From Mr P. Micallef
In a letter entitled “A clear vision in a tired house” by Dr Josie Muscat, the leader of Azzjoni Nazzjonali stated that the Nationalist Party has become a thoroughbred socialist party and suggests renaming it The National Socialist Party (TMIS, 27 January).
Did Dr Muscat really mean to say that or was it just a slip of the tongue? Does he really understand the implications of such a suggestion? Does he not know that this is the name used by Adolf Hitler’s political movement of the 1930s and 1940s? How dare he compare the Nationalist Party to Hitler’s Nazi party?
I suggest he chooses his words more carefully next time he writes one of his numerous letters to the newspapers, which are being blitzed by his contributions on all and sundry. I would go as far as to compare HIS party – Azzjoni Nazzjonali, to National Socialism in Germany prior to the Second World War.
It is his party that is proposing keeping migrants in detention indefinitely, his party that is fanning the flames of racial hatred in Malta at present with its speeches against multiculturalism.
It is his party that is pandering to hunters and xenophobes to win their votes, his party that is criticizing both the Nationalists as well as Labour for the way they are handling the migration problem we have in Malta.
It is his suggestion that open centres for migrants become closed centres and all migrants kept in detention, and be forced to pay for their own food and clothes by working on government projects or “auctioned” off to private companies where their pay will be determined by the government. This is nothing short of slavery!
Azzjoni Nazzjonali keeps repeating its message that we can’t solve Africa’s problems. True, but on the other hand we can’t bury our heads in the sand and pretend a problem doesn’t exist. Does Dr Muscat know that 27 per cent of children in Africa die before the age of 5, as reported in the press last week during David Beckham’s visit to Sierra Leone?
Multiculturism is coming to Malta whether Dr Muscat likes it or not. The EU has a large population of Blacks, Asians, Eastern Europeans and Muslims who are living there legally and can choose to come to Malta to work, live and marry Maltese whenever they want – legally, and there is nothing he or anyone else can do about it.
If these people choose to marry Maltese they are entitled to a Maltese passport after five years, as the law stands today. This will also lead to the dreaded multiculturalism that he is so afraid of.
Dr Muscat has already suggested that we pull out of the EU if they don’t allow the hunters to hunt in spring, or unless they solve the problem of migration in Malta. These are dangerous suggestions indeed after all the country has been through to join the EU and all the sacrifices we have made. Should this all be for nothing because of the attitude of such megalomaniacs.
Malta voted to join the EU in a democratic referendum and confirmed this in the subsequent general election, we must all never forget this - the majority of the population wanted this. We have all become accustomed to a certain standard of living in Malta after years of hard work and we can’t let anyone try to take this away from us.
The Nationalists are not perfect, far from it. But they must be admired for getting on with the job of honouring our international obligations and the Dublin Treaty. They know what must be done and are trying to get on with the job even though Azzjoni Nazzjonali is criticising them and trying to gain political points by doing so.
I also have no doubt that if Labour wins the next general election they will do the same. Dr Sant has gone on record as saying that Labour will honour Malta’s international obligations at the European Socialist meeting a few days ago. Yes, it’s true that Europe should do more to help Malta with this problem and I’m sure Europe will do so in due course, but in the meantime this scaremongering by Azzjoni Nazzjonali has to stop. Nobody can take this so-called political party seriously when they suggest dumping migrants in Brussels. Dr Muscat must know that Brussels will just send them back to Malta. This is not the way to solve this humanitarian crisis.
To put things into perspective we should not complain too much as Africa has a humanitarian crisis on a much bigger scale than ours. Do you ever see beggars on the streets of Malta? No. Do you ever see homeless people sleeping on the streets of our capital? No. Do you ever see children without limbs asking for money? No. This might put things more into perspective, don’t you think?
On a final note, since I have no political aspirations I am able to speak out honestly about the problem of migration. I am not affiliated to any political party and I am not being paid by anyone to criticise Azzjoni Nazzjonali. I am just speaking from the heart and I hope the hearts of the Maltese people will open up to what I am saying.
There is nothing to be afraid of in a multicultural society. I know from first hand, having lived and studied in London during the late eighties. People should be judged on merit not colour of skin.
We should all become colour-blind and except each individual for what he or she is without labelling anyone black, white, Muslim, Jew. We’ve had enough of that in our past; now we must move forward into the new future for Malta.
Philip Micallef
SLIEMA