Angelo Micallef

 

The controversial British-Indian author of the well-known book Satanic Verses, Sir Ahmed Salman Rushdie, once wrote: "Two things form the bedrock of any open society - freedom of expression and rule of law. If you don't have those things, you don't have a free country". More often than not we take freedom of expression and the rule of law as being a given in this modern day and age. To us, they are concepts almost as natural as the oxygen that keeps us alive.

It is perhaps all too normal for a society that has grown accustomed to living in a country where freedom of expression and the rule of law are the order of the day to feel that such subjects are not worth spending any time worrying about. Sadly, recent developments on a number of fronts in Malta seem to suggest otherwise.

Maltese democracy in the past was tainted by the dirty work of political hooligans and thugs who felt powerful enough to regularly attack political party clubs, the Curia, the offices of the free press and even the house of the Opposition leader. Decisions such as the state broadcaster actively boycotting the mentioning of the name of the Leader of the Opposition were controversial but not as outrageous as such would be today. It is thus safe to conclude that such dark incidents will remain a thing of the past with no déjà vu's any time soon.

Yet this does not mean that democracy, freedom and liberty are not facing a more subtle, more modernized but equally poisonous threat in Malta. Yet again, the state broadcaster in the form of PBS is feeling ever freer to censor those who have something uncomforting to say. From statements by the Nationalist Party not being covered by the TVM news bulletin, to this very newspaper not being afforded the same chance afforded to its media competitors in the form of air time.

This silencing of what makes the authorities squirm with discomfort is symptomatic of things in general. In the digital age where message transmission is everything, the messenger's clubs are no longer burnt to ashes; instead the message is quite simply kept off the air waves in the hope that nobody catches sight of it elsewhere.

At the same time, the Police Force is being subjected to controversial changes which the Police Association itself deems as being dangerous in terms of the integrity of the police force. To water down freedom of expression and the rule of law at the same time is no coincidence. It displays a direct and subtle intent hidden under a modern looking facade.

Some would argue that this perhaps is being way too apocalyptic and that we're still all too free to express ourselves. Criticism is still being levelled; Facebook and Twitter are still in common use. Yet how can one explain the recent decisions taken by those in charge of PBS which smack of censorship in the most crude of forms? How can one explain the Ministry for Home Affairs and National Security wanting to have a greater political influence on the Police Corps despite raising the alarm of the Police Association? How can one explain a number of controversial changes at the helm of the Armed Forces of Malta?

The ancient Greek philosopher Plato once wrote, "Dictatorship naturally arises out of democracy, and the most aggravated form of tyranny and slavery out of the most extreme liberty." We would certainly be foolish to ignore his ancient but still very much valid thoughts. Let us defend freedom of expression and the rule of law from those who find these concepts uncomforting. Let us not rue the day when our indifference cost us something that is the unknown gem of our modern society.

 

Dr Micallef is a lawyer and Nationalist Party General Election candidate