Alan Jones calls Qantas hypocritical over Israel Folau’s gay comments
Image: Photo: Facebook / Alan Jones.
Talkback host and former Wallabies coach Alan Jones has called out Rugby Australia and sponsor Qantas over their handling of Israel Folau’s controversial anti-gay comments.
Jones wrote in The Australian today that while he believes Folau is free to express his opinions, Rugby Australia and Qantas have been “gutless” over the issue.
“Rugby Australia, leaderless and often gutless, are terrified of losing a Qantas sponsorship,” he wrote.
“Qantas objecting to what Folau is saying about homosexuality is beyond laughable.”
He said that the airline’s reaction to Folau’s comments is at odds with its pro-LGBTI politics.
“Qantas finds the comments disappointing,” he wrote.
“I beg your pardon? Aren’t Qantas in partnership with Emirates Airlines and aren’t the Islamic injunctions against homosexuality in the United Arab Emirates totally oppressive of homosexuals?
“Indeed, some of the militant Muslims urge homosexuals should be put to death.
“So do I have this right? It’s OK for Qantas to have a partnership with such a company, yet they want to beat the drum about something Israel Folau has said.”
Jones said Australian rugby has bigger problems than Folau, and while he disagrees with his anti-gay comments, he doesn’t support how they have been handled.
“So what’s the big play of the week with rugby drowning in problems?” he asked.
“Summon Israel Folau to explain comments he’s made about gay people. The worst you could say about Folau is he has an opinion.
“Rugby leadership in this country barely has an opinion on anything, let alone one you’d agree with… Yet now they’re buying a fight with one of their finest employees.
“As I said to Israel Folau this week, I disagree with what he said, but I’d be happy to be appointed as his counsel and I don’t charge a fee.”
Folau faced a meeting with Rugby Australia bosses earlier this week over his comments on social media about gay people.
He has avoided sanctions but admitted he could be “less disrespectful” in expressing his views.
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Are there still people who respond to Alan Jones’ thoughts and comments? Isn’t he actually somewhat passe?
Israel falau can express personal opinions once he takes off his uniform. Unfortunately, with his career path, and considering what he is paid, his personal views need to remain private and not published biblically. Leave the sport then go for gold; once you are a normal citizen, not a star sponsored by the public through corporates and government.
Alan Jones is right. Israel Folau’s attitudes are highly reminiscent of those in muslim fundamentalist regions and entirely inconsistent with Australian values. Sure Jones didn’t exactly put it that way but if you read his words, that’s his conclusion.
You’ve missed Alan Jones’ point entirely and Folau isn’t a Muslim.
If Qantas cease sponsohip of Rugby Australia then they should also cut their ties with Emirates. Or any country that still criminalises homosexuality.
But Folau and Christianity are the easy targets.
Blatant hypocrisy.
Pretty rich to suggest I’m the one missing the point. I’ll elaborate:
Qantas is a shareholder owned business with a fiduciary duty to maximise its profits. It doesn’t have to be ideologically pure, as you seem to insist. It can maximise profits by both appealing to high-end customers from around the world (including many gay customers) and also having ties to Emirates, giving it access to many high-end customers from the middle east (including gay people who want a weekend away from their normally homophobic societies).
Sponsoring a homophobe (he can pretend his imaginary friend told him to be anti-gay all he likes but he’s still being homophobic) is bad for Qantas. They must protect their brand and their customers to protect their share price as they legally must. Ideology has no role to play.
I was brought up in a liberal Christian church which supported diversity and preached that being Christian meant being non-judgemental. Israel Folau and the Australian Council of Imams share a view about homosexuality that was never taught to me growing up in a liberal Anglican church. You can say Folau isn’t muslim all you like but all I see is a bit of badge-swapping.
But Qantas aren’t sponsoring a sole homophobe; they sponsor a team that just happens to include a fundamentalist Christian. And we’ve always known what their views are so how is this news?
There are probably other homophobes in sport but they’re not so naive (or have the high profile) to make them targets for social media trolls.
Just who baited Folau and why?