Looking into her heart in Saudi Arabia, McAleese decided to speak for an Irish nation that "abhorred" the publication of the Danish cartoons of Prophet Mohammed. But on whose authority was she speaking? It seems the government had not cleared such a political remark. Then to compound matters, McAleese . . . as head of a state that values equality and freedom of expression . . . participated in a conference where men and women were segregated because of their gender.

What would have been the response if any of her predecessors in the Aras had attended a segregated gathering of blacks and whites during the apartheid era in South Africa?