From Mr C. Peregin

Finally, a political party for fanatical Christians, racists, misogynists, hunters and homophobes… I don’t get it either, but apparently this is what our country needs. Silly me, I thought what we really needed was something to counter the right-wing sentiments in Malta, and not something that will take them even further.

When I first heard that there was to be a new party, I was delighted. I thought they would be discussing gay rights, immigrant integration, animal rights and gender equality, while emphasising the importance of keeping the Church and the State separate. After all, these are the issues that have been ignored so far. Then I listened to Josie Muscat and his colleagues, and the picture they painted was of a country on the brink of destruction because gays are multiplying, Africans are stealing our women and breeding, hunters are not being allowed to gun down birds, and men are asking women for directions.

A few weeks ago a Polish man woke up from a 19-year coma and found out that communism had ended and yes, there are mobile phones. Josie Muscat hasn’t been in any kind of coma, but he is a man still living in the past. He seems to be suggesting that the civil rights of all those who are not heterosexual Maltese men should be repressed. He seems to want a Malta where men are macho, women bow their heads in submission, gays stay in the closet lest they encourage others to turn gay too, and Africans are dumped like last season’s clothes.

This man has dedicated a good part of his energy to helping people with special needs. He should understand, more than anyone, the plight of minority groups, the emarginated, and the oppressed. So why is he speaking like this? More to the point, why does he think like this?

At the risk of causing alarm – particularly to myself – maybe it’s because he really wants to get a seat in Parliament without going back to the Nationalist Party, and he’s picked up on what he thinks the Maltese want. Maybe he thinks he can do better than Norman Lowell, and be the sane and acceptable face of the extreme Right. Meanwhile, I’ll just carry on hoping for a really credible alternative to the two main parties: a party that plans to take Malta in the direction of Europe, instead of just stopping at membership of the European Union.

Christian Peregin

NAXXAR