if it’s sexist to anyone it’s sexist towards men!
He’s saying men can act incredibly stupidly when all they can think about is a woman – I’ve made stupid decisions before in this sense!
In no way is it offensive to women?
have your say