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Cypriot president criticised for 'there's always a woman' remark after plane hijack

President Nicos Anastasiades made the comments in response to reports that the hijacker had acted to try and communicate with his ex-wife.

TheJournal.ie / YouTube

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.

Tweet by @Janhavee Moole Janhavee Moole / Twitter Janhavee Moole / Twitter / Twitter

Read: ‘Downton Abbey and tea cups’: We’ve a fairly dreadful record of sexism in Irish politics

Also: ‘We shouldn’t have to drop to our knees’: Serena slams tennis boss in sexism row

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29 Comments
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    Mute Smeghead
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    Mar 29th 2016, 4:29 PM

    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.

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    Mute Teddington
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    Mar 29th 2016, 4:47 PM

    Probably all women getting offended too! ;-)

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    Mute Ciaran Ó Fallúin
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    Mar 29th 2016, 4:48 PM

    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.

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    Mute Avina Laaf
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    Mar 29th 2016, 5:05 PM

    More nonsense from the perpetually offended.

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    Mute jane
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    Mar 29th 2016, 5:34 PM

    He should be criticised for making light of a serious situation, that’s all.

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    Mute Fill Knickers
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    Mar 29th 2016, 11:11 PM

    Properly Heather H, Putting Herself In Where She Is Not Wanted, Useless Cow

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    Mute Ronan Sexton
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    Mar 29th 2016, 4:34 PM

    Calm your tits.

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    Mute Peter Higgins
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    Mar 29th 2016, 4:34 PM

    I’ve scanned this article several times and fail to see anything wrong in his remarks ??? Am I missing something?

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    Mute Stephen Devlin
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    Mar 29th 2016, 4:42 PM

    Yes you missed femminazi class

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    Mute John Ward
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    Mar 29th 2016, 4:47 PM

    Is “cherchez la femme” still pc?

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    Mute Bridget O'Hanlon
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    Mar 29th 2016, 10:37 PM

    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

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    Mute Adam Gill
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    Mar 30th 2016, 9:31 AM

    @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.

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    Mute Paddy Ryan
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    Mar 29th 2016, 4:30 PM

    Quick… to Twitter so I can voice my outrage!!!!!

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    Mute Beano
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    Mar 29th 2016, 4:46 PM

    ‘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.

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    Mute janey mackle
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    Mar 29th 2016, 5:03 PM

    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!!! ;-)

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    Mute Dessie Curley
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    Mar 29th 2016, 4:32 PM

    The PC brigade are off. Stupid remark but hardly worth vilifying him about especially if it’s any journalist who was in that room

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    Mute Seán Domhnall O'Sullivan
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    Mar 29th 2016, 4:34 PM

    Here come the PC brigade *grabs popcorn*

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    Mute Mjhint
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    Mar 29th 2016, 5:59 PM

    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.

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    Mute Lily Martin
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    Mar 29th 2016, 6:20 PM

    How long until all comedy and jokes are banned? People really need to cop on to themselves when they can’t handle a joke.

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    Mute ,
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    Mar 29th 2016, 4:37 PM

    Was he wrong?

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    Mute Jarrett moon
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    Mar 29th 2016, 5:10 PM

    Je suis juicy jugs.

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    Mute Stephen Devlin
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    Mar 29th 2016, 4:41 PM

    Terrorist wanted his wife to bring them sandwiches

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    Mute Cal Cryton
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    Mar 29th 2016, 6:49 PM

    It’s called a joke you stupid f’ing stone faced wide eyed PC brainwashed feminists.

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    Mute Briny Boy
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    Mar 29th 2016, 5:42 PM

    ‘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.

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    Mute Daisy Chainsaw
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    Mar 29th 2016, 5:57 PM

    That’s women for ye! Getting the blame for the stupidity of some really stupid men!

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    Mute UM
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    Mar 29th 2016, 4:46 PM

    The hijacker and the president are a pair of idiots. Takes one to know one

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    Mute Martin Gallagher
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    Mar 29th 2016, 7:11 PM

    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’….

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    Mute Mjhint
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    Mar 29th 2016, 6:56 PM

    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.

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    Mute Adam Gill
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    Mar 30th 2016, 9:53 AM

    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?

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