Since I am the timpana designated cook for our Christmas lunch, I thought I would refresh the recipe in my mind and searched Anne and Helen Caruana Galizia’s cookery book online which is my go-to for traditional Maltese food.

Amongst the results, I came across this one from Daphne on her Running Commentary, posted on 29 December, 2014. 

“And I trust you had a good Christmas, too. I’m interested in finding out what your Christmas lunch was, whether you prefer traditional foods or something completely different, what constitutes tradition in your case, and whether your family gathering takes place in a home or at a restaurant.

So please write in – and thank you.”

One reply out of the 129 comments said:

“We didn’t eat.  We were all depressed because of your absence.  Welcome back, and all the best to you and your family.”

It must be that her readers were checking in on a daily basis to see if she had returned to her blog, since she had been absent for some time.

This is Daphne too.  Daphne who produced the most artistic and gourmet magazine Taste & Flair.  Most of us still have copies on our table with lovely covers of the most enticing food. 

Just last Wednesday we listened to the gracious speakers at her vigil.  38 months since her shocking and outrageous murder and Christmas without not just her absence online but with an empty seat at the table.  How cruel, how sad. 

On 2 December 2017, Daphne was awarded the honour of Person of the Year by La Repubblica, Italy.  One of a list of about 30 awards from International Societies, Media, Foundations and Prizes.   Another was the 2018 Award for Journalists, Whistleblowers and Defenders of the Right to Information by the GUE/NGL of Strasbourg, France. Her sons too were to be recognised for their work in pursuing justice for Daphne.

In 2019 Joseph Muscat was named ‘Person of the Year’ for organised crime and corruption by a consortium of investigative journalists.  He joins Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan who received the same title in 2012 and 2016 winner Nicolas Maduro, President of Venezuela, amongst others.

The sad thing is that the mafia-like organisation of Joseph Muscat and his many persons-of-trust are simply unable to see and to process the range of a person’s character, talent and intelligence.  The only measure is willingness to corrupt and to defend the lies and the power of incumbency. Anyone who would criticize or question was deemed an enemy of the state.  Lack of imagination is another reason why the likes of Muscat, Schembri and Mizzi were confounded by Daphne. 

I’m sure they would have been thoroughly confused by her post asking her readers what their Christmas lunch was.  First thought was that it was a disguise for a stuffed-turkey post about them or that it was a metaphor for getting her knives into them.  Because people like that are unable to distinguish between good and bad, healthy and unhealthy critics.  Also, the dehumanization that had been going on in her regard continued to distance them from any chance of sharing in her good humour and many talents and possibly taking a lesson from her commentary.

And still, their fear grows around her.  So much so that the baton has been passed to the Prime Minister, Robert Abela to lead the attack on the inquiry on whether the state could have prevented or was some way responsible for her death. 

Robert Aquilina, President of the civil rights group Repubblika did not hold back in sending out a clear warning to Abela to stand down on trying to close down the inquiry or face the reprobation of the public once again.  The problem is that Joseph Muscat still controls the organization and all are indebted to him and to Keith Schembri too.  Just the fact that they are called to the witness stand and have to be questioned about their deeds and lies is too much for them.  It is to them an affront, an indignity that the King must answer to the public and to the demands of justice and human rights. Moreover, they must cover for their unlawful actions and try to justify the unjustifiable.

Many years will pass and Muscat and his friends will still be trying to shake off the reach of Daphne’s journalism.  To accommodate this scourge, he has tried to relegate her as “irrelevant” only to have her tower above him over and over again and see her proven right about her allegations of corruption.

To her readers, she will remain present and contemporary, the most decorated journalist and a person of integrity, as recognized by the award of the Allard Prize for International Integrity on 21 October 2020 by The Allied Prize Foundation.

For her family, the fight for truth and justice will continue.  It is inconceivable for anyone to think that they can interfere and leave a country in a state of anguish by trying to pull the rug from under the judges.  Whilst many think that now that their honey-pots and off-shore accounts are secure, that they have the choice of running, peace will never be theirs and reputations will not be cleared having fallen to the lowest and dirtiest scum level from which only an honest confession can offer some small chance of recovery.

The days ahead will be more difficult and we are far from enjoying a peaceful Christmas.  For now, we continue with our lunch whether it be traditional or not, with family or one dimension and wish that our country had never happened upon Joseph Muscat, massive victories or not, LNG power station or not.

At least, try not to let the deliberate false narrative about Daphne as engineered by the Labour party and other individuals become the opinion you hold.  Distance yourself and listen as Daphne comes back to her blog to ask you what you had for Christmas lunch.

A toast to what really matters.  Family, an honest life, good health and integrity.