That’s ‘nationalist’ with a small ‘n’ of course.
What is happening in Libya has served as a mirror to reflect back to us how we react in a time of crisis. On the whole, we may not be too comfortable with what we see, as it is blatantly obvious that for the most part, we are a nation that looks out for Number One.
Are all the Maltese who were in Libya back safe and sound? What is going to happen to Maltese investment? What happens if we get an influx of immigrants fleeing Libya?
What about the price of oil? What if we get caught up in a war? How is all this going to affect us? Like a self-obsessed drama queen, Malta has come across as being all about ‘me, me, me.’
Is it just Malta which acts this way though? As I flipped through the channels to watch how the turmoil in Libya was being covered by different media, it became obvious that every country does this to some extent. During times of crises, all nations become nationalistic and their main concern is their own people. US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton was using extreme caution in her carefully worded statements and Barack Obama, when he finally spoke, pointed out that his number one priority was getting American citizens “out of there”. It was only when Virtu ferries berthed at Grand Harbour late Friday night with the last remaining Americans on board that the US President came out forcefully and slammed Libya with economic sanctions.
Earlier in the week, Sky news interviewed a family which had been left stranded by British authorities; they described how they had only managed to get out of Tripoli because the father was German, and his nationality allowed his British wife and two sons to get onto an Austrian plane. Yes, in times like this everyone takes care of their own, whether we care to admit it or not.
I’m also not too surprised by comments online to the effect that, ‘this is not our problem why should we become embroiled in it?’ After all, we have never been exactly tolerant of Libyans (or any Arab/African nationality) to start with. For that matter, we’re not even tolerant of each other as any controversial issue will attest: from politics to divorce we cannot accept that other people hold different views to us, and they automatically become ‘the enemy’ who needs to be torn to shreds. If it were up to me I would teach ‘tolerance’ as a subject in schools and encourage children to take part in debates where they can learn how to challenge the argument rather than resorting to personal insults and jibes against the person making the argument.
But once again, this is not a unique Maltese trait. In that moving, poignant film My name is Khan, which tells the story of a Muslim man who suffers from Asperger’s syndrome, we see how the fear and xenophobia which raised its ugly head in the post 9/11 atmosphere in the United States led to tragic incidents. Obviously, I’m not saying just because it happens everywhere then that makes it OK. Racism is never OK.
But human nature is instinctively inclined towards self-preservation. If we feel we are being threatened or are in danger, our first response is to protect ourselves and those closest to us. Altruism and acts of heroism to save others rather than to save our own skin only happen in rare instances, which is why that Air Malta pilot took everyone’s breath away when he turned back to make sure those last three people got on board.
Why compassion is lacking
In the majority of cases, when we see cultures we don’t understand and which are so different and alien to us, it makes us fearful, and fear can make people act irrationally. Again, I have to draw a comparison with how we treat one another. The different sub-cultures in Malta don’t exactly make allowances for each other – in fact, in some people the loathing runs so deep it’s practically visceral. Online comments are often shocking in their callousness and tend to be devoid of any empathy towards the misfortune of others.
On the whole, I find that generally speaking, compassion towards others is sorely lacking (despite thumping on our chest that we are a Catholic nation which says ‘no to divorce’).
And yet there are those who are surprised by a certain lack of compassion to what is happening to the Libyan people. If we do not have a heart for our fellow Maltese, how on earth are we going to have an ounce of feeling left over for others?
Some will say that they have more in common with the Libyans who are fighting for their freedom than with some of their fellow countrymen – a statement which I find terribly depressing. For, if we do not find any common ground between us here, how can Malta ever possibly move forward and mature as a nation?
Oh yes, that’s right, it hasn’t. We prefer to nitpick and dig at scabs of the wounds that divide us than to look for things which unite us.
On a more positive note, I was glad to see Gonzi and Muscat showing a united front on this issue, and I agree with the decision to use reticence in their initial pronouncements. Many Maltese nationals were still stuck in Libya and it would have been foolhardy to say something which would have jeopardised their safety. It is all very well to say, ‘they should have said, this or that’, but I doubt whether anyone wants blood on their hands. Frankly, I noticed that, until their own nationals were safe, all the world’s leaders were treating Gaddafi with kid gloves because he is such a dangerous, unpredictable man.
And finally, let’s be realistic here − what could tiny Malta possibly have said which would have made any difference? I can see it now, a hard-hitting statement from us and Gaddafi would have been quaking in his boots.
It is easy to be wise after the event, but the fact is that many were lulled into a sense of false comfort by the fact that they had business dealings with Libya. Maltese-Libyan investment has been booming over the last few years, and a lot of people have been making a lot of money – some directly, and some less directly. So please, enough with the finger-pointing, and enough with the sanctimonious attitudes, because anyone who has ever made money out of Gaddafi’s Libya really should just have the grace and dignity to keep quiet. One government after another has cultivated this relationship with Libya so I doubt there is anyone who can really take the moral high ground on this one.
The next few days
As a country we love nothing more than a good panic and seem to enjoy whipping ourselves into hysteria before the need arises... the thrill of being scared is almost like a national pastime. In the past we have panicked even when there was no real need, but this time round, we are truly in the thick of it. That is precisely why now, more than ever, we need to take it easy on the hysterics, which don’t do anyone any good and don’t solve anything anyway.
The tension is mounting and in the next few days we will know whether the protestors have managed to oust Gaddafi. Meanwhile, we wait, tense and powerless, on this rock which is rather too close for comfort.
It is surreal to see Malta being at the centre of every major news story on international networks around the globe, with graphics zooming in on maps showing (in case we need to be reminded) just how close we are to what is happening. Our country is playing a crucial role in evacuating the international community which was living and working in Libya, so let us take a break from always knocking Malta, and for once, why not? Let’s just be proud.
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