In the last few years, academics (both local and foreign) chastised the Catholic Church in Malta for fomenting, according to them, racial hatred against the Ottomans and the Arabs. In some cases, these scholars did not differentiate between Ottomans and Arabs and the past wars were not related to race but mainly to religion. But the point these academics want to make here is that the clash between Christianity and Islam is the cause of so much antagonism and prejudice that one finds within the Maltese population towards the Arab world (and not only).
The tables have now been turned upside down. Yesterday week, there was an attempted coup in Turkey. Now, it is becoming more and more obvious that this was a real coup and in no way was it orchestrated by Erdogan and his government. At this stage, I do not want to enter into the reasons behind it. What I wish to state is that, many of those in Malta, who were on a rampage crusade against the Catholic faith, have now turned their guns on Erdogan, despite the fact that he was the apparent victim of a coup.
Perhaps, one should state that this is normal. They are being consistent. They are Liberals and therefore they are against all types of beliefs and religion. This is why they are in favour of the Turkish military and against Erdogan. They are upholding their liberal convictions. The problem here is that some of these individuals (and I am being conservative here, when I use the word ‘some’) used to chastise the Catholics because according to them, Catholics were responsible for the wars against the Ottoman Empire. The academics used to show support for the Ottomans and write a very pro-Ottoman history to put Christianity and Malta’s Catholic faith in bad light.
I am stating this to demonstrate how many historical works by academics are not driven by scientific principles but are written more in line with a vaster agenda that today is formulated by the United States. The US sets the canons of what type of history should be written. Unfortunately, European money is being used to support such a canon.
Undoubtedly, many of the Liberals in Malta are against Erdogan and in support of the military even if, the first action and biggest mistake that these rebel soldiers committed was to bomb the Turkish Parliament. Now, the Liberals want to play on the anti-Ottoman syndrome to muster support from the same Christian voters against Erdogan.
The main reason for this Liberal distrust in Europe is because Erdogan is a Muslim and supports Islam. This explains why Erdogan was thankful to God for having spared him from this coup. The truth is that in Turkey, as in Russia and in many parts of the Eastern Europe and the Ex-Soviet Republics, we have a return to religion after decades of forced secularization and atheism. Now it is the turn of Europe to embrace these ideologies. It is here where the Liberals and the Leftists join hands. This explains why many Liberals and people of the Left were offended that a Prime Minister of a country that is aspiring to join the EU mentioned God’s name.
I was watching the international news about what happened in Baton Rouge in America as well as the press conferences that were being given by the authorities. One speaker after another was mentioning the name of God and asking the listeners to pray for the victims. These were all Government officials, starting from the sheriff to other municipality heads. But because it is America talking, no one raised an eyebrow at these official statements all loaded with religious sentiment. In this case, no European Leftist or Liberal expressed any dismay.
But there is more European hypocrisy behind this. I have watched the press conference given by the EU Head of Foreign Affairs, Mogherini and the American Secretary of State, John Kerry.
The EU wants us to believe that Kerry attended the Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Brussels mainly because of the Nice attack. I do not believe this. Like the attack in Nice, there are many similar attacks taking place in Libya. No one bats an eyelid. Libyans are claiming that these attacks against them are taking place with the support of the Americans. No Western Media seeks to investigate whether these claims are true or not. What stand is Malta taking? Many people are continuing to die in Syria and Lebanon too but no Western media seems to be concerned about their fate.
I understand the grief of Europeans and their interest in the Nice massacre. Possibly there is a silver lining in all this. Let’s hope that these attacks will make us more European.
Kelly’s presence in Brussels was mainly linked to the failed Turkish coup. If there had been no coup, Kerry would not have had any interest to attend such a meeting. What astounded me most though was the joint press conference given by Kerry and Mogherini.
The first impression is that the EU and America are becoming one and the same thing. Basically, the EU is becoming an extension of Nato. This is extremely unhealthy. There are other important regional powers in the region. I am here referring to Russia. Why was she not invited?
I think that the EU and America should be kept separate. But then, Mogherini was attacking Erdogan and warning him against reintroducing the death penalty against those involved in this coup. She said that this goes against the European Charter, which Turkey had signed.
While I agree with Mogherini on this point, as I am against the death penalty, still all this smacks of Europe’s hypocrisy. How could Mogherini speak in this way when she was standing next to a Secretary of State, whose country still sustains the death penalty in many states? Therefore, Mogherini was only playing the bully with Turkey.
Europe’s problem today is that Turkey has become an important regional power. Whether one likes it or not, Erdogan is going to make Turkey again a reference for Muslims of the Sunni religion. Third and most importantly, Turkey is the only European country with a high birth rate and a young population. This younger generation is fed up of the secularized policies that Turkey has been subjected to, which heightened the class division in the country. To the disowned younger generation, Erdogan’s government appears to be the solution to their problems. This is why they took up Erodgan’s invitation and descended into the streets in support of their President.
This failed coup will only increase Erdogan’s power and will open the way for the full return to Islam as the official religion of the Turkish State. In Turkey, historical revisionism is making Islam appear once again in its past grandeur. The motto “Deo e la patria” is becoming more and more relevant in the politics of the twenty-first century.