A month or two ago, I was quite unkind to Paul Walter - as much out of anger and frustration as anything else. Since then, we have exchanged e-mails and have settled our differences. All very courteous and civilised.
These days, duelling is banned - which is fortunate in so many ways. It was, of course, the way in which gentlemen settled matters of honour. After all, it was rather more satisfying than a libel suit, and much more immediate. Of course, if you lost, it probably wasn't as satisfying, but there was a sense of tragic romanticism about it.
In Pakistan, as I understand it, matters of family honour tend to become blood feuds. Less romantic, they can continue for generations, which does seem a little over the top, although I wouldn't be critical of the traditions of others.
I would say this though. I don't think that I'll be exchanging e-mails with Irfan any time soon. For the record, I don't accept the apology that he has offered, because I don't believe for one moment that it is genuine. Simply saying sorry doesn't get you off the hook, Irfan, it really doesn't...
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I'm starting to wonder if he's been given too much slack in the past - I mean, we had his opposition to gay rights, his statement that it was absolutely fine for the man in a house to decide how the women voted because women "often don't have much of a clue about politics" and now this.
I think he's writing stuff that has the potential to bring the Party into disrepute. Sexism and homophobia is bad enough, but libel added to the mix tips the balance. We'd be better off without him.
I'd be tempted to agree, but Irfan is extremely young - and we all make mistakes (I'm not quite 30 and we didn't have blogs 13-14 years ago, but who knows what rubbish I'd have come out with if we had).
The real test will come as he gets older, and hopefully more mature: will he still talk the same rubbish? My concern is that his local party has let him write press releases for them . . .
Irfan Ahmed's barrage of risible drivel has been in my killfile for some months now. Sometimes I wonder whether he is in fact a Liberal Democrat at all, regardless of what it may say on the membership database at Cowley Street; I'm half tempted to make the short trip over to Colne and ask a few questions among people I know over there. His use of his age as an excuse for his immaturity doesn't wash either.
In particular, thinking of that part of the world, I wonder if the wise and good Tony Greaves is aware of Irfan's constant bilge? If so I'd be *very* interested to hear what he makes of it.
I know what many think but the problem is that I don't know my elbow from my as* if I can use the term when it comes to issues that matter to everyone.
I make comments on issues from time to time that everyone doesn't agree with and after I have made them I notice that it was a bad mistake making them in the first place.
A lot of my views that you don't see as being acceptable are due to my cultural and religious views and the rest are just because I am a naive child on the block.
The current issue has been understood wrongly, I personally was promoting a whistle blower for writing about issues e.g. how the party claims one thing and does another.
The problem is that we didn't give the Lords who were in the expenses scandal a hard enough time but many will think an 'investigation' is enough but I don't.
Clearly Mark you and me have a lot of differences but I think its time we settled our differences and worked together as Liberals who want to promote our party.
P.S. You can get my email address from my blog, please do drop me an email and lets have a civilised conversation about this.
Irfan,
It will be a cold day in hell before I work with you on anything.
You weren't promoting a blogger, you were libelling someone. Look it up under defamation of character...
I have made my piece offering to you, I have apologised to the people I offended but I think its time to end these games and lets have a civilised conversation and end our problems.
If you don't want to then that’s your choice but I can no longer carry on with this duel and accept that you have won.
Irfan,
You clearly have no idea as to the potential trouble you have caused. Worst of all, you just walk away, thinking that an apology is enough. And you haven't actually apologised to the Party President, have you? You are presumptuous enough to think that she actually reads your blog.
So, why not apologise like a grown up?
The man's a troll and clearly spends way too much time indoors, sweating over his PC. We were probably all juan-kers at that age but thankfully we didn't have the Web to allow us broadcast the fact publicly. Someone should take his machine away and make him go and play football (or deliver some leaflets...)
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