Prince William Slammed by Martin Luther King's Daughter for 'Horrific' Ukraine Comment

[Stevicus]

Prince William slammed by Martin Luther King's daughter for 'horrific comment'

Prince William was accused of "horrific comments" by Martin Luther King's daughter in the aftermath of a Ukrainian community event where he was partially misquoted.

Bernice King linked the Duke of Cambridge's remarks to colonialism after William and Kate Middleton visited the Ukrainian Cultural Centre in London to support the relief effort on March 9.

Footage from the event showed Prince William said: "Everyone is horrified by what they are seeing. The news every day, it's almost unfathomable to actually witness it, to see it. For our generation, it's very alien to see this in Europe. We're all right behind you."

The Press Association originally reported William also suggested Britons were more used to seeing conflict in Africa and Asia—though footage released by ITV of the royal's full comments suggested he in fact made no explicit reference to the two continents.

However, some maintained their criticism of the duke based on the reference to war in Europe feeling "very alien."

King, the chief executive of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, condemned the prince having seen the original, misleading account.

She wrote on Twitter: "Horrific comment. European people ran roughshod over the continent of Africa, pillaging communities, raping women, enslaving human beings, colonizing for profit and power, stealing resources, causing generational devastation. And European nations continue to harm Africa."

After the new footage emerged, King wrote: "I believe that we have a great deal of work to do globally to eradicate what my father called the Triple Evils of Militarism, Racism and Poverty.

"I believe that language matters in that work. And that it is harmful for a global figure to express war as 'alien to Europe.'"

Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, a prominent commentator on race in Britain, told Newsweek the remarks about war in Europe feeling alien were offensive on their own.

She said: "William says it's alien in Europe. This is on the back of two weeks of western media also saying it's alien in Europe, also saying Western countries are civilized. I'm sorry, if it's alien in Europe, where is he referring to it as being normal?"

"I'm sorry, if it's alien in Europe, where is he referring to it as being normal?"

Well, they do have a point here.

The outcry heaps new pressure on the royals just days after the one-year anniversary of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Oprah Winfrey interview, during which they accused an unnamed royal of racism.

And it comes little more than a week before William and Kate are due to tour the Caribbean from March 19 to March 26.

After the original misquote, human rights lawyer Qasim Rashid wrote on Twitter: "Prince William says conflict is 'very alien' to Europe, unlike Asia & Africa.

"How do you have a 1,000 year history of colonialism, a literal 100 year war, launch 2 World Wars, allow multiple genocides, & bomb a dozen nations since 9/11 alone—yet make this type of a statement."

Also before the footage emerged, royal biographer Omid Scobie, author of Finding Freedom, wrote on Twitter: "Unsurprised to see backlash against Prince William's ignorant remark (reported by@PA).

It seems very tone deaf to make this kind of statement, although I've seen this attitude during the past couple of weeks, especially when people compare this to Western military actions against nations outside of Europe.

"Europe has seen some of the bloodiest conflict in the past two centuries—Balkans, Yugoslavia, Germany and Kosovo to name a few. But sure, let's normalise war and death in Africa and Asia."

It is not the first time Prince William has been accused of colonial comments, after he linked the pressure on wildlife in Africa to the human population in a November speech.

The duke said: "The increasing pressure on Africa's wildlife and wild spaces as a result of human population presents a huge challenge for conservationists, as it does the world over."

Britain's empire covered a quarter of the world at its height, including India and most of South Asia as well as much of Africa and the Caribbean.

The new backlash comes as William and Kate prepare for a tour of the Caribbean as part of celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee.

Among the countries on their schedule is Jamaica, where there have been recent debates about removing the monarch as head of state, with one party in the 2020 elections pledging to hold a referendum on the subject.

The latest episode of Newsweek's The Royal Report podcast discussed the possibility of a backlash against the Cambridges during their tour.

This also relates to Jamaica wanting to remove the Queen as their official head of state. Barbados has already done so.

A recent editorial in Jamaican newspaper The Gleaner read: "First, this newspaper is deeply uncomfortable, which we believe is the disposition of the majority of Jamaicans, of having the monarch of Great Britain, which, at this time is Queen Elizabeth II, as our country's head of state.

"Who holds this position is no meaningless symbolism. It ought to be an important reference point of who we are, and the aspirations we hold as a sovereign nation and people.

"The patriarch of a dysfunctional family in the United Kingdom that defined Jamaica's long colonial experience is not, therefore, an appropriate symbol."

 

[George-ananda]

That's their idea of a horrific comment? I see no problem with it. We know he meant Europe has been relatively war free since 1945. He wasn't addressing anything else and to find a way to construe it negatively as a comment on anything else is disingenuous.

 

[Debater Slayer]

We know he meant Europe has been relatively war free since 1945.

Except for the war crimes and massacres in Yugoslavia.

 

[Martin]

Who cares what this entitled toff thinks?

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Except for the war crimes and massacres in Yugoslavia.

And the Greek Civil War.

And the Georgian Civil War.

And the Albanian Civil War.

And the Hungarian Revolution.

And the invasion of Czechoslovakia.

And several conflicts in Cyprus.

And the First and Second Chechen Wars.

... and there are many conflicts (e.g. the Northern Irish "Troubles", the Basque conflict, various coups and coup attempts) that may not quite qualify as wars but took many lives.

@George-ananda

 

[George-ananda]

Except for the war crimes and massacres in Yugoslavia.

That's why I said 'relatively'. It's in comparison to other centuries.

 

[George-ananda]

And the Greek Civil War.

And the Georgian Civil War.

And the Albanian Civil War.

And the Hungarian Revolution.

And the invasion of Czechoslovakia.

And several conflicts in Cyprus.

And the First and Second Chechen Wars.

... and there are many conflicts (e.g. the Northern Irish "Troubles", the Basque conflict, various coups and coup attempts) that may not quite qualify as wars but took many lives.

@George-ananda

That's why I said 'relatively'. It's in comparison to other centuries.

And a precise statement is not what the gist of the comment was intending to say. He's just saying they haven't seen much of this kind of activity in a long time. That's all he meant to say.

 

[Kooky]

Give the kid some slack, he was barely out of his diapers during the last war in Europe.

You know, in 2020.
2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war - Wikipedia

 

[Stevicus]

That's their idea of a horrific comment? I see no problem with it. We know he meant Europe has been relatively war free since 1945. He wasn't addressing anything else and to find a way to construe it negatively as a comment on anything else is disingenuous.

Possibly, but why say it at all? How does it help anything?

 

[Ella S.]

It is understandable that many people are concerned about a new war on their backstair.

However, when you are speaking in an official capacity and other nations are listening into your address, a bit more tact is not an unreasonable demand, in my opinion. I can see why a statement like this can appear to drip with Eurocentrism to those who have been negatively affected by similar sentiments.

 

[George-ananda]

Possibly, but why say it at all? How does it help anything?

It was intended to be just words of sympathy for Ukrainians during this horrific period.

Words of sympathy help and show solidarity.

 

[Revoltingest]

That's their idea of a horrific comment? I see no problem with it. We know he meant Europe has been relatively war free since 1945. He wasn't addressing anything else and to find a way to construe it negatively as a comment on anything else is disingenuous.

Some people are in the business of taking offense.
When one is merely the progeny of a famous person,
this can keep them relevant....sort of.

Heaven forbid any of us having our remarks being
broadcast worldwide. We'd never stand up to such
scrutiny.....well....I certainly wouldn't.

 

[Ella S.]

Some people are in the business of taking offense.
When one is merely the progeny of a famous person,
this can keep them relevant....sort of.

Heaven forbid any of us having our remarks being
broadcast worldwide. We'd never stand up to such
scrutiny.....well....I certainly wouldn't.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was no stranger to intentionally drumming up controversy in order to gain attention for the Civil Rights Movement.

He was criticized heavily at the time for it, but it nonetheless contributed to the end of segregation in the US.

It does not surprise me that his daughter would take a similar tactic.

 

[Revoltingest]

Martin Luther King, Jr. was no stranger to intentionally drumming up controversy in order to gain attention for the Civil Rights Movement.

He was criticized heavily at the time for it, but it nonetheless contributed to the end of segregation in the US.

It does not surprise me that his daughter would take a similar tactic.

He was a major provocateur....in a useful way.
His daughter is just standing on his shoulders.
She lacks authority.

 

[Stevicus]

It was intended to be just words of sympathy for Ukrainians during this horrific period.

Words of sympathy help and show solidarity.

Well, there are certainly other ways one might express sympathy.

 

[Stevicus]

Some people are in the business of taking offense.
When one is merely the progeny of a famous person,
this can keep them relevant....sort of.

Heaven forbid any of us having our remarks being
broadcast worldwide. We'd never stand up to such
scrutiny.....well....I certainly wouldn't.

Well, it wasn't just her that criticized the remarks.

I agree that there are some people who take offense over minor things, but this is something that kind of stands out. "It's very alien to see this in Europe." Setting aside that it's factually wrong, it carries the implication that Europe is somehow "special" and above the rest of the world.

I'm sure he had no intention of offending anyone and that he was just trying to be decent and sympathetic towards the victims of the invasion. I get that.

But it also demonstrates a profound lack of awareness and understanding about certain issues. I'm not saying he should be censured or anything like that. I don't believe in or support the tactics of "cancel culture." But this does seem like a teaching moment, however.

 

[Revoltingest]

Well, it wasn't just her that criticized the remarks.

I agree that there are some people who take offense over minor things, but this is something that kind of stands out. "It's very alien to see this in Europe." Setting aside that it's factually wrong, it carries the implication that Europe is somehow "special" and above the rest of the world.

I'm sure he had no intention of offending anyone and that he was just trying to be decent and sympathetic towards the victims of the invasion. I get that.

But it also demonstrates a profound lack of awareness and understanding about certain issues. I'm not saying he should be censured or anything like that. I don't believe in or support the tactics of "cancel culture." But this does seem like a teaching moment, however.

If I had transcripts of everything this gal said,
I bet I could have a field day ripping her a
new one for this or that faux pas.
She should get a life....& do something of
significance, instead of trading on her father's
fame.

 

[Stevicus]

He was a major provocateur....in a useful way.
His daughter is just standing on his shoulders.
She lacks authority.

She is the chief executive of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, according to the Newsweek article linked in the OP.

 

[Revoltingest]

She is the chief executive of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, according to the Newsweek article linked in the OP.

As I said....she's a nobody using the fame of another.

 

[Stevicus]

As I said....she's a nobody using the fame of another.

Yeah, well, i guess she's not the only one riding on daddy's coattails. At least her father did something truly great and historic, a major figure in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement.

What did Prince William's daddy do to become famous?