A Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator apologized yesterday after he and his wife tied Muslims to terrorism and al--Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden during a high-profile campaign event over the weekend.
DPP Legislator Yu Tien (余天) called the remarks a light-hearted joke, but said he felt “deeply apologetic” to Muslims offended by his comments, which he made in front of thousands of supporters.
“We weren’t trying to connect Muslims with terrorists and we hope the public doesn’t misunderstand us,” Yu said in a statement. “We respect every religion.”
FORMER MUSLIM
The incident took place during the final night of rallies as Yu and his wife, Lee Ya-ping (李亞萍), stumped for DPP presidential hopeful Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) in New Taipei City (新北市).
Speaking to the audience, Lee, who described herself as a former Muslim, said she was like a “Muslim terrorist early on … like [Osama] bin Laden.”
Replying, Yu said: “People have been saying that I am afraid of my wife. Faced with such a Muslim militant, how could I not be afraid?”
FRIENDS
Although the remarks drew laughter from the crowd, organizers realizing the sensitivity of the comments immediately attempted to downplay the comments.
A statement apologizing for the gaffe was also released by Tsai’s campaign team late on Sunday night.
“[Yu] was a bit nervous; what he meant to say was that all our Islamic friends are very easy to get along with,” Tsai’s spokesperson Hsu Chia-ching (徐佳青) hurriedly told the crowd.
It is not the first time the gaffe-prone former singer has drawn controversy.
SLIP OF THE TONGUE
He apologized to Greater Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (胡志強) in September last year after he was caught on camera describing Hu’s wife, who was seriously injured in a car accident in November 2006, as “not being right in the head.”
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck off Tainan at 11:47am today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 32.3km northeast of Tainan City Hall at a depth of 7.3km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Tainan and Chiayi County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Chiayi City and County, and Yunlin County, while it was measured as 2 in Kaohsiung, Nantou County, Changhua County, Taitung County and offshore Penghu County, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated