My post about the vilification of God brought about a myriad of reactions. Some were positive; others were totally negative and, in some instances, resorted to attacking me on a personal level. Many of those who expressed their disagreement did it anonymously, using a pseudonym. Therefore one cannot tell who they are or whether it was the work of a single person using different profiles. There were also a number of Facebook users who shared this post. I would like to thank them all.
Many of those who came to my defence questioned whether those in favour of vilifying religion were willing to vilify the Islamic ‘totems’. Readers may rest assured that all Islam’s mechanics of identity would explode, and rightly so, as all these cultural theories that originated in France started only to take hold in the Anglo-Saxon world – and becoming a mainstream academic subjects - after the fall of Communism. There is a political reason behind all this. But this goes beyond the scope of this blog.
As the Malta Arts Council members all seem in favour of this new law, I would like to challenge members to support and finance cultural activities that vilify the Prophet and his teachings during the CHOGM meeting. It is a known fact that not all CHOGM countries accept homosexual relations. Islamic countries still consider homosexuality a crime and punishable by death. Is the Malta Arts Council prepared to challenge this Islamic identity, which is religiously based? Should the answer be negative, I can only conclude that those in favour of this law are doing so simply to create space in order to make it legal to vilify the Christian God or, as referred to during our past Imperial times, il Dio Latino, who is known in Malta under an Arabic name.
Cultural experts in identity should know that vilifying God is not part of the Semitic tradition. It belongs to the so-called European/Arian cultural heritage. But, at all costs, our cultural experts want to destroy all remnants of our Semitic identity, starting with language and now extended to the salient points of our identity. Blasphemy, for example, was introduced in Malta by European incoming migrants.
The reality is that this Government wants to create a platform, sustained with our taxes, to construct a new cultural identity, which in the long run is leading to nowhere, except to make it acceptable to our citizens that this Government can cede part of our sovereignty to Italy. In my opinion, the acceptance of vilification of God and what the Italian newspaper had to say about part of our territorial rights going to Italy in return for Italy taking all the migrants go hand in hand. They all form part of the deconstruction of our historical Maltese identity. Yet, the new cultural identity that is emerging is not at all reassuring. The protest in Valletta last Sunday by Patrijotti Maltin should serve as an eye-opener about the type of new identity that is being nurtured in Malta today.
What this Government is doing (despite all the denials) reflects what Michael Frendo wanted to do when he was PN’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. He was the first to come up with the idea of giving part of our extensive maritime territory to Italy in return for the peninsula taking on the responsibility of migrants. This is sheer madness.
One of the accusations bandied at me is that I am assuming the role of a yesteryear god within the Nationalist Party. Ironically, some of those making such comments were, during the previous administration, trusted barons of Nationalist Ministers.
Nor am I, as also alleged, an adviser to the PN. I have never asked or was given a position of trust within the Nationalist Party. I was asked once to form part of a group to help the party draft its new social policy. However, after criticizing the party for having brought back the ex-Nationalist Minister, Michael Falzon, I stopped all form of collaboration, as I realised that my thoughts are not always in sync with those of the Nationalist Party. As a historian, my objections proved me right. Despite the fact that Falzon was part of the Tagħna Lkoll movement, he was asked to be one of the main PN protagonists in the European election campaign, while his friends and collaborators were those giving advice on party strategy. The result is known to all. PN even failed to hold on to the electoral result obtained by Gonzi in 2013. Basically the PN electorate is highly intelligent. By unraveling a big political scandal concerning Falzon’s secret accounts in Switzerland, the Malta Independent further sustained my arguments. His prize for all this is that from next autumn, Falzon is going to be on PBS lambasting the PN. Fortunately enough for the PN, today, these tactics will harm more Labour than the targeted political opponent.
I would remind all those anonymous critics that I have never written to any Nationalist minister, congratulating him or her after one of his/her electoral victories, while reminding him/her about how much I had suffered under Labour and, thereby, demanding compensation in kind. Fortunately I do not fall under this type of umbrella. On the contrary, I was treated differently by the MEPA’s Board of Appeal during the Nationalist Administration. I was the only person in Siren Street, Senglea, who had his permit refused, when Labourites, living in that same street, who applied before and after me, for the same type of construction work, had their permit upheld by MEPA. MEPA Board of Appeal supported this blatant discrimination. In my opinion, this formed part of a wider strategy undertaken at the time, to make the life of of the Maltese citizens hell. Some of those involved in these types of iniquities are now receiving their pecuniary rewards. I have never forgotten this personal affront.
Unfortunately, the people of the south were the underdogs in PN’s political system. The accusations that we, who lived in the south, were some sort of idiotic yesteryear species condoned an orchestrated discrimination.
But the historical truth is quite different and Manuel Calleja will prove my point. He is from the South, exactly from the Second District, that is the district of the “ħamalli,” prostitutes and tough guys. He had the courage to cross over to the PN and denounce Labour’s injustices during this year’s Independence festivities. These injustices are being committed by Labour to accommodate Nationalist turncoats from the “North”. Quite rightly, many genuine Labourites are realizing that Joseph Muscat has money for projects to vilify the Christian God, but not a penny in sight for Labourites in need, including those, who like Manuel Calleja, have dedicated their life to the Labour Party.
These are the real soldiers of steel, who have the guts to go public and state their mind. Unlike several individuals, who passed disparaging comments on my blog, these soldiers of steel are not afraid and do not need to hide behind pseudonyms to express their views. They concur with Tennyson/Madoff’s poetic notion, as these soldiers are thoroughly the authentic children of a lesser god.