From Mr A. Cortis
My attention was drawn to two letters printed in The Times of 27 October, both of them concerned that the editorial of 10 October questioned Rebecca Gomperts’ right to discuss abortion in Malta, therefore implying that her freedom of expression should be curtailed. The two contributors took the editor to task, and rightly so, about such an intransigent attitude, no matter how unpleasant and controversial her message may be to most Maltese.
I, myself, have experienced the denial of my freedom of expression by that publication, and I feel confident that others must have done as well on other occasions. All because, it appears, the editor did not agree with my point of view, though it is possible he was only acting under orders.
It all started in June when I complained in a letter to his newspaper about the excessive, unnecessary and prolonged bell ringing by my local church. While very quick to publish opposing viewpoints, the paper delayed printing my second letter by over three weeks and, in fact, did not print the last one I wrote.
I e-mailed the editor in a personal capacity enquiring whether it was the proper professional attitude for him to take sides between contributors, rather than remain impartial, since we all paid the same amount of money to buy the newspaper and should have been considered by him as equal readers.
If he felt there was nothing wrong I would cease to buy it. I did not expect a reply and never received one.
By sheer coincidence, a letter from a Joe Borg of Xghajra appeared shortly after, where he spoke of feeling hard done by the Maltese government’s heavy taxation of his income derived from the UK, which he rightly maintained benefited no end the Maltese economy as it was foreign-earned income.
Suspecting that I had been blacklisted by The Times and as my income also comes from the UK, I wrote in giving my e-mail address for Mr Borg to contact me so I could impart relevant information given to me by my financial adviser prior to returning to live in Malta.
There was nothing in that letter that could have upset anyone but, nevertheless, it was never published. My suspicions were therefore confirmed.
About two months later my attention was again drawn to a letter, this time written to The Sunday Times by Anna Spiteri of Senglea regarding frequent, loud church bell-ringing that ruined her own, her family’s and her neighbours’ quality of life and shattered everyone’s tranquillity in their own homes.
I allowed a couple of weeks to pass to see how the story would develop and as a result of a second letter from Ms Spiteri, I decided to write in to offer her my sympathy and support, while I admit to having again criticized the Church authorities for their total disregard of the welfare of their neighbours and parishioners. Of course, my letter, though receipt was acknowledged (11/10), was never printed. The blacklisting was not confined to just the daily newspaper.
The general atmosphere in Malta, I am discovering, has not changed very much in the 40 years I have been away. It is still as stifling as it had been all those years ago, with people in key positions still attempting to manipulate and censor news and views to suit their own ideals, while others, with a total lack of subtlety, shove their beliefs and noise-pollution practices down everyone’s throats, not realising it only serves to alienate and antagonise the population whom they are seeking to influence.
It is worth pointing out that the Church functionaries, very belatedly but in nonetheless a welcome move, have gone public on the need to safeguard the environment, but have stopped short, out of self-interest and self-indulgence, of mentioning noise pollution of which they are, directly and/or indirectly, one of the biggest, most active and gratuitous suppliers on the islands. Had they included it they would have been admitting their awareness of the harm it does to people and the environment’s health and well being. Do they think that we are all too infantile to think for ourselves and incapable of judging when something is not right?
There is no truly independent broadcasting service in Malta either. There is no impartial news programme on TV, only a litany of the same weary, rehashed, boring statements which no one can believe as they are always so heavily tinted, cut and pasted, to suit their respective colours.
The same applies to English language newspapers, with only The Malta Independent and MaltaToday offering a different and, one would hope, impartial view of things. By the way, I no longer watch local news but instead tune in to the Italian stations and BBC World. What a welcome difference in quality and standards!
Shortly after returning to Malta, an acquaintance of mine told me that over here it is best to keep one’s mouth shut as you never know whom you might displease behind the scenes, or where a spy is hiding, listening and ready to report you! I could have possibly taken his well-meant advice if I had not been so deliberately provoked four months or so ago. There is a time for silence, but there is, at times, a greater need to speak out. I only hope others do too!
Returning to the recent two letters in The Times, Christian Peregrin of Naxxar, under the title “Abortion and freedom of expression” very correctly states: “This scares me and makes me feel like we are living in a Catholic Iran.”
Well spoken, sir! A most appropriate and well-observed statement! I too had been wondering if this is The Times’ notion of freedom of expression in a secular State!
Alexander Cortis
ZABBAR